Business has always been a give-and-take affair, ever since corporations realized both the social and economic benefits of community outreach programs, and other philanthropic endeavors. This is a common fixture of the “Triple Bottom Line,” a phrase meaning the perceived value of not only a business’s financial bottom line, but the social, economic and environmental bottom lines, as well. It engages each company with a specific question: “How does our business affect people, the planet, and the economy?” The trend continues today, with franchises like Little Caesars, Krispy Kreme and Build-A-Bear engaging in everything from veterans affairs programs, to anti-cyberbullying initiatives.
Today’s franchise owners have the opportunity to give back to the community, and the world in general, by leveraging their success to help others in need. Not only does it make the world a better, brighter place, but it can also endear your customers to your franchise, help you grow, and give you more opportunities both for success, and philanthropy. Let’s take a look at a few examples you can emulate with your own franchise.
1) Franchise owners have participated in a number of noble endeavors that help our youth by giving them a leg up on furthering their education. Student Of The Month programs can encourage young students to pursue higher education by raising money alongside local businesses to award scholarships. It focuses on awarding scholarships to hard working students with a penchant for leadership, academic excellence and a role in community involvement. This small-scale program can quickly grow to enormous size, and have a wide-reaching impact on thousands of students, encouraging them to pursue their dreams. The organization also focuses on awarding U.S. scholarships to hard working students with a penchant for leadership, academic excellence and a role in community involvement. Ronald McDonald House Charities has participated in these programs for a long while, with fantastic success, while simultaneously helping families of sick children in times of dire need.
2) Consider starting your own donation or food drive to help both the homeless, and families in need, which is something that any franchise owner can participate in to help the community. Encourage your employees to join in and help during food drives by donating meals from your own franchise business. It’s a great way to pay your success forward, and inspire others in a time of need. Plus, it’s very easy to identify costs upfront, and plan accordingly. One of America’s most charitable companies, Chick-fil-A, has participated in these kinds of food drives, and regularly raises millions for multiple charities around the world.
3) Franchise owners can create a single-day charity drive where 100 percent of all sales go directly to the target charity, for maximum impact. They can also institute a month-long charity drive designed to raise awareness about a specific charity, and urge customers to donate. This model was embraced by Jersey Mike’s Subs in Dallas, TX to great success; an estimated $3 million dollars raised for 150 different charities – proof that small franchises can yield gigantic results! Similarly, Boston Pizza has donated an estimated $18 million to regional charities such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, simply by teaming up with other franchises and businesses. Local franchises can emulate this pattern easily, which not only creates a great social network, but also brings the community together.
4) Franchise owners can also help our furry friends in need by raising money for local animal shelters, and rescue operations that take in animals destined for euthenasia, giving them the opportunity to find good homes. Much of this work is done voluntarily by kind-hearted folks like you and I, but it’s a costly endeavor. Setting aside the cost of animal food, many of these charities must rely on the compassion of various animal hospitals and the public when it comes to things like spaying and neutering, dealing with an animal’s long-term health problems, or paying for vital surgeries to save the lives of animals. It’s easy for franchises to get involvement and help out, while giving so many animals a second chance in the process. Pet Valu’s involvement in charitable initiatives is well-known. The company has generated nearly $22 million dollars in money and donations for the benefit of animals across North America. They routinely raise money for local charities that care for animals, and they’ve even teamed up with the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides to provide assistance to disabled citizens. With so many animal care organizations within local communities, you can start anywhere, and make an immediate difference.
These are just a few examples of how you can emulate the philanthropic and charitable efforts of big franchise ownerships, and achieve the same thing through your own franchise business. As you grow your franchise chain, you’ll have so many opportunities to pay it forward and give back to your community, and indeed the world. There’s a synergy among franchises and customers in our current day and age, giving franchise owners every opportunity to accomplish some real good. Today’s customers are willing to shop for more expensive brands, if they believe the company is engaged in noble, philanthropic endeavors. Toms Shoes is a perfect example of a company that has made its mission that of helping make the world a better place, by donating proceeds of shoe sales to a number of excellent causes. Any franchise owner can get in on the action, and be part of a greater movement. Let nothing stand in your way!
If you’ve become inspired to get into franchising and join these wonderful causes, we invite you to get in touch with us Here.
