Philanthropy among businesses is a growing trend. Many popular companies give to charity each year to help enrich both local and global communities. If you own a business and want to get involved with giving to charity, there are many advantages to doing so, and one of the greatest is how it can improve the lives of your employees. From giving them the opportunity to think globally to improved team-oriented thinking, getting your employees involved in charitable causes can have a highly positive impact.

1. Improved Interpersonal Relations

When you set up charitable organizations within your company and encourage your employees to get involved, their relationships with their coworkers can become more tight-knit. Working on philanthropic projects can give them chance to get to know the people they work with on a more personal level. Uncovering common ground can help employees who might be in conflict understand each other better.

When you work with employees on this level on a charitable outing, they might feel more comfortable reaching out and approaching you with work-related ideas. Some people are not comfortable sharing their ideas in a group atmosphere or may feel intimidated by your position within the company. However, when you are all working toward a common goal on the same level, less confident employees may be able to find their voice.

2. Enhanced Self-Esteem

It could be that some of your employees want to involve themselves in charitable causes but simply do not have the time to do so. Giving them the opportunity to perform charitable acts while on company time can make them feel better about themselves, and when employees have good self-esteem, they are typically happier and more productive in their jobs.

You may also be able to give your employees a boost in their self-esteem by giving them charitable opportunities that do not clash with the time they want to spend with their families. By melding team-building exercises with charitable acts during company hours, your employees can feel good about giving back without having to take time away from their spouses and children.

3. Better Team Building

From rock stars to business moguls, important people are teaming up to help charitable causes, and you and your employees can do the same. However, when it comes to strengthening your company, teaming up to plan charitable projects can also have the added benefit of building stronger department teams. When your employees find new ways to work together and you discover interpersonal dynamics that work did not previously reveal, this can result in exciting new future possibilities on the work front.

Encouraging your employees to work on charitable projects can also help solve conflicts between employees. For example, when two people who work in the same department have an issue, you may be able to work on it within the borders of the project, such as having them team up to work at the same booth or on a fundraising project. The more they work together, the more they may come to understand each other and with your guidance, work through any personality conflicts that may be causing friction at the office.

4. Increased Company Pride

Many philanthropists, such as Don Burns, fund a wide variety of charitable projects that no doubt causes the employees of their companies to feel a great deal of personal pride because of it. Giving to charity and getting your employees involved can boost their company and civic pride at the same time, especially if you choose a cause that is personal for them.

If you have yet to choose a charitable cause for your company to support, consider getting your employees’ input. Local charities, such as no-kill animal shelters, hospice centers, and children’s support groups are all choices that your employees may have a personal stake in. Allowing your employees to have a say in which causes your company supports can increase the pride they feel about their employer.

5. An Enhanced Global Understanding

Giving your employees the opportunity to get involved with global causes, such as working to combat starvation in third-world nations or providing clean water for struggling communities overseas can help them expand their world view and their awareness of what is happening in the world around them. Even making them aware of local causes can open the doors to awareness and perhaps get them interested in other charitable causes outside your company.

If you run a small company and believe that global causes are beyond your reach, they may be more accessible than you think. Contact your local philanthropic resource center to find out more about how you can get your employees involved, from local fundraising to making phone calls and writing letters to raise awareness in their own neighborhoods.

Getting your employees involved in charitable causes can enrich their lives in many different ways. As an employer, offering a variety of philanthropic opportunities may also create a more cohesive company identity and strengthen the core of your business.