“He who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.” – Confucius

I was recently talking to a relative of mine who works for a large, national charitable organization dedicated to helping children. She reminded me of the importance of charitable giving this time of year. We talked about the importance of having a genuine connection to the cause you choose. The more personal the connection, the more time, energy and money are donated.

We also talked about corporate support of charities and the impact that has on consumers. Partnering with a nonprofit can have a significant ROI. Consumers are drawn to companies who are socially responsible and if the partnership is strategic, targeted marketing can reach additional consumers for both parties.

I did some research around consumer loyalty and brand awareness as it relates to corporate social responsibility and found some interesting statistics. According to a study by Cone Inc.:

• 83% of consumers have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about.
• 83% of Americans wish the products, services and retailers they support would support charities;
• 59% of Americans are more likely to buy a product from a company associated with a charity;
• 50% are more likely to donate to a charity that has corporate support.

Here at Netplus philanthropy is encouraged. Employees are given community service paid time off to participate in any charitable activity they choose. Our CEO, Robin Neifield, is on the board of the American Red Cross. Netplus has done pro-bono work for the Red Cross, breastcancer.org, Shirt Off My Back and other non-profit organizations.

Every year Netplus employees participate in the annual toy drive for Support Center for Child Advocates. The Center provides legal assistance and social service advocacy for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia County. You can check out their website at www.advokid.org.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!