How Entrepreneurs Can Give Back During the Holiday Season

Whether you own a small boutique, a restaurant, a print shop, or another type of small business, the community where your business is located is one you want to support in any way you can. And this time of year is the perfect opportunity to give back in a big and meaningful way.

Not only will ideas like these show your local community that you care, but your efforts may have an extra perk: when customers see you supporting the community, they may be impressed and more likely to work with you.

Not only that, when you donate to qualified nonprofit organizations (that have the 501(c)(3) designation), your donations may be tax-deductible! Everyone wins!

Let’s look at a few ways you can give back to show your local community how grateful you are to be a part of it.

1. Participate in Small Business Saturday

Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, small businesses throughout the country get an extra oomph of publicity when they participate in the nationwide event, Small Business Saturday.

Because many shoppers start their holiday shopping that weekend, you have a big opportunity to boost revenues. In addition to marking down prices on products and services, you can offer giveaways, free products, or samples to drive traffic and give back.

How can you get involved? American Express, who founded Small Business Saturday, offers many resources to (literally) put your business on the map. Get a Shop Small sticker for your storefront to let people know they’re supporting a small biz when they shop with you.

2. Hold a Donation Drive

Whether for canned goods, toys, or gently used clothes, your business can take donations from the community to give back to those in need.

Within your business, you could hold a contest to see who can collect the most items and then give that employee a prize or recognition. This will increase the amount of items you collect and make employees feel like they’re contributing to the goodwill of both your business and the community.

3. Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen

If you have a soup kitchen or food pantry nearby, encourage employees to participate in a volunteer day together. Wear shirts with your company logo so people know who you are.

If you happen to own a restaurant, you could also donate food items. Many community kitchens accept donations for food that’s still good but maybe is close to expiring, which they use to cook healthy meals for those in need. You can not only help feed the less fortunate, but you’ll also reduce the waste in your kitchen.

4. Hold a Fundraising Event

The sky’s the limit when it comes to the types of fundraising events you can hold to support organizations nearby. You could throw a block party, fancy gala, or auction. Choose a charity that is part of your local community.

You can sell raffle tickets and give away prizes from your own business and/or ask other businesses to donate items.

5. Make a Donation for Every Sale

With sales typically higher during the holiday season than in the rest of the year for many businesses, you likely can afford to donate a percentage of each sale to the charity of your choice. Be sure to promote this fact because it will compel some customers to buy from you while also supporting a local cause.

6. Get Involved in Holiday Events

If your community has an annual Christmas parade, tree lighting, or party, see how you can get involved. 

Often, the organizations that hold these events are looking for sponsors. Becoming one is a fantastic way to give back while getting your business’ name in front of people.

But don’t stop at a monetary donation. Get your staff involved. If you’ve got a Santa-like employee, he could don the red suit. Others can be elves or volunteer in other ways at the event.

7. Reward Your Employees’ Altruistic Efforts

Don’t overlook your employees this time of year, especially if they are eager to volunteer for organizations and events. Consider giving them paid time off to participate in events. This will only make them that much more excited to give their time.

8. Make a Child’s Christmas Magical

Most towns have donation drives like Toys for Tots that match you to a child who has a wishlist of holiday gifts. You can “adopt” one child or an entire family, and you can encourage your employees to do the same.

You can also sign up to be a dropoff station for a donation event like Toys for Tots.

9. Give a Holiday Gift to Customers

Whether it’s home-baked cookies or a free product, you’ll get a smile from every customer if you give them a little something extra at checkout—and you’ll keep them coming back.

Don’t own a shop or restaurant? You can still show your clients some love. If you have higher-ticket clients, like for your graphic design or accounting business, consider giving a significant gift, like a basket of holiday treats, a bottle of wine (only if you’re sure a client drinks), or a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Consider how much a given client has spent with you over time to decide how much to spend to show your appreciation.

10. Support Local Businesses Yourself

YOU also need to do holiday shopping, more than likely. Rather than head to the Big Box store down the street, why not support your local small business owners by keeping your shopping in the community? It’s also a great way to meet other business owners if you don’t already know them.

Leveraging Your Giving 

While you should absolutely be authentic in your altruism, you can also connect with your followers and customers by sharing what you’re doing on your marketing channels.

For example, if you are holding a food drive, be sure to send out an email to customers letting them know the details of the items you are accepting and when they can drop off their donations.

Take photos of your team volunteering at the food pantry and share them on social media. Share the results of your fundraising campaign on your website, as well as via email and social media.

Your audience likes to see that you care, and your communication channels give you the opportunity to invite them to get involved or see what you’re up to.

Think Ahead to Next Year

After your donation, volunteering, or fundraising project is over, assess the results. If they were positive and your team liked being involved, consider making it an annual event. Brainstorm this year on how you can make next year’s event even better.

Start planning well in advance and spread the word through your marketing channels to give people a heads-up in case they want to participate. After a few years, people will eagerly anticipate your holiday cheer activities!

As a business owner, you have a lot to be thankful for. By finding ways to give back to your community, you’re paying it forward for the success headed your way.