Matt Gembecki, Managing Director at Global Impact, sat down with Mohamed Ahammam, Corporate Gift Manager at Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) to detail how our partnership has helped IRUSA leverage workplaces to inspire greater employee giving and engagement.
Key takeaways include:
Be visible.
The first step to engage and inspire workplace donors is to reach them. Through their partnership with Global Impact, IRUSA is represented in front of large numbers of federal and private sector employees through workplace giving campaigns. This connection allows IRUSA to inform potential donors about their lifesaving programs and all the available resources (such as volunteering opportunities and corporate matching programs) to maximize their impact. IRUSA increases visibility in workplaces by attending charity fairs and recruiting employee champions.
Recruit employee champions.
Islamic Relief USA partners with Global Impact’s advisory team to identify workplace donors and encourage them to further promote Islamic Relief USA’s work beyond their individual donations of time or treasure. To dig deeper, these donors can become employee champions and advocate on behalf of IRUSA in their workplace to inform and inspire coworkers to support IRUSA’s work as well.
Foster diversity and inclusion with an eagerness to learn and understand.
Mohamed reflected that, “The most important thing is learning and sharing knowledge and understanding each other’s perspective.” This is how IRUSA stewards donors, partners with inter-faith groups, and serves communities in need – regardless of gender, race or religion. For IRUSA’s employee champions, observing Ramadan in the workplace provides great opportunities for both Muslim and non-Muslim employees. Muslim employees can feel comfortable sharing their culture with coworkers and engaging in the month’s spirit of giving through their workplace. Non-Muslim employees can go beyond simply learning about their Muslim colleague’s culture and instead stand in solidarity with them by celebrating Iftar, the evening meal that ends the daily fast during Ramadan. Observing Ramadan as a group can even inspire a deeper conversation about philanthropy and inspire others to give.
Philanthropy Insights is a new video series where Global Impact hosts discussions on emerging trends in the field with leading experts. Stay tuned for the next video on how to build an effective corporate giving framework.
Contact us for help boosting your workplace giving revenue.
