Thousands of Australians face homelessness each night, a number that, as far as the Walker Hill Chartered Accountants team is concerned, is far too high. To help combat this issue, we are participating in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout again for the fifth year running. Aside from the satisfaction of giving back to our community, being charitable within your business and participating in events like the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, offers many other benefits for you, your staff and your business overall.
So, why do we decide to make it count at the Sleepout each year?
$6.2 billion was donated by corporate organisations in 2018 in Australia, meaning that charity in business is something that many businesses participate in. With many advantages for doing so, such as increased staff morale and bonding, brand awareness, tax deductions and positively impacting your community, it’s not surprising that many small businesses donate their time and money to charities all over the country.
Impacting Your Community
This is the most obvious reason why a business would participate in, or donate to a charity. Making a positive impact within your community is a great way to become more than your business. For us, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout is a way that we can help raise awareness and funds for an issue that is often not spoken about. We also know that we’re helping to create a real difference in this area and find the experience to be quite humbling.
In 2018, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout donations assisted with funding many support programs to help break the cycle of homelessness in areas such as education, counselling, employment and health services. Below is the number of individual support programs, beds and meals that were funded through the fundraising event last year.
Help us to make a difference this year by donating to our team.
Increased Staff Morale
A business that cares and contributes to their community generally has happier employees with a higher engagement level. A 2016 study from Deloitte on volunteering highlights that employees, especially millennials, are “twice as likely to rate their corporate culture as very positive” if they regularly participated in a charitable act, compared with those businesses who don’t. Motivated, happy employees who feel like they are working with purpose are more loyal, satisfied within their role and help to create a strong working culture – all big positives for small business.
Marketing Opportunities
Donating and being seen at events, such as the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, are effective ways to get your business name known. Not only are you seen as contributing to your community, but you are also making a statement about what you value. Plus, charitable donations and events also make great marketing content for social media posts and general exposure.
Tax Deductions
Tax deductions are a great personal and business by-product of being charitable. If you are contributing to a charity with a cash donation, then this can be deductible for your business, providing that it is a genuine gift and is donated to a Deductible Gift Recipient within Australia.
Contact us at Walker Hill to find out more information on what you can and can’t claim on your tax returns or to find out more about the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
