How can giving back strengthen your brand, build customer relationships and make a meaningful difference in your community?
The holidays are a season of giving, and for businesses, they're also a wonderful opportunity to connect with the communities they serve.
Every year, companies sponsor families, collect toys, organize food drives and make donations to local nonprofits. These acts of generosity make a real difference. But what many business owners don't realize is that giving back can also be an important part of building a strong, trusted brand.
It's something I recently discussed on [Podcast Name], where we explored how businesses can use the holiday season to build stronger community and customer relationships.
And there's some interesting new research that reinforces why these connections matter.
According to the 2026 Bentley–Gallup Business in Society research, 95% of Americans believe it's important for businesses to improve the communities they serve. Yet only 33% believe businesses are doing a good or excellent job of it.
That's a significant gap between what people expect and what they see.
For small businesses, it's also an opportunity.
You don't have to be a large corporation or write a substantial check to make a meaningful contribution. What matters is finding a cause that reflects your values, committing to it and giving people a reason to believe in what your business stands for.
Giving Back Is Good for Your Brand
When I talk with business owners about branding, we often begin with what makes their business different.
What do they believe in? Why do they do what they do? And why should someone choose them over a competitor?
Those questions are just as important when thinking about community giving.
Your brand is more than your logo, website or advertising. It's the reputation you build and what people come to know, expect and believe about your business.
When your community involvement reflects those same values, it helps people see another side of your company.
And research shows those connections matter.
The 2026 State of Customer Service & CX Study found that:
62% of consumers prefer doing business with a company that supports a cause important to them.
64% prefer companies that support local community causes over global causes.
52% say a company's involvement in a social cause increases their trust.
50% say that involvement increases their loyalty.
Think about what that means for a small business.
When customers have several businesses to choose from, your community involvement may be one more reason they feel connected to yours. It gives them an opportunity to support a company that shares their values.
But there's an important distinction: Giving back shouldn't be something you do simply because it's good marketing. It should be something you believe in that also becomes part of your brand story.
Customers can tell the difference.
Choose a Cause That Makes Sense for Your Business
Not every charitable opportunity is the right fit for every business.
I encourage business owners to start by looking at their company's mission, values, customers and employees.
What matters to you? What issues affect the people you serve? Where could your business make a meaningful contribution?
For example:
A homebuilder might partner with a nonprofit that provides housing or home repairs for families in need.
An accounting firm could offer financial literacy workshops through a local nonprofit.
A restaurant might support an organization addressing food insecurity.
A veterinary practice could partner with an animal rescue organization.
A professional services firm might donate its expertise to help a nonprofit strengthen its operations or reach more people.
Notice that these examples aren't simply about donating money. They're about finding a natural connection between what a business does and how it can help.
And that connection makes the partnership more meaningful.
The best community partnerships make sense for the business, benefit the nonprofit and address a genuine community need.
Before choosing an organization, have a conversation with its leadership. Find out what they actually need.
Sometimes the most valuable contribution isn't money. It may be expertise, equipment, volunteer time, professional services or access to relationships that can help the organization grow.
Don't Forget About Your Employees
Holiday giving isn't just an opportunity to connect with customers. It can also bring your team together around something meaningful.
Employees want to feel that their work matters. Giving them opportunities to participate in community activities can build connections with coworkers and reinforce the values of the organization they work for.
And employees have something incredibly valuable to contribute: their time and talents.
According to Independent Sector's 2026 Value of Volunteer Time Report, the estimated national value of a volunteer hour reached $36.14 in 2025.
While no dollar amount can fully capture the impact of volunteering, that estimate helps illustrate the value of the skills and time people contribute.
A business might organize an employee volunteer day, provide paid time to serve, match employee donations or allow team members to recommend causes that matter to them.
One suggestion: Give employees a voice in the process.
Rather than announcing a charitable initiative and expecting everyone to participate, ask your team what matters to them and how they'd like to help.
When employees feel personally connected to the cause, the experience can become much more meaningful than another item on the holiday calendar.
Turn Your Giving Into a Story Worth Sharing
Years ago, a former boss told me something I've never forgotten: "No company can afford to be anonymously altruistic."
As a public relations professional, I understand exactly what he meant. Businesses shouldn't overlook the opportunity to share the good work they're doing in their communities.
