By Liz Elting

The Wall Street Journal - August 27, 2013

For organizations that cure diseases, assist the poor and serve communities both broad and specific, there are rarely enough resources to fund their work for social good. And while many companies, including startups, make charitable giving part of their business models out of pure altruism, we’ve found that involvement with charities reaps benefits for our company and employees, too.

During two decades in business, our company has raised money for and donated time to organizations such as the American Heart Association, UNICEF, the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, Achilles International, Autism Speaks, National Autism Association, the Susan G. Komen Foundation,  the Joyful Heart Foundation and many others. We’re proud of the good these donations have helped to accomplish, and that alone would be enough validation for our efforts. But we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the side benefits we’ve seen within our company. When our employees express interest in a particular cause or charity, our ability and eagerness to support that organization strengthens our team bond. Things that are important to the individuals that make up our company are important to the company as a whole. Companies that can show commitment to shared goals create a greater sense of team and solidarity. Employees want to feel good about what they do, and they want to work for a company that shares the same values.

To make this approach to social giving work for a charity and for a startup, founders should consider the following:

Lead by example. One way to get your team excited about social good is to show them how it’s done. Executives and entrepreneurs can get involved by joining the board of a favorite charity. This allows you to pass on your business and leadership acumen to a nonprofit that needs it. If your time is too limited to join a board, consider instituting a corporate match program, in which your business pledges to match a donation made by employees. Our company offers a matching donation when our employees participate in the “Wear Red Day” for the American Heart Association.

Listen to your employees. Do you have an engineer participating in a triathlon to raise money for cancer research? Is your marketing manager on the board of an educational foundation? Do your sales reps help build affordable housing on the weekends? When you know the causes that matter to your team, you can create charitable programs that resonate.

Let your staff shine. If your team exceeds a fundraising goal, or gathers an impressive amount of canned goods for the local food drive, give them visible kudos. Taking the time to make sure your employees’ accomplishments are noted and appreciated will fuel the giving engine even more. Are there team members who are looking for ways to stand out? Consider making these individuals your team leaders who can coordinate fundraising efforts across the company.

Infusing social good into your operations model unifies teams, gives employees a sense of greater purpose and helps them to form strong ties to their local communities. It also shows the world who you are as a leader and what kind of company your startup wants to be.