4 tips for charitable giving around the holidays

One sign of a truly successful and visible company is the influx of requests for charitable contributions around the holidays. As a mark of community engagement, many charities reach out to business leaders for support during the season of giving, and entrepreneurs are often happy to oblige. On Point Executive Center, recently celebrated the donation of more than 1,000 outfits to the Tampa chapter of Dress for Success during a successful partnership of more than a decade.

While nothing feels better than giving around the holidays, your company may have trouble finding its philanthropic niche. Here are a few suggestions for deciding how to donate your time and resources:

Don't overcommit. During this time of year, charities cast a wide net to find potential donors, so you might find it hard to say "no." Rather than stretching your resources thin, identify a couple of organizations that really earn your support.
Involve your employees. While it's an imposition to ask your employees to donate money to a cause you feel strongly about, organizing the office around a food or clothing drive can allow everyone to participate without draining their holiday bonuses. Even a virtual office can get in on the action.
Know your values. For a company like On Point, with a strong record of female leadership, helping the next generation of women professionals enter the workforce was a no-brainer. Your operation, its corporate culture and the people who work for you probably share a set of values that can align with a nonprofit's mission. To find one, do a little executive soul searching and figure out what kind of community engagement is right for you.
Maintain long partnerships. Development teams at nonprofits look for longstanding commitment, which means much more to achieving long-term goals than a whimsical one-time donation.

Click here for a list of almost 500 nonprofits in the Tampa Bay Area.