When Values Align March 2023
Values. What does that mean? Well, philosophically, it can mean character, principles or beliefs. You can ask someone, “What do you value?” Trust. Honesty. Fairness. Family. There are many ways people answer that question.
Since we are writing this blog for people that give back and help others, you want to know that the organizations you interact with (like consumer goods and services companies) act the same. Key elements of philanthropy for younger adults are (1) having a connection to the organization or cause and (2) seeing measurable outcomes. The Millennial Impact report found that 69 percent of Millennials donated to a cause and of those, 90 percent were motivated to give to an organization with a compelling mission.
We’ve talked before about how Millennials tend to be loyal to brands and charities that reflect their values. Patagonia, Inc. for example, is a company that emphasizes activism through its advocacy on behalf of environmental nonprofits. Customers know that Patagonia supports more than 1000 organizations by giving one percent of its sales to promote the preservation and restoration of the natural environment.
The company most popular with Millennials is Apple, with 17 percent of the vote (Statista.com). The company offers a matching program for donations made by employees, as well as a grant-making arm supporting global causes, giving them a social benefit boost in the eyes of socially conscious customers. From a strictly marketing viewpoint, the availability of apps and mobile-based services drives their favoritism by consumers so clearly ease of use is a key factor for this demographic.
Aligned Values = Loyalty
Research from Washington University suggests that organizations that put the interests of consumers first benefit from enhanced customer loyalty. Those interests go far beyond the price of the product or how many colors they offer for a pair of shoes. Today, consumers place great importance on their perception of company values when making a purchasing decision.
Investing in Values-Based Policies
Recently, business owners have placed a greater emphasis on advocacy, and made their intentions clear by investing time and money in specialized certifications for values-aligned standards. These include: Certified Benefit Corporation, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) company, and LEED Certified.
In October 2021, Forbes magazine published a list of 20 companies using their profits for social good, although there are many more that qualify. They reported that 81 percent of Americans believe companies should address social issues. Consumers have many choices as to where they can spend their money, and the majority favor companies that align with their own values.
Giving: Aligned and Simplified
NetGiver is aligned with your values and the values of credit unions which are not-for-profit cooperative financial institutions. The National Credit Union Foundation describes the Cooperative Principles that guide credit unions and state that their central goal is to provide service and benefit to members, above all other business principles. One of the cornerstones of credit unions is “Concern for Community” and that drives local involvement and engagement to support the needs of members and non-members as well as sustainable development of economic well-being.
Our goal is to provide a safe and secure way to make donations to your favorite charities. But that’s not where it ends. Our app makes it easy to be generous! Here’s how we simplify giving:
All your donations can be made from a single place.
Your nonprofit gets 100% of your donation!
Your giving history and all the details are all in one place, you just download it at the end of the year to file with your taxes.
To learn more about the NetGiver App and how easy it is to track your good giving history, visit us today at: