What’s better than attending that work event where the drinks are free, the venue is stunning, and there’s a chance to beat your colleagues at a game you can pretend you never play? Well, how about feeling good about it after?
CSR events used to make people roll their eyes. Yes, they wanted to help those in need, but they didn’t understand why they couldn’t just do something fun and then give money to charity after. But why not learn to create something you can pass on to those in need? How about building bikes that you can then race to see who’s is best? Or designing clothes that can be modelled on your very own catwalk. You’ve still had the competition, but at the end of the event, these products will always find a worthy home. How about instead of racing at your sports day for shiny medals, you run for charity donations? Imagine being in the Crystal Dome, collecting as much fun money as you can, and you knew every penny would be donated to a charity of your choice.
Never held a CSR event before? No problem, here are a few things you need to know:
What are CSR events?
CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. The goal of these events is to engage employees whilst demonstrating the company's commitment to positively impacting the world. By participating in CSR events, businesses not only give back to their communities but also promote a sense of purpose and social responsibility among their employees.
Select a charity!
Check with your company and see if they support any charities already. They might have a direct point of contact for you and can tell you about what’s been done in the past. Check with the staff. Don’t push anyone, but when you ask the question, someone will usually be forthcoming about their own experiences, keen to tell you why a particular charity means so much to them. If colleagues know the event is meaningful to one of their own, it can really add to the bonding experience of an event. If you collectively feel passionate about helping malnourished children, you could find a charity that pays for school meals, for example.
Work out what they need first!
It’s unlikely charities are going to say no to money; having said that, they can also be in desperate need of goods or services from volunteers. Finding out what they want first saves them the admin and the additional cost of having to source it themselves.
Let’s say you want to help Battersea Dogs Home. First, you need to find out what they are currently accepting. Check their website or get in touch and see if they have a wish list. They might need leads, treats and dog bowls, but maybe they don’t! Perhaps they already have too much of this stuff and would have nowhere to store anything you gave them anyway.
Some charities also may have specific guidelines or restrictions on what they are allowed to accept, so it’s crucial to respect those guidelines. A recipient of a recent CSR event we hosted was the homeless charity Shelter. They are often helping abused women, some of whom have had to leave the house with just the clothes on their backs. After contacting the charity, we were advised that hampers containing female hygiene products would be helpful to them. People can also arrive with babies, so they said they always need nappies and wipes.
Another event we do regularly is Build a Bike. This has a phenomenal response from companies because not only is it fun, but you have something tangible to give to someone at the end. It can be difficult, though, to find a charity that needs 60 bikes in one hit. So, make sure you’ve done your research first if you really want to make a difference (and let us know if anyone needs a bike).
Impactful messaging!
Don’t miss the opportunity to tell the staff why you selected a specific charity. Tell the story. Perhaps you can have someone from the organisation speak about why they exist, what they do and how they do it. People will engage more if they know the WHY.
Legacy
After the event, it’s very easy to pat each other on the back and move on with your lives. But to feel the full effects, try and follow up a few weeks later. Can the charity send you pictures of some people enjoying the bikes? Perhaps a message from one of the recipients can be shared on the company Slack. Anything that reminds people that they did a good thing. There’s nothing wrong with free drinks and canapes, but remember, you don’t get a hangover from helping people.
For more ideas, go to our homepage and choose your destination https://chillisauce.com/events
