Every company has a culture. It's made up of the systems in place, its structure and how the people within it act and live out the company's values. However, it takes more than a mission posted on a wall to create an active company culture that inspires change for the greater good. Firms of any size can inspire a world-changing culture that starts from the inside of the organization and expands into other spheres of influence.
Set an internal precedence
Culture is formed by values, so it should resonate with all, not just the CEO or top leadership. If a firm is looking to instill a culture of care, it needs to demonstrate to employees what that can look like and what behaviors are expected to fulfill that description. For instance, creating a charitable foundation shows the company's commitment to contributing to various charitable organizations while also inviting the participation of all to activate the value of care through action.
While philanthropic efforts offer team-bonding opportunities, firms should outline specific roles and departments to help drive the company culture in the desired direction.
To cultivate that culture of care, the firm needs a dedicated space for that to develop. By appointing leaders, office captains and/or board members of that foundation or other programs, those positions hold the people of the company accountable for prioritizing the fundraising initiatives as part of the company's natural behavior.
Identify the larger "why"
If not done authentically, philanthropic efforts can be seen as another box to check. It's also important not to be viewed as another "ask" of team members to take on. There needs to be value for all involved to keep everyone focused on the target and main motive.
Having a mission statement to serve as a guiding principle is helpful when identifying what the culture of impact stands for and is promoted within the firm or across the company. Why are we doing this? What can we collectively do that will drive change? What larger mission can unite multiple offices that operate in different cities or countries?
From top to bottom, everyone within the organization must be able to see, hear and feel what they are advocating for. Like seeing the values in action, bring the "why" to life for the practice. That can look like inviting representatives of the charity to come into the office to share more about what involvement looks like and what resources it funds, or hearing from peers and leadership what the charity means to them.
Select a worthy cause
For those seeking to build a culture that makes a difference, it's important to visualize what that desired impact will be. There are countless charities and nonprofits in need of help, so firms should select a widespread cause.
Whether a practice is looking to support various organizations or select an anchor charity for a more focused impact, don't overlook the personal ties, connections and experiences of leaders and team members to specific causes.
Is there something near and dear to our people or clients that we can rally behind? Is there an opportunity that aligns with the company's direct influence?
For the Accounting Industry Leadership Council, a charity council comprising 25 firms, the united pledge is to end Alzheimer's. Not only because Alzheimer's has had a personal impact on many of the members, but there is also clear visibility into the financial stress of a life-altering diagnosis in the line of work as accountants and tax professionals.
Financial advisors are often the first to spot signs and alert loved ones that they are showing symptoms. Signs of trouble managing money, confusion of account information, unexpected purchases, unpaid bills, missing cash and more indicate an individual could be losing their ability to handle money matters.
There is an alarming rate at which tax and accounting professionals are advising clients who are impacted by this disease and connecting them with additional resources through the Alzheimer's Association. As professionals in this industry, there is an obligation to use this viewpoint on a particular matter and be a force for good.
Drive engagement and participation
The most effective way to drive engagement is to seek out various ways to encourage multi-level involvement. For grassroots efforts to take off, providing different levels of involvement for people allows them to select how they want to engage within their comfort level and schedule. They can give their time, money, talents or access to their network connections to help spread awareness of the cause or fundraising event opportunities.
To drive engagement, develop a consistent calendar of year-round efforts such as golf outings, virtual wine events, bake sales, fundraising walks, themed lunch-ins and challenges. This increases participation by combining people's passion areas into a creative way to give through a mix of exclusive and inclusive events. The more inclusive events allow people to extend the invitation to friends, family, clients and external networks.
Creating friendly competition internally and externally is another fun way to build comradery among team members and offices to fundraise for a good cause and bragging rights.
Set goals as a company and consider sponsorship opportunities that have a fundraising commitment level to qualify.
Leverage networks for bigger impact
There is no need to limit possibilities and fundraising by keeping ideas or resources within a company's four walls. Other firms and like-minded professionals are a great network to reference, share ideas with, and partner with to further promote solutions and industry-wide issues.
That was the founding story of the Accounting Industry Leadership Council, established in 2020.
With ongoing commitment from all involved and maximizing reach by joining forces, the Accounting Industry Leadership Council has raised more than $3 million to support research, education and resources for those impacted by Alzheimer's.
By providing a collaborative external network, team members can brainstorm with people outside of their company to discuss employee engagement opportunities and creative ways to help deepen the passion for the work and mission for the larger collective mission.
Maximize culture for impactful change and growth
A caring culture can have a domino effect on others, including entire industries. The Accounting Industry Leadership Council has inspired the launch of the Legal Industry Leadership Council, with more industry sector councils to launch in 2024.
Your company already has a culture. It's up to you whether you want to define it, refine it or drive it. The company culture also has a direct influence on the company's growth, successes, adaptiveness and ability to challenge the status quo.
