As you finalize your CSR business plans for 2018, it’s important to have a proactive plan to address some of the social trends that will continue next year. In our last post, we reminded you that Generation Z is entering the workforce and expects corporations to take a stand on tough social issues. We also addressed the importance of personalization in employee engagement opportunities such as workplace giving technology.
Whether workplace giving is new to your organization or you are reevaluating your current solution, here are some main features you will want to consider ensuring your technology is up to par:
- Volunteer Tracking – Employees want to give in more ways than just money. Having a technology that can track the organizations employees volunteered with, how many hours, and date is imperative. Leading platforms encourage brands to match volunteer efforts by also giving back to these organizations and creating Dollars for Doers programs that reward volunteers for their time.
- Payroll Deduction – Employees appreciate the ease of giving through automatic payroll deductions. Whether it is every paycheck, once a month, or even a couple times a year, payroll deductions can be set up to accommodate individual givers preferences.
- Matching – Show your employees how much you care by supporting the organizations that matter most to them. If employees have the opportunity to give to any charity of their choosing, the company may offer to match approved organizations or all donations. The giving platform will automate the match around your brand’s matching ruleset.
- Goal Setting – With anything you care deeply about in your life; your career, financial security, or life milestones, goal setting is a common practice. Giving can be treated the same way. User-centric platforms include a widget to set giving goals and track your progress throughout the year. Common tracked metrics include frequency of giving and total dollars given.
- Donation Tracking – This feature seems obvious, but every giving platform has a different interface for donation tracking. You will want to consider a platform that is user-centric meaning the donor can find what they need to with little or no direction. With donation tracking, you should be able to easily access how many dollars are in your “giving account”, how many dollars given year to date and to who you have given. Similar details for your volunteering efforts will paint a complete picture of how the user has given back.
- Credit Card Processing – The more payment options you give your employees, the more likely they are going to be to participate in your program. While some employees may prefer payroll deduction, others will want the option to donate with their preferred credit card. Credit card companies reward cardholders in various ways so why not earn points through philanthropy! Find a giving technology that offers payment choice – your donors will thank you.
- Charity Options – According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S. While not all nonprofits are funded equally, it is important to include all types, sizes, and locations when considering the nonprofits listed in your workplace giving program. One option could be to provide the gift of complete choice and find a platform, like DoTopia, that includes over 1.6 million charities. That way, employees can give to the organization they want to support without any limitations. This is how workplace giving transforms into employee engagement.
- “Give a gift” option – Some platforms will provide the option to give the gift of giving. Especially during holiday times, this is an excellent way for employees to thank one another or share a unique gift that keeps on giving. Giving is universal and it is one gift that is appreciated by all – especially if the receiver has complete choice in their donation.
- Flexible User Experience – Flexibility in user experience can have many meanings – flexibility in who a donor can give to, flexibility in how the platform is set-up, what widgets are included on the user’s screen, and even the overall options for your employees. While most SaaS-based platforms are flexible, some workplace giving providers charge extra, or require additional resources to customize features. Make sure you are aware of any hidden fees associated with your preferred platform.
- Branding / Marketing – Your workplace giving program provides a plethora of opportunities to showcase your brand and highlight the good your employees are doing. Select a technology provider who exposes this positivity and enables employees to socially share their giving, bring their friends and family into their experiences, and ensures nonprofits know who the money is coming from so they can follow-up with gratitude. Many leading technologies can also white-label their workplace giving technology to enable logo placements, colors, and other unique elements to showcase your brand.
- Support and Customer Experience – Last, but certainly not least is the support your administrators and participants receive from the workplace giving provider. Regardless of the ease in usability, participants will need care from the platform provider. When analyzing different solutions, make sure you are asking about onboarding/support, setup/enablement, and ongoing resources for your program. The provider should have a well-documented plan to share with you in advance of any final decisions you make. If not, consider it a red flag.
As you consider your 2018 goals for workplace giving, we hope this post was either reassuring that you have the right solution, or an impetus to start looking for something new for the new year! Consider For Momentum to assist with a new cause strategy and DoTopia for your workplace giving technology. We promise to check all the boxes. 😉
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