One of the things we love most about our flagship event, Simon’s Big Sleep Out, is just how many local businesses enter teams and come to support us. It’s always a celebration of our corporate community, in addition to our regular socials throughout the year.
Charities like Simon on the Streets benefit so much from local businesses, yet 75% of UK businesses don’t support a charity. What many don’t see is how putting corporate social responsibility (CSR) front and centre benefits their business as well as the causes they support.
So, how does supporting a charity benefit businesses? Let us count the ways…
Attract the right people to your business
Nearly 70% of consumers said they will buy from brands or businesses whose values are aligned with their own. When you show support for a charity, particularly a local one, you’re showing your potential customers that you care about the world around you and that your actions actually reflect your words.
This isn’t just about attracting the right clients or customers. It’s about keeping the good people you have in the business, too.
Over 50% of UK employees say that working for a company that supports a charity increases their sense of pride in their job. 50% also say it would make them feel loyal to a business, with 47% saying it would motivate them to go the extra mile at work.
This can even give you a competitive advantage in your market. Great Place to Work’s ‘The Power of Purpose in the Workplace’ report found that companies whose employees had a strong sense of purpose can outperform competitors by as much as 6.9%.
Widen your network
Charities like Simon on the Streets regularly host events and socials for supporters to get together and mingle. You might not know the other businesses, but you already know you have something in common; your shared passion for that chosen charity. This forms a brilliant basis for new conversations and relationships that benefit your business.
Appeal to your investors
While strengthening relationships is absolutely vital for a business, there are very real financial benefits to supporting a charity too.
A report from Harvard Business School found that 73% of investors’ decisions are influenced by whether or not a business wants to ‘improve the environment and society’, and 41% of millennial investors put ‘significant effort’ into understanding a business’s CSR activity before investing.
It’s clear a growing number of investors want to see concrete proof that your business is doing its bit in society. CSR goals are no longer ‘nice to have’. They’re the key that opens the door to business growth.
How your business can support Simon on the Streets
Become a regular corporate supporter
Ending homelessness requires support from everyone – and everyone is welcome at Simon on the Streets. That’s why we’ve built corporate partnership opportunities to suit businesses of all shapes and sizes.
5-for-5 Partnership
Become a 5-for-5 partner by committing to donate a minimum of £500 a year for the next five years.
During that time, you’ll become part of Simon’s corporate community, with regular socials and chances to connect with other like-minded supporters of the charity. Your contributions generate valuable and sustainable funds for Simon on the Streets.
How does £500 help us? Well, £500 could mean over 100 taxi and bus fares for our outreach team and people we support. It means we can offer over 200 hot drinks to people sleeping rough, which could make all the difference whether they choose to engage with us or not.
Simon’s Future Fund
When you support Simon’s Future Fund, you’re helping to create a future full of hope and funding the essentials people need to make a positive life change. For example, making an annual contribution of £10,000 per year for three years helps us provide:
- Food and energy bills, so that people are safe, warm, and fed.
- Transport costs for job interviews and educational courses.
- Advocacy support at housing and medical appointments.
- Long-term emotional and practical support.
- Emergency accommodation.
Not only will you be securing the future of the people we support, you’ll be securing our future as a charity. We’ll work with you to find the right investment level for your business and keep you updated on how your money has changed lives.
Simon’s Outreach Champion
As a Simon’s Outreach Champion, you’ll change multiple lives at once by sponsoring a full-time outreach worker.
You can choose to:
- Sponsor one outreach worker for one year with a £25,000 donation.
- Make an even bigger difference with a two-year investment of £50,000.
Our outreach workers are the first point of contact for people experiencing homelessness, building trust, offering guidance, and helping individuals access accommodation, other services, and longer-term support.
By becoming a Simon’s Outreach Champion, you’ll keep our outreach team out there providing support and play a pivotal role in breaking the cycle of homelessness for good.
Contact us about corporate partnerships.
Fundraising and events
When your team takes part in one of our fundraising challenge events like Simon’s Big Sleep Out or Leeds Marathon, you quite literally change lives. You and your team can bond over a shared challenge, all while raising awareness and vital funds to end homelessness.
Alternatively, you might want to host your own fundraising events such as raffles, golf days or auctions.
If you’d like to start giving CSR a greater role in your business, we hope you’ll consider supporting Simon on the Streets. For over 25 years, we’ve been giving hope to those without a voice. Your donations, funding and corporate support allow us to keep going.
As long as the community needs us, we need you. Contact us about corporate support today.