When it comes to giving to charity there’s always a social responsibility to do what you can, when you can. This is true of individuals but perhaps even more so of businesses. The problem most companies face however is that they aren’t always able to give as much financial aid as they’d like, especially SMEs.

The role of businesses however, is not to do the impossible, that’s a superpower reserved for people like those of Women United (a local Nottingham based organisation we are proud to support with their immense fund raising efforts). No, the role of businesses is to do what they can.

And the brilliant thing is, you don’t have to be a huge company to make a difference, you just need some creative thinking and a great team behind you.

Need some inspiration? Excellent, we wouldn’t want this list to go to waste.

Events

Hosting an event, any event at all, and then donating the proceeds to a charity or perhaps a few charities, is always a great way to give a little back. Use your office space and pick something fun to bring people in. Maybe it’s a themed food festival, maybe it’s a pottery sale courtesy of an employee’s mum, or maybe it’s some traditional folk music performed by the MD.

The point is it doesn’t have to be perfect and polished, it just has to get some attention and generate a little money. Have fun, ask your team what talents they or their family have that you can maybe utilise. In our experience, you’ll find at least three chefs, two gymnasts and almost certainly one guy whose great grandmother is brilliant at card tricks.

Volunteering

This is a great way to help charities, especially if you’re a small company. Money goes a long way but time is priceless and giving up a day here and there to get stuck in makes your team feel tangibly involved and really makes a difference. There are a whole host of charities and different forms of volunteering, you can even sign up to companies that will find you a different cause every few months.

Local

It’s hard to pick a cause among the great many that are open to us, but looking local can be a great starting point (as we have done recently with Nottingham based 'Women United'. Have a look around and find out what’s on your doorstep, maybe you could offer your office space for a local charity to host an event or help them spread the word on your social media platforms?

Donations

You may not be able to offer much financially but there isn’t a lot stopping you from being a platform for charities to launch from. Speak to organisations local to you and see if they need a drop off point for physical donations they can perhaps use as raffle prizes to help with their fund raising efforts.

Remember, You Aren’t Superman

Still, it doesn’t mean you and your team can’t do incredible things. Making a difference can be fun, fulfilling and shouldn’t be about flinging the most money at something. People value time and effort and you’ll find your local community will step up to whatever crazy event or activity you provide because, let’s face it, most of us are good eggs who want to do good things.