Beyond the Donation: 8 Creative Ways to Support Nonprofits in Your Community

There are over 2 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. These nonprofits work tirelessly to address community needs, tackle important issues, and make a difference. Most nonprofits rely on donations from community members and businesses who want to be part of the change.

In 2023, businesses and corporations gave over $36 billion to nonprofits. These funds support vital causes like feeding families, housing those in need, and providing access to education.

The value of giving to those less fortunate than ourselves is ingrained in our society, and your financial institution is probably off to a pretty good start. Most banks and credit unions give generously to nonprofits in their communities; this is a great way to show community members that you care about them and local issues.

But while most financial institutions give back, much of this support relies heavily on monetary donations. Providing support to nonprofits isn’t just about writing a check and patting yourself on the back. Sure, that one-time donation can do some good. But nonprofits thrive on long-lasting partnerships and real relationships with their donors. And guess what? Building relationships doesn’t always mean giving money.

Nonprofits can receive donations from dozens of sources, but sometimes they need less conventional support. In fact, there are lots of ways you can support the nonprofits in your community beyond giving donations.

Here are some ideas.

Need help planning your nonprofit partnerships? Download this Nonprofit Partnership Template.

1. Provide employee volunteers

Many nonprofits thrive on in-person events that raise awareness, money, and support. But few nonprofits have the resources and manpower they need to carry out big events or make a real difference. This is especially true for small, community-focused nonprofits.

What a great opportunity for your financial institution to step in and give these nonprofits the help they need! You probably already have an employee volunteer program, so why not offer your employees’ services to the nonprofits in your area?

Let employees know about upcoming events and ask for volunteers. Some banks and credit unions require employees to volunteer a certain number of hours in the community each quarter or year, and this is a great way to nudge employees.

If the volunteer opportunity aligns with your employees’ expertise, those service hours might even count towards your Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program. Win-win!

• Keep a profile on each organization you support (store information like tax status, mission statement, contact info, etc.)
• Make it easy for employees to find and register for events
• Create web-based forms to easily collect volunteer hours
• Receive all donation/sponsorship requests through online application forms
• Use workflows to route requests/volunteer hours to the proper approver(s)

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