There are several ways a company can practice good corporate citizenship. One way is to create a culture of giving where management, employees and the business give back to the community. In 2010, Dell logged over 200 thousand hours of community service. That is an estimated economic impact of over $4.1 million. While that is inspiring, many companies just don’t have that kind of people power. But that shouldn’t hinder you from creating a giving culture and make an impact on your community.

Lead by Example
It all begins at the top. If you are part of the upper management team you need to practice what you preach. If you want to create a giving culture make sure you are leading the way. You can’t speak about giving and then not participate yourself. Additionally, you should give the appropriate amount of respect and generosity to your employees so it fosters a giving nature.

Share the Benefits
If you’re supporting organizations as a company, you’ll want to choose organizations that reflect your company’s values and your employees’ passions. If possible, conduct a survey to help employees select the nonprofits you should support. This will certainly encourage participation from the entire staff.

Make it Easy
Because you’ve hired a diverse team, each employee probably has a unique passion for a nonprofit cause. Encourage each to pursue individual philanthropy by offering monthly or quarterly paid volunteer days.

Volunteering as a company or as individuals offers many benefits. Your employees will feel good about doing something for their community, and in return your community will look at you as a caring company. People like doing business with companies that care about the people in their community.