For Alabama businesses, giving back is more important than ever. It’s the right thing to do, of course, but today’s employees also expect you to make meaningful contributions to the community.
Being a true champion for the community should be about more than writing a check, though. To make a meaningful impact, businesses must be committed to their community in more ways than just financial. With this in mind, here are some tips for getting involved in your community beyond simply making donations.
INVOLVE YOURSELF IN NONPROFITS IMPORTANT TO YOUR COMMUNITY
The first step is to determine which area nonprofits to support. Listen to your employees and listen to your customers. For Valley Bank here in Montgomery, that means strong involvement in the Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama. Our local commercial lending banker, Dean Peevy, has been deeply involved in the Girl Scouts for years, and now sits on their Gold Committee. In that role, he works with other community leaders to brainstorm ideas to change the community through Girl Scout programs.
DONATE YOUR TIME AND TALENT
Whether you’re in the financial industry, medical field or another type of work, your talents can benefit your community. At Valley, we look for ways to use our financial knowledge to teach financial literacy in the community. With the local Girl Scouts, we created the “My Money Map” Girl Scout badge, which is awarded to Girl Scouts who learn how to save money, set financial goals and develop smart spending habits. The badge is earned through a full-day event hosted by our bankers, and this year, more than 70 girls participated. Valley also actively partners with schools to deliver critical financial lessons to students from kindergarten through sixth grade, setting a foundation that they can build on as they grow.
ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEERISM
We suggest getting your employees involved to make your community involvement meaningful and to provide more impact. This benefits the community and fosters a sense of camaraderie among your team members. Valley Bank has created a culture that encourages our employees to volunteer. It’s important to provide team members the time to get involved, so we offer our staff two days of paid leave each year to spend time volunteering.
CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
To be a champion in your community, it must be a key part of your company culture. So how can you do this? Try a team-building volunteer day! One of the organizations we partner with, the Montgomery Food Bank, is a great place to consider for this type of involvement. We spend a whole day volunteering as a team, packing food for the community. If you want your business to truly get involved in the community, do more than just write a check. With this approach, your company will make a bigger impact, and that’s something your employees and your customers will appreciate.
