Retail stores around the country have holiday decorations for sale and are ready to go. This is a reminder that the end of the year is fast approaching. And so is the holiday season—one where many of us also tend to pay more attention to charitable giving.
Social and corporate responsibility has become increasingly important to consumers around the globe. More than ever before, clients want to know how businesses are building sustainable futures in their communities.
As accountants, our offices have gone paperless and rolled out green practices, we’ve looked at human resources responsibilities to support more work-life balance and health in our employees. This is a great time of year to look at our charitable giving as a way also to improve our community outreach.
Easy activities your firm can engage in to connect with your clients and enhance your presence in the community include things like a staff volunteer day, a toy or a food drive, or even participating in a holiday parade or chamber of commerce event.
If your firm still maintains a physical office space, let your clients know that you have set up a toy or food drop-off. This is a great opportunity to connect with your clients face to face before the end of the year as well as instill some goodwill in your firm commitment to the community as a whole.
Starting a community outreach day with your team is another great opportunity to help your staff bond outside of the office while your company brand enhances its visibility in the community.
We often get so bogged down with our workload, especially after coming off such menacing tax deadlines, that we forget about the little things we can incorporate into our company culture to enhance goodwill among our employees and in our communities. Your staff is looking to work for a socially responsible organization too, and in a difficult hiring market, we can’t afford to skip over these types of giving-back activities.
