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Doing Good is Good Business: How Investing in Communities Drives Growth

March 25, 2026

Published by Nora Thomas

In the modern business world, values are important. Your employees, clients, and community are all paying attention to your actions, ethics, and how you give back to the community.

Corporate giving actually provides a host of benefits for the company, including employee wellness, brand loyalty, and company success. Plus, companies have a unique ability to support non-profit organizations and the greater community with their resources. 

Let’s dive into the specific benefits of corporate giving and how best to implement giving initiatives. 

Why Give Back as a Business?

Well, first of all, we need to understand Community Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). These are frameworks for measuring a company’s sustainability.

CSR is a business model in which companies commit to operating in ways that enhance society and the environment, rather than degrade them, while being transparent and accountable. CSR encompasses environmental, ethical, and financial responsibilities, as well as philanthropic endeavors. Companies practicing CSR make choices that benefit the environment and society, even when there is no immediate financial gain. 

ESG is a set of criteria used to evaluate a company’s impact on the planet, treatment of employees and community, and its direction and management. CSR is often more qualitative and demonstrates a general commitment to social and environmental causes, whereas ESG is often defined as more quantitative. For example, supporting initiatives that divert carbon emissions or plant trees can directly support ESG goals.

CSR and ESG are both at the center of all reasons to give back, as they are a positive signal to consumers, employees, investors, and the broader community.

Corporate giving programs are critical for promoting a positive company reputation. 

Consumers want to know that brands are supporting causes they care about. Charitable giving, authenticity, and transparency build trust and long-term loyalty from consumers. Even if your company doesn’t necessarily have a product for consumers, charitable giving boosts your company’s reputation in general for clients, employees, and the community at large. This principle event extends to investors, 73% of whom said that CSR initiatives contribute to their investment decisions (2019 Aflac Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility). Additionally, according to Zeno, consumers are 4x more likely to purchase from purpose-driven brands.

Charitable giving has incredible benefits for your employees’ well-being and company pride. It also provides great benefits to the company, such as improved employee retention and performance. 

Research conducted in 2015 by Good2Give found that workplace giving can promote an employee’s pride in themselves and their company, as well as their sense of community. Employees want to work for a company that prioritizes authentic giving, but they also want to work for one that offers opportunities to get involved. 

There are also more direct benefits. By donating, employees can trust that they are giving to a reputable organization when their company promotes it. Company campaigns also help individuals feel like they’re making a larger impact. Unlike with a single donation, employees know their gift is boosted by their team and employer. 

Volunteer activities also provide employees with opportunities to build personal and professional networks. Group volunteer efforts often help foster stronger office relationships and offer employees the opportunity to showcase their communication, leadership, and project management skills in new ways.

Providing giving programs in the workplace can help reinforce your company’s values and deeply engage employees in your mission. Employees who feel connected to the company’s values and mission are actually more likely to show dedication and motivation in the workplace. 

Just like corporate social responsibility can build a loyal consumer base, it also supports loyal employees and high employee retention. When a company supports giving initiatives, employees feel happy, perform better, and are more likely to stay in their role.

Corporate giving is essential for nonprofits! These groups rely on corporate and individual donors to carry out their mission. Additionally, corporations play a unique role because, through their partnership, they can raise awareness of the cause among large new audiences. Long-lasting, authentic relationships with community groups help more than one-time donations. 

And with that, the most obvious benefit to corporate giving is that it supports critical issues in your community! Whether you choose to support a specific campaign or just promote giving in general, your company is working to make your community a better place. 

There are so many ways to engage in corporate giving. As an employer, it’s important to offer different avenues for employees to engage in ways that best suit them. The more you promote giving back, the more your employees will engage, and the more your community connections will grow! 

Matching gifts are a great way to incentivize giving in the workplace and boost your impact. 84% of donors are more likely to give if their donation is matched, and 1 in every 3 will give more than they would have otherwise. To maximize participation in matching gift campaigns, set a donation goal, spread awareness about the campaign, and make participation instructions clear. 

Scroll down to see if your employer will match your donation!

With volunteer grants, companies can pledge to donate to a company based on the amount of time their employees volunteer. These are often called “Dollars for doers”. Volunteer grants encourage employees to volunteer because they know their efforts are boosted by a monetary contribution to the cause. 

In 2012, the CECP found that while over 60% of companies surveyed offered volunteer grants, less than 5% of employees participated. As an employer, be sure to advertise these volunteer grant programs and create efficient tracking programs to make the biggest impact. As an employee, ask your company if they already offer volunteer grants/dollars for doers or volunteer time off. They may just not advertise it!

Direct donations are the simplest way to make an impact! These are exactly as they sound. Companies directly donate funds that can be used flexibly within the organization. 

With direct grants, companies support a particular cause, campaign, or project. These are typically more rigid and come with guidelines for how the funds must be used.

In-kind donations are non-cash gifts of goods or services. Think of this like donating desktops to a school computer lab or a canned goods drive for a shelter. In-kind donations can help reduce financial burden for nonprofit groups and provide needed materials. As long as they are relevant to the organization, in-kind gifts can provide a great direct impact.

Payroll deductions are a simple, hands-off way to promote a culture of company giving. Companies can have employees elect to take a small amount from their paycheck and donate it to a nonprofit of their choice. This allows employees to give easily and regularly. Plus, payroll giving is great for non-profits because it is an ongoing, sustainable source of funds.

If you are a smaller company and worry that your giving looks small in comparison to industry giants, the good news is that consumers are paying attention to the bigger picture. Research from Harvard Business School (2025) shows that consumers favor companies that donate a larger percentage of their profits, even if the dollar amount is smaller. 

The last, and essential, piece is how you celebrate company giving! To promote continued charitable giving, employees need to see the positive impact of their work. Be sure to…

• Clearly advertise the purpose and impact of giving campaigns.
• Clearly indicate how to participate in giving programs.
• Celebrate employees for their participation and share milestones with the team. 

Whether you’re the head of the company and ready to do more or an employee campaigning for your company to have more giving opportunities in the workplace, here’s how to get the ball rolling:

• Start the conversation! Begin discussing corporate giving programs and community needs with your team. 
• Head up a giving committee. A committee will create a dedicated and organized space to research giving opportunities and create a plan. This also creates a space for passionate individuals to help develop ideas. 
• Survey employees to identify specific causes the team is interested in! Then, you can advocate for a giving program or volunteer event dedicated to the cause. 

Whether you have an active company-giving program in place or you’re starting one today, we would be honored if you included We Don’t Waste in your volunteer and donation efforts. Food insecurity is a massive problem in Colorado, and your support can make a difference in nourishing our community and protecting our planet.

For more giving opportunities and collaborations, please reach out!

In addition to all the giving opportunities listed above, we also love hosting staff volunteer events. Come join us for a morning of handing out fresh food, getting to know your neighbors, and making an impact in real time.