But I would add an important point: There's a difference between telling a meaningful story and making the story all about your business.
The strongest community relations campaigns put the cause and the people being helped at the center of the story.
Let's say a local homebuilder partners with a nonprofit to repair homes for families who otherwise couldn't afford the work.
There are several stories worth sharing. Why are these repairs needed? How is the nonprofit addressing the problem? What inspired the homebuilder to get involved? How are employees and community partners contributing? What difference will the project make?
Those are stories that help people understand the issue, connect with the nonprofit and recognize the business's commitment.
Your campaign might include employee and partner stories on social media, a feature in your customer newsletter, photographs from a volunteer event, a blog highlighting the nonprofit's mission or an invitation for customers to participate.
Depending on the scope and community impact, there may even be an opportunity to earn local media coverage.
My advice is to lead with the impact, not the donation.
A company's generosity may be part of the story, but the real story is what that generosity makes possible.
And remember, not every act of generosity needs publicity. Sometimes the most meaningful relationships are the ones you build quietly over time.
Five Steps to Creating a Holiday Giving Campaign
A successful campaign doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. It does, however, need a little strategy.
Step 1: Start With Your Why
Before choosing a charity or planning a fundraiser, think about what you want your business to accomplish.
Are you hoping to strengthen community relationships? Give employees an opportunity to serve? Introduce customers to an important cause? Establish an ongoing nonprofit partnership?
Your goals should help guide the decisions that follow.
Step 2: Find the Right Community Partner
Identify a nonprofit or community initiative that aligns with your business's values.
Meet with its leadership to understand the organization's priorities and challenges. Ask what support would make the greatest difference.
Then determine what your business can realistically contribute, whether that's funding, volunteer hours, expertise, products or services.
A smaller commitment you can sustain is often more valuable than a large, one-time gesture.
Step 3: Invite Employees and Customers to Participate
Think about how you can make the campaign something people experience together.
Could employees volunteer as a team? Could customers contribute to a collection drive? Could your business host an event benefiting the nonprofit?
The key is to make participation easy, meaningful and voluntary.
Step 4: Build a Communication Plan
Don't wait until the campaign is over to think about how you'll share it.
Develop a simple plan that explains why you chose the cause, what you hope to accomplish and how others can participate.
Consider your website, email newsletter, social media, employee communications and local media opportunities.
And remember, not everything needs to become a news release.
Sometimes a personal email from the business owner or a thoughtful customer story can be just as effective in strengthening relationships.
Step 5: Share the Results and Keep the Relationship Going
When the campaign ends, share what happened.
How much money was raised? How many volunteer hours were contributed? What did the nonprofit accomplish with the support?
Those results are important, not just for marketing, but for understanding whether your efforts made a difference.
Then ask yourself one more question:
How can we continue this relationship throughout the year?
The Best Community Giving Doesn't End in December
The holidays provide a natural reason to give back, but the most meaningful community relationships aren't built in a single season.
They grow through consistent involvement, genuine commitment and a willingness to use your business's resources to help others.
And that's where community giving becomes much more than a holiday marketing campaign.
It becomes part of your company's identity.
The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report on Brands found that 88% of consumers surveyed across 15 countries identified trust as an important or critical factor in purchasing decisions, placing it alongside quality and value.
Trust isn't something you can create with a single advertisement, donation or social media post. It's built over time by consistently showing people who you are and what matters to you.
That's why I encourage businesses to think about community relations as part of their overall brand strategy, rather than a separate holiday activity.
And while giving back is one way to strengthen relationships, it's not the only one. Taking time to recognize and appreciate the customers who already support your business is just as important.
For more ideas, read Beyond Discounts: 7 Ways to Make Customers Feel Valued This Holiday Season.
When your values, actions and communication work together, you create something much more valuable than short-term publicity.
You build a reputation people remember, relationships that last and a business your community wants to support.
Because great work doesn't speak for itself. That's your brand's job.
Is Your Marketing Building the Brand You Want?
You may be doing great work in your community, but are you communicating what makes your business different?
At King & Co., I help purpose-driven businesses and nonprofits get clear on what's working, what's getting in the way and where to focus their marketing efforts.
Through my Key Insights Brief, we take a close look at your business, brand and messaging to identify what needs attention and what to do first.
We begin with a 30-minute conversation to see whether it's the right fit.
