Giving Compass' Take:

• The author notes tech organizations in Canada that are engaging their employees in various volunteer opportunities and charitable activities as an alternative source of donations. 

• What are the most effective strategies to successfully engage their employees in charitable giving and volunteer opportunities? 

• Read about other tech companies volunteer initiatives that align with their mission and values. 

Charities and non-profits are facing a very real problem: their donors aging and the donor rate is dropping.

It's not sustainable. If charities don’t change the way they engage donors, they face a crisis in funding. On the other hand, there’s the tech industry. It’s teeming with young talent and opportunity.  Naturally, this leaves our not-for-profits asking some very good questions. Why doesn’t technology donate more? How do I get employees at tech companies to be better donors? Why don’t we have more connections with people working in the tech sector?

Tech companies understand the struggle of charities and non-profits because they’re facing the same issues too. They, too, rely on a demographic that’s increasingly tapped out for funding. Angel Investors are aging just like donors are, and they’re the ones making the lion’s share of investment decisions.They care about broader social issues that directly and indirectly impact their work, communities and employees. That includes gentrification, discrimination and underrepresentation, issues around LGTBQ and intersectionality, the environmental impact of their work — the list goes on.

When there is money available, it’s difficult to rationalize donations for a local charity when the audience for a company — their customers, investors or influencers in the market — aren’t local at all. The only local audience are their employees — and recruiting isn’t often a suitable reason for donations. Tech companies care a great deal about engaging employees, and it turns out charitable giving is a great way to accomplish that. We already see companies participating in food bank drives, Habitat for Humanity builds and other similar mainstay events, so it’s clear something is working.

We even have a few examples of tech companies and not-for-profits who have successfully partnered in new and exciting ways in our own backyard.

Read the full article about tech companies giving back by Joseph Fung at Medium