Give to Receive
August 18, 2009 · by Greg Mattlin
A few years ago, I became involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County by participating in their annual bike ride. Every year hundreds of people who work, live, and play in the Madison area recruit friends, form teams, raise money, and bike 10, 30 or 50 miles in support of the Boys and Girls Club. Not only is this great for each individual rider and the Boys and Girls Club, but it’s also great for the city of Madison and Madison area businesses.
It has been proven that businesses that actively participate and encourage their employees to get involved with corporate philanthropy and charitable giving opportunities in their company have better employee retention, an easier time recruiting new employees, reported growth in their business and have a higher employee work performance. How exciting is this! Read on for more……….
A few years ago, I became involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County by participating in their annual bike ride. Every year hundreds of people who work, live, and play in the Madison area recruit friends, form teams, raise money, and bike 10, 30 or 50 miles in support of the Boys and Girls Club. Not only is this great for each individual rider and the Boys and Girls Club, but it’s also great for the city of Madison and Madison area businesses.
It has been proven that businesses that actively participate and encourage their employees to get involved with corporate philanthropy and charitable giving opportunities in their company have better employee retention, an easier time recruiting new employees, reported growth in their business and have a higher employee work performance. How exciting is this!
So what’s the catch? Ah yes, those few words you hear too often; donation, fundraising, corporate giving, sponsorship, charitable cause. How many chances to each of us have every year to support a good cause? If you’re like me, it’s probably at least a dozen. And how do you decide which organizations to support? With an economy where people are losing their jobs every day and companies are closing their doors, I’m supposed to ask people for money? And at the same time recruit a team of riders who are also going to ask people for money?
Absolutely! People who get it, give and people who give, get more. With the rise of social media sites, like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and utilizing standard email, it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with friends, send them a message, and recruit them to support you. My approach was simple. Make it fun and make it a game. This year I gave away over $300 worth of prizes that companies donated or I purchase and rewarded people who gave $$ by giving them a chance to win prizes. $100 golf value, gift cards to Target, TGI Fridays and Best Buy, Steak and Seafood Dinner for two at my house, and even the opportunity to rent “me” for a 4 hours period (this I am still scared about).
Team QWANtify was formed and received generous support from Tammy Adler, President and CEO. It was great bonding experience for our eight person team and we managed to raise over $3600 for The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County…..and we’re still going! $3,600 dollars is a lot of money for any non profit and it makes a huge difference for an organization like the Boys and Girls Club. That’s why you do it. In a world where everything is so often about me, me, me, I’ve learned something that relates to every aspect of your business, life, family, and friends…….and it’s something we all learned when we were in third grade..……GIVE MORE THAN YOUR RECEIVE.
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