Give Back with Charity-Based Team Building

The holidays are quickly approaching, and it is the perfect time of the year to partner philanthropic charitable work with your next teambuilding event.  Empowering your team to work together while giving back to a great cause is a meaningful (and fun) way to truly engage your team! Philanthropic teambuilding is also a great way to get your team involved in your organization’s values and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Are you short on resources and don’t have the opportunity to hire a professional teambuilding company?  Don’t worry, we have compiled a few options that you can facilitate yourself. These options are relatively inexpensive and easy to coordinate but will still leave your team with a great sense of accomplishment as they give back to the local community.

Give to your Local Children’s Hospital
Long-term patients at the local children’s hospital likely will not have the opportunity to spend the holidays in the comfort of their own homes this holiday season. The entire family may even be away from home to ensure their child is receiving the best care. You can reach out to the local children’s hospital to see if they have any volunteer options on-site. Another option would be to gift blankets, arts and crafts activities, or games the whole family can play while confined to a hospital room. The hospital can provide you with general ages of patients or specific items that may be appreciated this holiday season.

Lend a Helping Hand to your Local Youth Organization
There are many different organizations that spend their days improving the lives of the children within their communities. These organizations are always in need of donations and volunteers. Often these children spend their time before and after school with these organizations. Reach out to see if your team could work on-site for a day of service and mentoring. These organizations can also help identify children whose families may be experiencing financial difficulty. They are great organizations to work with if you would like to coordinate a clothing, winter coat, or toy drive this holiday season.

Prepare a Meal at your Local Shelter or Food Bank
Shelters, soup kitchens, and food banks often provide the community with multiple meals every single day of the year (holidays included). Take your team off-site to prepare and serve a warm meal to a community in need. If you are not able to commit to a day of service, reach out to see which items they need this holiday season. Run a food drive at the office and select a few volunteers to hand deliver your generous donation.

Assemble Military Care Packages
Many of our Military Service Members will be away from their families this holiday season as they serve on deployments. Care packages are a great way to show our service members that they are appreciated. Personal hygiene products, candy, snacks, movies, and books are just a few categories of items that are often needed. After a small amount of online research, you can find the best way to send your care packages and what items are needed to make our soldiers more comfortable during deployments. Be sure to have your team write some personal notes of appreciation to include in your care packages.

Work with your local Animal Shelter or Animal Rescue Organization
Who doesn’t have a soft spot for our furry (and voiceless) friends. There are many ways to work with your local Animal Shelter or Animal Rescue Organization. Your team can volunteer on-site, help coordinate an adoption event, coordinate a fundraiser, collect supplies or just come on site, have some fun with the animals, and share photos to raise awareness! Reach out to your local Animal Shelter to see which options best fit both of your needs.

There are so many charities that need services and donations this holiday season. If you have trouble selecting which organization is best for your event, you may want to consider having the team vote on your beneficiary. This buy-in can create even more impact for your team! Once you have chosen the beneficiary and the event is complete, be sure to acknowledge the difference that you and your team have made with in the community. Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for your thoughtfulness and coordination. You are sure to have a great impact on your team and on the organization that you decide to partner with this holiday season!