We are all familiar with the saying about how charity begins at home. And for many of us, that philosophy holds true. But that doesn't mean that's where charity stops. In fact, an old Scottish proverb teaches this very idea: "Charity begins at home, but it shouldn't end there."

Many businesses, organizations and companies work with and have different charities that they give to throughout the year. But there are still other ways that managers and employees can use their recognition program to individually make a difference during the coming months of November and December, a.k.a., 'The Season of Giving.'

Last month's article discussed the importance of "use it or lose it" in regards to the dollars in your recognition program. If there are reward dollars left in the recognition budget after your employees receive recognition for their efforts during the year, what can you do? Well, rather than having staff "create" reasons to dole out awards to each other, do something with those recognition dollars that will truly resonate with the meaning of "give back." Donate them.

The idea of donating recognition dollars to a charitable organization might be a relatively unheard of concept for some, but it's a practice that's been around for years. In fact, there are organizations that exist to help companies fi nd an avenue and a means to donate their incentive dollars.

Andrea Lloyd is the Director of Operations for JustGive.org (www.JustGive.org), an organization dedicated to working with and helping companies and individuals in their charitable giving efforts. JustGive was one of the first organizations to understand and use the power of the Internet for charitable giving and has built a track record of success. "In the past decade," Lloyd explains, "JustGive has generated more than $80 million for tens of thousands of charities in collaboration with our partners."

Through the use of JustGive Charity Gift Cards, individuals or companies can recognize employees and clients in a number of ways—holiday gift, years of service, job promotion, employee appreciation—in a manner that exemplifies their commitment to giving back. Once the award recipient receives the charity gift, as Lloyd details, "individuals have the opportunity to donate these incentive dollars to any of the nearly 1.5 million charities listed on our site."

The vast number of available charities to give to means award recipients can always find a charity of choice. Says Lloyd, "Whatever cause you believe in, we make it easy to find all the charities—working locally and throughout the world—that support it. Recipients can research their cause and donate when and how they wish."

According to Lloyd, the "when" of giving always seems to spike during these holiday months. Lloyd explains that in 2007, American Express conducted a Charitable Gift Survey and found that 24% of donated dollars occur between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. "The most frequent reason for giving more," she says, "was the emotion of spirit of the season." But the emotion of the season doesn't need to end once the calendar turns to January. While JustGive receives more than 40% of its donations during the prime holiday season, Lloyd states that there are other ways individuals and organizations can continue the giving spirit throughout the year. "Charity gift cards are the perfect meaningful and eco-friendly way for any company to show their commitment to social responsibility during the year," says Lloyd. She describes charity gift cards as a great alternative to traditional gifts given to clients, employees, customers or a sales force and can serve as effective incentives at conferences and trade shows since the cards "can be purchased in any quantity and never expire."

This lack of an expiration date is a big benefit to recipients, especially considering how busy our schedules get during the holiday season. Offering a charity gift card that doesn't expire gives the recipient time to catch their breath after the holidays and search out the charity that means the most to them, which is where an organization such as JustGive can help. "On our site," states Lloyd "people can research an individual charity before making a donation. These charities can then update you on how they are helping others with the programs and services funded by your gift."

As we enter the holiday season and our thoughts and hearts turn to giving unto others, consider adding a charity gift card to your reward and recognition plan. Instead of handing out another $25 award that a recipient may spend in a retail store, give that employee $25 to donate to their favorite charity.

This year, don't let charity end in the home. Start something new and let charity begin in the office.

Back to JustGive in the Media