This weekend, we’ll be seeing sparks light up the sky in honor of Independence Day. Communities will come together to celebrate and strengthen the bonds that hold them together (with social distance of course). Financial brands maintain and build upon this sense of unity throughout the year – providing the sparks that shine a light on their communities. Whether it’s organizing a charity drive or volunteering to help others, your community wouldn’t be the same without you.
Even though involvement looks a little different due to the pandemic, financial brands are still supporting their communities more than ever. Here are some tips and examples of banks and credit unions how have been sparking real change and support in their communities for 2020.
Give Back at a Distance
While employees aren’t able to volunteer like usual, that doesn’t mean the support for charities has stopped. Contributions can still be made by embracing new forms of volunteerism. Try virtualizing your events with online awareness, drive-ups or social media events. Those who aren’t able to go out and about will appreciate the opportunity to be involved. To see how this looks in practice, here are some ideas:
- Host a Food Bank “drive-up” encouraging customers to drop off cans and items at their local branch.
- Launch a charity comment campaign on social media donating to a local charity for every like.
Pro Tip:
While volunteerism and donations are great internal efforts for a financial organization, take it a step further by encouraging community participation. Share a post about nonprofits in need or other upcoming events to help raise public awareness and involvement.
Look Internally
You already know that your employees are rock stars in the community, highlight and support their on-going efforts! Learn more about the causes and initiatives that your team is passionate about. Your employees can provide key insight to critical community needs and how your institution can help.
Pro Tip:
Highlight employee efforts and the time they invest in local organizations on your social channels. They deserve to be recognized and could also provide a spark in your community.
Support Local Efforts
Locally owned businesses play a vital role in making our communities so unique. They not only provide a bedrock of financial support, but they are commonly run by people we know. The local restaurant owner provides critical jobs while also helping as a little league coach or a trusted community leader. Many of these businesses have been hit hard this year, so it’s never been more critical to support local establishments.
Pro Tip:
Highlight local businesses on your social pages to spread awareness and drive engagement to their brands. People may not know a shop has reopened or that there are new hours – using your platform and following to give local businesses a voice is one of the best ways to spark your community.
2020 has thrown several surprises at all of us. Despite the uncertainty, one thing remains clear: financial institutions lead the charge in helping their communities. There are so many more examples of great things happening in communities across the country right now – be sure to follow out daily Twitter update where we post a thread sharing these sparks being made.
Follow us on Twitter @SocialAssurance to join the conversation.
