Giving back as a small business is something I hold close to my heart. I want my small business to do more than just pay the bills – I want it to make a big impact. I started my Charity Collection back in 2019 and I never expected to feel so fulfilled and inspired from it!
Growing up, I always said “I wish I was a millionaire so I could feed the homeless.” I was always thinking of others and wanting to help any way I could. So when I started making consistent sales with my business, I thought it was great but I also thought I could be doing something better with that.
How to Choose Which Charities to Donate To
This is probably the hardest part about giving back as a small business. If someone is purchasing a charity product, you want to make sure that cause is worth your money and your customers money.
I like to scour Google and get some top contenders. I read their about page, their mission statement, and I see what they actually do with your money. Then once I have one or two that I love, I go to Charity Navigator to see what their score is. Pay attention to their financials and where their money is going to. You’d be surprised how many charities give the majority of their money to the CEOs!
Once I’ve found one that has a good rating on Charity Navigator I usually settle on it. If I’m at all uneasy about anything I will do another Google search until I find the perfect match.
Some of the Charities JAD supports
Create Charity Products that Give Back
There are a few ways you can handle doing Charity products. You could do a portion of the proceeds, like 10% of each sale will donate. Or you could do a set rate, which is what I do for all of the Charity Collection. I donate $0.50 per sticker sold, and $1 per card sold regardless if it’s a retail or wholesale purchase. For my digital products I do 10% of the purchase price, and that gets automatically calculated on my website.
I use the app Give and Grow to automatically collect donations. You can choose what product goes to what charity, and how much. You can choose between a percentage or flat rate, and have the ability to match donations. I love that it takes the work out of the donations on my website for me. Though for wholesale purchases I do need to make payments for those on a quarterly basis.
I hope this post inspired you to start giving back as a small business owner. It’s been the most rewarding part of my business, and I highly suggest it!! Please let me know if you have any questions. Before you go, make sure to check out my other small business tips.