During today’s edition of the FranNet blog, we’re going to take a look at a fairly common outreach tactic that can help your franchise or small business increase its visibility footprint within the local community. And you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction with this suggestion. This is all about finding a suitable nonprofit partner, right in your own community, that you can team up with. It benefits the nonprofit either monetarily or through an in-kind benefit and has the potential to permanently link your brand with a benevolent undertaking.
Before we begin, we must state that many well-known and national franchise brands may have already mapped out this charitable outreach strategy for you. Always inquire about outreach programs (even with a local nonprofit) to make certain you are within compliance of your franchise agreement. It’s also important to note that many franchises have their own built-in nonprofit programs, which benefit numerous causes. At the end of the day, you want to make sure that any independent outreach you conduct will be a good fit for the franchise brand. But always check with your corporate office first.
So, presuming you’ve gotten the green light to pursue a local nonprofit or charity, here are some of the benefits your franchise or small business will retain in the deal:
First and foremost, there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from doing good in your own community and benefitting others. You’ll feel it, your employees will feel it and the boost it can provide to your company’s morale is priceless. To conduct things the right way, you’ll want to map out a personalized strategy that helps the nonprofit or charity fulfill a critical need. Perhaps if you own a QSR, it’s feeding the homeless on a holiday. If your franchise is in the health and wellness category, perhaps it’s promoting a 5k to benefit heart health awareness. Or if your franchise is in the handyman industry, perhaps it’s a Habitat for Humanity home build.
That’s the beauty of the arrangement—it can be whatever you want it to be. And finding the perfect nonprofit, charity or cause that could benefit from exactly what you provide is precisely where the magic happens.
It’s not at all uncommon for the media to be alerted to such instances. If you’re doing good works for your community at your expense, there’s nothing wrong with having someone give you credit where credit is due. A small writeup in the local paper, perhaps a couple of minutes on your local news affiliate—these are things we see in the news every day.
Partnering with a local beneficiary can also greatly expand your networking reach. To be seen as a good corporate citizen never goes out of style and you can take advantage of this good will on behalf of your franchise operation. If at all possible, see what type of long-term planning you and your charity partner can develop. Because the longer the relationship lasts, the better your name recognition as a couple will be.
What really matters in a long-term partnership with a charity, cause or nonprofit is the perception of your franchise operation. How will you be known in your community? As a business that just provides a good or service? Or a business that is in touch with the community in which it operates? A business that is known for benevolent outreach? A business that cares?
There are numerous business benefits to partnering with a local nonprofit that could use assistance. But perhaps the greatest benefit is the one you’ll carry within your own conscience.
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