Employers have known for years that a company’s commitment to community service and volunteerism is an important factor when millennials consider career opportunities. A survey of more than 2,000 millennials found that almost 66% of those respondents were at least somewhat more likely to work for a company that supported charity than one that did not.
The same sentiment was expressed when a Deloitte survey of millennials asked about consumer spending habits:
“… 42% of millennials said they have begun or deepened a business relationship because they perceive a company’s products or services to have a positive impact on society and/or the environment [and] 37% said they have stopped or lessened a business relationship because of the company’s ethical behavior; conversely, 36 percent started/deepened a relationship because they believed a company was ethical.”
Why are these results important? As associations look to recruit members from the millennial generation and the new entrants into the job market – Gen Z, it makes sense to establish and promote charitable activities within the association. While networking, training, and leadership opportunities are important to potential members, their choice of association that they want to join and to volunteer their time may be influenced by the “good” that the association does for the industry, community, and individuals.
Both the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association and the California Hotel and Lodging Association recognize the focus on philanthropy with these recent articles:
- PRLA raised $257,627 for Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania (HARP) to fund 848 one-time grants of $250 to provide immediate emergency assistance to hospitality workers impacted by COVID-19. Read the full article here.
- CHLA has a foundation focused on supporting the education of members of the hospitality industry and the organizations that offer those programs. An article that describes a recent donation provides an opportunity to recognize the donor and to further publicize the work of the foundation.
It is also important to use social media to show members participating in community activities – food drives, Habitat for Humanity, educational programs for elementary schools, and any other activity that demonstrates the opportunities members have to give back to their community and their industry.
