ACTION ewe we we ek we wee we we we Charity Begins At Work by Don Sodo (NAPSA)—It may surprise some people to hear they can makea difference in the world by doinglittle more than going to work everyday. That’s because workplace giving campaigns are making it easier than ever for people to support Transformation of society and culture byelectronic age Evolving employer/employee relationship causesclose to their hearts. In fact, it’s estimated that in the year 2000, nearly 2 billion dollars were raised through these campaigns, benefitting a variety of charities nationwide. Charities and the people they help, however, are not the only ones Integration of personal and professional interests, "employees involvement" who benefit from the campaigns. Experts say giving in the work place can raise employee morale, increase productivity and benefit a companyas a whole. Studies show that given the choice, employees would prefer to work for a company that supports charitable causes. Furthermore, workers who have a say in what charitable groups their companies support tend to report high levels of satisfaction. Recent surveys report as many as 70 percent of employees prefer a broader choice whengiving to charity. As a result, many businesses now strengthen their relationship with their employees and commu- nities through charitable options tailored to workers’ individual preferences. To help customize their giving programs, companies often turn to groups like America’s Charities—a group of about 100 organizations, including Make-A-Wish Founda- tion of America, America’s Second Harvest, NAACP, Ronald McDonald House and many more of the nation’s best-knowncharities. Employers can work with @ Employee activities, such as workplace charitable campaigns, can help integrate personal and professionalinterests. may do wonders for a company’s public image. Such workplace campaigns can help enhance company brandingas well. For example, the Sears “You Can Make A Difference” campaign offers employees the opportunity to give under a brand developed expressly to carry the message of the company’s charitable endeavors to its employees and community. American Airlines, Fidelity, and many other companies are positioned similarly. Once a program is created, America’s Charities helps compa- nies administer their charitable campaigns or can handle the entire process on its own. Also, the group provides an online tool that lets employers run cam- paigns from their desktops. America’s Charities can help companies maintain employee morale, raise productivity and ben- efit their communities—for many America’s Charities to set up char- American businesses, that’s the benefit packages—that can help keep current employees happy, attract prospective workers and tion visit www.charities.org. Mr. Sodo is president and CEO ofAmerica’s Charities. itable giving programs—similar to real bottom line. For more informa-
