How to engage employees in CSR and charity initiatives

As businesses continue to evolve it is crucial that we empower our teams to contribute meaningfully to the communities they work within.

By creating a culture of giving, and facilitating opportunities for involvement, we can foster a sense of purpose and fulfilment among our employees. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and charity work is an avenue for businesses to contribute to social, economic and environmental causes, but one of the biggest challenges can be ensuring these opportunities are genuinely accessible to everyone. 

Therefore, it is important (and fun) to think about ways that you can engage your colleagues and find ways they can get involved.

At Sellick Partnership, our CSR initiatives stem naturally from our core values. We are passionate about how our business can make a real, positive difference to those around us and actively support several charities, locally and nationally. We’ve introduced several initiatives to help make this possible and hope that by sharing our approach, other businesses can be inspired to do the same.

How to engage employees in CSR

• Align CSR initiatives with employee interests

People are busy and life is often hectic; creating opportunities and making them a realistic option for employees will build a positive workplace culture. To make CSR accessible it is crucial to create opportunities that your workforce want to get involved with; aligning initiatives with employee interests is the key!

To do this you need to first speak to employees and find out their passions and find out what matters most to them - playing to the strengths of your team/s will go a long way. Do you have a team of running enthusiasts? Do you have a team of foodies? Pub quiz aficionados? Or a mixture?

I would suggest speaking to your team, whether this is 1-2-1 or in a team meeting, with the aim of really getting to know what people are comfortable doing, they may also have some great ideas to inspire you! From there, you can share your fundraising and volunteering calendar around those interests. This ensures that you're supporting charities that matter to our people and offer opportunities that they're genuinely excited to take part in. 

• Establish a CSR committee or employee resource group

At Sellick Partnership we have a CSR Committee that advocate everything charity-related. They are responsible for choosing our companywide and regional charities, organising fundraising activities, promoting our initiatives across the business and being that go-to person in each of our offices for all things relating to charity work. This group drives internal initiatives, organises events, and helps promote opportunities across teams. 

We understand that while people might want to participate, they may not have the time to organise the initiatives themselves, and so having this group is fundamental to making these events a success. Having a dedicated committee not only gives employees a voice in shaping our CSR strategy, but also ensures that our charitable work stays varied, visible, and well-communicated.

• Communicate CSR efforts and impact regularly 

Internal communication is so important, I really cannot stress that enough; sharing regular information about projects, goals and outcomes will really help to build the knowledge around what your business is doing and will help enormously with engagement! We make sure all employees are aware of the opportunities available to them and understand the impact of their involvement.

Our CSR Committee takes control of any communication relating to CSR events, and we also send out a quarterly newsletter to the business, informing everyone of what we have done, how much has been raised, and where the funds or collections will be going.

Give the background information of why you’re doing what you’re doing! If you’re holding an event for charity, let your colleagues know why you’re supporting that charity, how it’s going to make a difference and answer any questions they may have!

For example, we have previously supported Wood Street Mission, we've held bake sales, using the money raised to buy books that were donated to their ‘Books Forever’ Appeal. These are books that go to children whose families are struggling to make ends meet, in Manchester and Salford. Prior to donating we brought the books into the office so that colleagues could see where the proceeds from their cupcakes and sausage rolls had gone! 

Celebrating these successes helps build momentum and pride around CSR across the organisation.

• Offer inclusive and flexible participation opportunities

We hold sporting tournaments every year which are hugely successful with the proceeds going to St Ann’s Hospice and me&dee.

However, we recognise not everyone wants to play sports, so it’s important to offer a range of ways to get involved. Some of our most popular and inclusive CSR initiatives include:

• Charity sports tournaments – like our annual football events.

• Bake sales and one-pot lunches – low-pressure, fun activities everyone can contribute to.

• Gift and donation collections – such as back-to-school stationery and Easter egg collections. 

My advice with this is be organised and flexible! Everyone has different commitments and schedules, allowing staff to get involved in CSR during working hours and planning events far in advance really helps!

All of this means that, hopefully, throughout the year everyone has a chance to contribute, should they wish to. 

• Support volunteering with time off and local partnerships

Giving employees the time and space to contribute is crucial. One of the most impactful changes we made was offering one day of paid volunteer leave per year for every team member.

This allows individuals to support causes close to their hearts – whether that’s mentoring, environmental clean-ups, or working in a local foodbank – without sacrificing their own time or income. Partnering with local charities also makes volunteering logistically easier and more meaningful.

Advice for businesses looking to get involved in CSR projects

Firstly, do some research in your local area. There’s so much information online, and you’d be surprised how many charities are just around the corner. Make a gentle approach and figure out how your business can support as well as where your interests are aligned.

You might not be able to get involved in everything and that is absolutely fine. Even if it’s a one-off, the charities are always extremely grateful for any help they can get.

Consider forming a CSR committee, think about the people that might be interested or best placed. This needs to be a group of passionate, engaged, pro-active people who are really invested in giving their time to make a difference.

If you want to take it one step further, you could consider forming a corporate partnership. This is similar to what we have implemented with Wood Street Mission in Manchester and me&dee in Derby, as well as the sporting tournaments we hold raising funds for St Ann’s Hospice, Lord’s Taverners and If U Care Share.

For initiatives and activities, think outside of the box; there are brilliant things you can do, but be mindful of doing things that some members of the team cannot or might not want to get involved in.

Making CSR initiatives accessible to employees requires a concerted effort from organisations to create an inclusive culture, offer flexible volunteering options, providing resource, establishing partnerships and getting your communication right!

By adopting these initiatives businesses can really empower their employees to make a positive impact on society and help to create a better future.

If you would like any more information or support with CSR initiatives for your business, or would like to discuss opportunities for Sellick Partnership, please get in touch with us today.