With 19.84 million people living in New York State, opportunities are abundant in a metropolis that never sleeps.
Companies in New York may view the word “opportunity” as a means to raise more money, capitalize on a diversified population, or utilize a broader spectrum of networking avenues.
What can be missed, however, when examining all of the corporate opportunities obtainable in New York State — is the opportunity to make a big social impact.
Making a significant difference in both your local communities and the global environment is the key to having a positive appeal to consumers, job seekers, and investors. It isn’t enough just to be profitable anymore; your company must also work towards being socially conscious.
What is Social Impact?
Social impact refers to the positive effects your philanthropic initiatives have on the local community and the global environment. When your company participates in charitable giving, develops an employee volunteer program, or engages in corporate fundraising—what was the result of these initiatives?
Results can come in the form of tracking and reporting on:
- How many hours did your company volunteer this year?
- How much money was raised from your corporate fundraising efforts?
- How much money was donated this year?
These quantitative measurements make up your company’s social impact.
With 63% of American consumers optimistic that companies will be on the frontline in spearheading social change, why not be the trailblazer in leading that change?
Being in a densely populated state like New York, businesses are given the upper hand to explore, establish, and maintain connections with a wide number of causes they and their employees align with.
Below are four steps your organization can take to become an innovator in the social good arena and generate a big social impact:
1. Explore Opportunities
The journey to social impact begins with exploring opportunities to give back: this can be through donating, volunteering, or fundraising.
When a quick search was conducted for volunteer opportunities in the Lower Manhattan area using Kambeo Hubs, the search brought up a vast number of opportunities for companies to make a mark.
Using Kambeo Hubs, a search was also conducted to explore donation opportunities in the Midtown Manhattan area, with an array of results being populated for companies to donate.
2. Connect With Causes
When aiming to make a big social impact, relationship-building is key.
With no shortage of volunteer and donation options shown above, there is bound to be a nonprofit or charity in your region that aligns with the organizational values of your business and your employees’ interests.
The next step is to do your own outreach, connecting with these causes (either at a company-wide level or having your employees connect with the causes they are interested in individually supporting).
When your organization takes the time to build and maintain connections with select causes, the number of opportunities available is likely to multiply. This is because causes may choose to share certain fundraisers or volunteer opportunities with close and trusted connections only.
3. Build Out Initiatives
Once your company has compiled a selection of charities and nonprofits that are of interest, build out a list of initiatives that your company wants to focus on within those selected causes.
Some initiatives include:
- Charitable donations
- Employee volunteer days
- Peer-to-peer fundraisers
4. Track Social Impact
Tracking the total volunteer hours, amount donated, and the number of causes & events supported are all metrics you want to measure frequently, monitoring how they accumulate over time. This can be quite time-consuming, though, which is why we built Kambeo Hubs—to allow companies to easily measure and share their social impact.
Measuring your social impact is more than just watching these numbers grow. These metrics can help your company:
- Better realize your mission.
- Understand the results of your combined efforts.
- Identify new avenues for greater social impact.
Large State = More Opportunities = Significant Social Impact
The number of opportunities available in a populous state of 19.84 million people is only the base for your company to build upon.
With each opportunity you have discovered, ensure that you build connections with the causes behind each opportunity, establish several initiatives you can take part in, and track your impact regularly.
When you follow the steps outlined above, your opportunity to have a big social impact will become prominent and profound. To learn how Kambeo Hubs can help you with your social impact initiatives — Book a Demo.
