As chief spokesperson for a communications, media and automotive services company, I’m constantly sharing the Cox Enterprises story.
Recently, however, I’ve been talking about the work others are doing. Through its partnership with The Trust for Public Land, Cox Enterprises honors environmental volunteers and makes contributions to their nonprofits of choice. The Cox Conserves Heroes program asks the public to nominate worthy volunteers, selects three finalists in each area and promotes them via online voting. The individual with the most votes wins.
In reality, though, it’s a win-win. Shine a light on the volunteers’ great work and support the causes that matter to them. These are people who are rolling up their sleeves to make a difference and protect the country’s outdoor spaces. They aren’t paid for their work and often they toil behind the scenes.
Lessons Learned
So what have I learned from this program? One of the main things is how to make a sustainability initiative resonate with the community. If anyone can spot greenwashing, it’s community volunteers.
Here are five ways we’ve seen the Cox Conserves Heroes program succeed. With adjustments, they can be useful tips for brands and organizations of any size that want to create their own programs to honor worthy causes.
1. Keep it real. When we call the finalists, many of them wonder if there is a catch. Is this a marketing call? Why are we doing this? It’s simple. We all share the environment. While we as a corporation are doing our part, we understand we can’t do it alone. And, we care about the communities our employees call home. We want to shine a light on the work of volunteers to inspire others. Is there a gain for Cox Enterprises? Yes. We’re connecting with influential volunteers who can give us honest feedback and tips on how we can do a better job. It’s also an opportunity for us to let them know about our commitment to the community.
2. Focus on the individual. The program isn’t a glossy, corporate initiative. It’s a grassroots effort by design. For it to be a success, it must focus on the individual, not the corporate entity. The volunteer literally needs to be the hero. Otherwise, you’re not going to pass the sniff test. Volunteers are the people who are inspiring others to become involved. Focus on their stories. Why do they care about the environment or whatever cause they are working for? What led them to donate their time?
3. Let others tell the story. The wonderful thing about this program is that it lacks paid advertisements or big PR budgets. We’d rather see the money go to the nonprofits. And, we’d rather they tell the story. These nonprofits have amazing volunteers and often they are the ones spreading the word. As your program grows you will find that the nonprofits can’t wait to nominate their volunteers. Should one of their volunteers be selected as a finalist, you can be sure they will be spreading the word. They want their people to be recognized and they have the benefit of potential funding.
4. A little goes a long way. Don’t underestimate how much a nonprofit can do with a few thousand dollars. In the case of the Cox Enterprises program, nonprofits can receive checks of $5,000 or $10,000. With this funding they’ve built trails and outdoor classrooms, created community and butterfly gardens, improved parks and beaches. We have found they know how to stretch a dollar and make a tremendous impact. Let them show you how much they can do.
5. Keep in touch. After honoring the volunteers continue to reach out to them. Stay in touch with them and find out their latest projects. One beauty of programs like this is that they can create a network of volunteers. In many Cox locations, the winners now are partnering together on projects.
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Check Mates: Oceans activist James Pribram (top) and land proponent Shawn Redfield (above). Source: Cox
Resonance
What’s the key lesson? No matter how authentic your corporate responsibility program may be, it must resonate with the community to truly be successful. Whether your program is focused on the environment, diversity, empowerment, education or health, the same can be said for any corporate responsibility initiative.While it’s important to find ways to tie programs back to your business and the products or services you offer, there must be a benefit for the community. Otherwise, your program is unlikely to succeed.Although nonprofit organizations love financial contributions, they also appreciate other forms of support. We’ve heard repeatedly that the visibility nonprofits receive from the Cox Conserves Heroes program far outweighs the financial rewards. Even if you have a small budget, your company can still give back. Think about employee-volunteer events or giving campaigns. Place your employees on community boards. Nonprofits often have lean staffs and need subject matter experts. Remember, a little can go a long way.
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