The bottom line: giving back can help your company grow.

• Author: Kennedy, Linda T.
• Position: GIVING GUIDE 2009

As a company owner during the recession, you've had to tighten your budget and employee benefits. So, you ask, "How can my company give to the community at a time like this?"

According to local philanthropic and human resource experts, companies should continue giving not only because it will make a difference to the community, but because a company's health and employee morale is boosted by continued philanthropic efforts.

"It can meet that we need we have as humans and individuals to take care of each other and to feel like we're doing the right thing," says Rebecca Dutson, chief operating officer at United Way of Salt Lake. "But when we do that, we see some benefits from doing it. There's a mutually beneficial relationship that corporations get from partnering with philanthropic organizations."

Susan Robertson, human resources advisor at the Utah Employers Council, an employer's association that provides human resources consultation to Utah companies, says, "When employees endear a company, they refer to it as 'I'm treated just like family.' Family and caring go hand-in-hand. And when we are talking about an extended family, community can be defined as extended family," she says. "That translates to employee retention, which attracts business because companies trust other companies where employees don't come and go all the time."

Robertson says there are additional reasons to include community outreach in your company mission: there's an education factor--people learn about opportunities to give; people are busy, so when they can participate in outreach efforts at work, it makes it easier for them to have a work/life balance; and charitable opportunities can give employees experience. For instance, if your training budget is small, an employee can gain knowledge from organizing a charitable event and then apply that experience to his or her advancement at work.

Robertson suggests business owners follow steps toward establishing giving as part of the company's mission:

1) Contact the Utah Nonprofits Association to learn about potential philanthropic partners in the community. Robertson says people typically know about large organizations, but there are many small ones that need support as well.

2) Look within the neighborhood or community where your business operations are located for opportunities. "Because of the locality, there can be added pride...