Supporting Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives: 7 Event Ideas for Businesses to Consider

Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is broadly defined as a company’s efforts to improve society in some way. These corporate efforts can be as small as implementing an environmentally friendly policy change or as large as managing a major event.

Corporate social responsibility is not mandated in the U.S. Rather, it’s an extra effort to make the world a better place by benefiting the community as a whole. CSR efforts can look different depending on the company, but the overall goal is the same—to increase positive social value.

In this article, we will cover the benefits of corporate social responsibility and offer 7 CSR event ideas for your company to try out today. Let’s get started!

What Are the Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility

From a company’s perspective, CSR can sometimes feel like an extra task to check off, but a robust CSR program can reap some significant, tangible benefits beyond the obvious of helping to fill a need in society. These benefits express themselves along several different dimensions: 

• Increased employee engagement. Double the Donation found that 71% of employees prefer to work at a company that participates in philanthropy. Advertise your corporate social responsibility initiatives to recruit and retain a passionate, engaged workforce.
• Increased customer loyalty. A company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives act as a major differentiator for current and potential customers. In fact, customers are more likely to become long-term brand ambassadors if they support your give-back efforts. 
• Positive public perception. Supporting corporate social responsibility initiatives is one of the best ways to further your company’s public image. A company that invests its resources to further social good stands out against its competitors. 

Aside from corporate advantages, CSR positively impacts nonprofits and communities. Nonprofit organizations receive grants, donations, and volunteer hours from companies to further their missions. In turn, local and global communities feel the positive ripple effects. 

Top 7 Corporate Social Responsibility Event Ideas for Businesses

There is certainly not a lack of need when it comes to economic, educational, or philanthropic causes. Because there are so many corporate social responsibility opportunities, choosing to support meaningful ones that align with your corporate values is essential. Think about it this way — your CSR initiatives are evidence of your company’s ethics at work.

Here are some examples of simple yet purposeful corporate social responsibility event ideas for your company to try out to get your feet wet in the philanthropic world of giving back:

1. Launch a Sneaker Recycling Program

How many employees have an extra pair of running shoes? They or their growing family will most likely have a couple of extra shoes to spare. Partner with a fundraising provider like Sneakers4Good to raise support for an organization of your choice.

Simply collect gently worn, used, and new athletic shoes. Then, use Sneakers4Good’s pre-paid shipping bags to ship the collected sneakers to the Sneakers4Good warehouse. From there, the athletic shoes will be distributed to micro-entrepreneurs in developing nations. Sneakers4Good will also send your company a check for your sneaker-collecting efforts, which you can then donate to the nonprofit of your choice.

Consider hosting a competition by rewarding the employee or corporate team who has collected the most running shoes over a defined period. 

2. Plan a Matching Gift Drive

Initiate a matching gift drive as a part of your corporate philanthropy efforts. If you’re new to matching gifts, it’s a philanthropic program through which companies match their employees’ donations to nonprofits, usually in a 1:1 ratio. However, some companies match gifts in a 2:1 or even 3:1 ratio.

Matching gifts encourage employees to donate to a nonprofit of their choice with a promise of 1:1 corporate donation backing. Employees are generally free to choose which nonprofit to contribute to, and companies reap the benefits of maintaining their corporate social responsibility image while letting their employees take the steering wheel. It’s a win-win for companies, employees, and selected nonprofits. 

3. Host a Virtual Corporate Social Responsibility Webinar

Not sure which corporate social responsibility event idea is right? Research several corporate social responsibility events and have your employees complete a survey concerning which causes they’d like to know more about from you. Also, host a virtual corporate social responsibility webinar to explore different causes and initiatives directly with them. (Note: You can do this using Attendease Virtual Studio!)

Compile your list of survey responses and invite the corresponding nonprofit leaders to talk at an organized webinar. Give these organizational leaders time to discuss their mission and what your company can do to help. During the webinar, plan to answer questions and explore corporate social responsibility event alternatives. 

4. Host an Environmental Clean-up

Make your city sparkle with a dedicated corporate social responsibility clean-up effort. If your office is near the coast, this could look like spending an afternoon fishing plastic off sandy beaches. If your office is located in a relatively spotless part of town, consider reaching out to neighboring cities and lending a helping hand.

Partner with local parks to plant trees and assist with their trash-free initiatives. Or use your outdoor corporate social responsibility event as an opportunity to celebrate Earth Day.

5. Participate in a Nonprofit Fundraising Event

Raise funds and awareness by participating in nonprofit fundraising events. From online challenges to in-person parties, there is a wide range of potential events to consider. Your company can also join in a pre-made event or plan your own on behalf of a charity.

Potential fundraising events could include hosting a trivia night, fundraising 5K, a field day competition, a used book drive, or a silent auction. The event options are endless! Added bonus, if you’re an Attendease customer, you can use Attendease to register people for your event.

6. Volunteer at an Animal Shelter

Are your company employees animal lovers? Volunteer at a local animal shelter as a part of your corporate social responsibility initiatives. Most shelters have Corporate Service Days to coordinate your volunteer hours.

Go online and fill out the related company volunteer request form. Note that many forms also require a donation as a part of your volunteer efforts.

7. Offer Micro-Volunteering Opportunities

If your company can’t commit to full days of service, try out some micro-volunteering opportunities. These volunteer events are short-term, low-commitment events or tasks that help nonprofits get ahead. They could look like attending a virtual event such as a silent auction, providing nonprofit survey feedback, sorting cans at a food drive, or providing pro-bono professional services as part of your regular work.

Corporate volunteer grants are another low-effort corporate social responsibility alternative. These corporate giving programs encourage volunteerism by donating monetary grants to nonprofits where their employees regularly volunteer. 

These grants communicate to prospective employees, customers, and competitors that your company is invested in backing social good causes. 

Social Responsibility Opportunities Exist Everywhere

How will your company use CSR initiatives to back its reputation? Environmental, ethical, educational, and philanthropic event-related opportunities exist everywhere. Share this list with your employees to gauge interest and get started planning your next corporate social responsibility event today. 

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About the Author: Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises (EE) and a Forbes Business Development Council member. Among his various independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Sneakers4Funds, which is a social enterprise that helps schools, churches, nonprofits, individuals, and other organizations raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations.