Five Ways to Promote Giving Back as Part of Workplace Wellness

Workplace wellness isn’t just about fitness and nutrition. Yes, physical health is an important ingredient in your team’s wellbeing, but it’s not the only ingredient.

“The most successful wellness programs are those that provide a variety of benefits aimed at meeting the individual employee’s needs” according to ThinkHealth. These programs have offerings aimed at building a sense of purpose, financial savvy, physical fitness, social connection, and community involvement.

For community involvement, giving back is key.

How does giving back support wellness?

Well, let’s start with the big picture. When a whole system is healthy, each of the parts do better. Nobody lives in a vacuum, and when you support local causes, the effects can ripple through the entire community, indirectly benefiting everyone.

The benefits of giving back are many: It’s good for team-building, it makes employees feel good about themselves, it offers health benefits, and it can strengthen your corporate brand.

Your team wants to make a difference – so let them!

The desire to do good is on the rise according to CharityNavigator.org. These days, workers are making important career decisions based not only on salary, benefits, and personal development opportunities, but on how much their employers can empower them to make a positive impact in the world.

That’s why companies like Salesforce, Unilever and Facebook include volunteering opportunities in their own wellness programs, Forbes said.

How to promote giving back as part of workplace wellness.

  1. Partner with a local non-profit organization that’s doing good work in your community, and sponsor volunteer days periodically throughout the year.
  2. Designate one month of the year to raise funds for a particular cause and invite your team to pledge payroll donations to that cause through the following year.
  3. As part of your PTO program, designate one paid day for employees to spend working at a charitable organization of their choice.
  4. Invite payroll donations at any time of the year, either as a one-time contribution or on a monthly basis.
  5. Participate in a matching contribution challenge. Local charities will sometimes partner with employers to incentivize giving among their teams; commit to matching up to a certain dollar amount.

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