Embrace Holistic Philanthropy to Inspire Employees and Create Meaningful Change

Studies have shown there is a correlation between workplace giving and increased recruitment, retention, higher employee satisfaction, and intentional engagement. This is important as workers increasingly base employment decisions on more than just salaries and benefits. Today’s workforce largely looks for roles and organizations that can provide a satisfactory work-life balance, a remote or hybrid work environment, and a dedication to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

In recent years, workers have shown that they expect more than quarterly volunteer opportunities, monetary donations, and a CSR statement on a website. Instead, employees are searching for companies that have CSR initiatives built into their corporate DNA. This means finding holistic connections between organizations and the charities they support.

And how can organizations meet these expectations? Through leadership. When business leaders lean on personal experiences, passion and authenticity will follow. The companies below found the right balance between values and action and can serve as inspiration for building your organization’s charitable endeavors.

Anupam Satyasheel, the CEO of Occams Advisory, a global financing advisory and professional services firm, leads through his actions. Serving as the Executive Director of Strategy and Practice for Child Literacy, Satyasheel is motivated by his world views, valuing the unique intellectual opportunity each human being has.

He expresses these values through his commitment to maximizing opportunities for children, helping Child Literacy achieve its goals to initiate, evaluate, and disseminate programs across the globe to promote children’s educational, emotional, ethical, social, and intellectual development. As a result, Child Literacy empowers children to think competently and judiciously while also endeavoring to deepen their commitment to values such as compassion, cooperation, consideration, responsibility, and respect for others — attributes the organization believes are critical to leading humane and productive lives.

His employees are taking note and joining Satyasheel in accomplishing Child Literacy’s goals by conducting regular fundraisers and volunteer opportunities.

In an inspiring story about taking matters into your own hands, global managing partner Keegan Caldwell developed a narcotics addiction as a teen, experienced homelessness, was convicted of six felonies, and sought treatment before deciding to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry and start his law firm, Caldwell.

But the story doesn’t end there. These experiences culminated in Caldwell Cares, an initiative Caldwell set up at his firm to help current and aspiring entrepreneurs succeed in life. Caldwell Cares focuses on helping people from underserved communities. The firm takes on pro-bono incarcerated inventors, allowing them to obtain patents for their inventions and find guidance in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams.

By sharing his own struggles and history of legal and personal challenges, Caldwell’s vulnerability connected with his employees to incite a company-wide initiative that extends beyond the firm’s walls.

For many homeowners, understanding the value of keeping and maintaining smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is simple. They provide safety and peace of mind. Yet, many are lacking another critical component to fully protect their homes: natural gas alarms.

Homes across the U.S. experience 4,200 fires ignited by a natural gas source annually, and natural gas explosions are rising. In fact, a new natural gas explosion happens every 40 hours. Of these explosions, approximately 300 cause deaths, injuries, and property damage every year. This is concerning, especially because the American Gas Association estimates 186.5 million Americans live in households that use natural gas, adding an average of 774,971 customers annually.

Electric company New Cosmos saw these issues and created DeNova Detect as a way to increase natural gas safety across communities. Inspired by a commitment to protect life and property, DeNova Detect produces innovative gas safety products. But for DeNova Detect, natural gas safety requires more than devices to protect communities. The team’s passion is so deeply ingrained in the company culture and business strategy that DeNova Detect closely monitors news about natural gas leaks and explosions to quickly support communities when tragedy strikes.

The DeNova Detect team has made it their mission to help others, developing emergency response processes to rapidly aid communities impacted by natural gas explosions. In one instance, DeNova Detect worked with the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company to donate $25,000 worth of alarms to a community in Maryland impacted by a natural gas explosion.

DeNova Detect also stepped in to help a community in West Reading, Pennsylvania that experienced an explosion at a chocolate factory. By reaching out to local elected officials, fire service leaders, and media, DeNova Detect was able to coordinate another donation of $25,000 worth of natural gas alarms, publish PSA in local media, and share information about natural gas safety.

With a responsive team on hand, DeNova Detect took their experiences one step further to develop and launch a revolutionary new natural gas alarm. As the first and only 10-year, 100% battery-operated natural gas alarm in the country, its technology allows it to detect natural gas leaks 11 minutes sooner than other alarms. It is also the only alarm that offers the best placement near the ceiling, where natural gas rises and accumulates first, and it features a zero rate of false alarms. DeNova Detect’s mission-driven company culture is positively impacting communities and is a model we can all learn from.

From the creation of new technologies to enhancing opportunities and fostering a sense of community safety, organizations have the power to enact meaningful change. Through a combination of experience, expertise, and resources, business leaders can find ways to seamlessly integrate charitable actions company-wide.

And when they strike the right balance of passion and service, employees are more engaged, motivated, and feel happier at work. This not only increases retention and productivity, it inspires employees to work with leadership teams to become the catalysts for change required to create meaningful changes across communities.