The benefits of philanthropy are a priceless business practice

Money raised goes towards the groundbreaking CPA research into the prevention, treatment and cure of cerebral palsy that has helped Australia become one of the world leaders in this space, not to mention the work it does in treatment, services and assistive technologies to ensure people with cerebral palsy have access to mobility treatments and much-needed items such as wheelchairs and walking frames.

For Jain, participating in this event speaks to people both outside and within the business. “It demonstrates to our customers, employees and other stakeholders that Brooks is committed to an equal and inclusive society,” he says.

“We believe this leads to increased trust amongst employees and customers who share similar values.”

A happy workforce is a productive one

Feedback has shown that being involved in initiatives like this really does deliver internal benefits. Perhaps because of the good-natured rivalry entailed in STEPtember, CPA says research has found that, of those organisations involved, 85 per cent reported the positive effect this had on their employees, benefiting areas of teamwork and productivity.

There are plenty of ways to include staff in your CSR. Canvassing their ideas on which direction to take can give them worthwhile buy-in. “This could be through a survey, anonymous suggestion box, firm-wide discussion or creation of a CSR committee that includes employees,” McKeough advises.

The range of CSR options is broad — so there’s no reason why it can’t be part of all enterprises. “Every business should engage in some degree of philanthropy, as a responsibility for the social licence it has to operate,” says Jain. “My advice is to just start; it doesn’t matter how big or small your contribution is.”

For details on how to get your organisation involved in STEPtember head to STEPtember.org.au/organisations