Corporate Giving Requires A Savvy Approach

Giving feels good when it makes a genuine impact. How to contribute wisely:

• Reach out. Workers want their firms to do constructive things. That's one reason data center firm Equinix makes charity — or corporate social responsibility — a priority. "Our CSR group is on the lookout for organizations that have their heads and their hearts in the right place, which is something our employees associate positively with," said Pete Ferris, senior vice president.

• Get inspired. When top rock climber Timmy O'Neill spoke at Equinix's annual global-sales kickoff event five years ago, employees were hooked. "We were all very inspired by Timmy's story and have invited him back to many company events," Ferris told IBD.

O'Neill talked about his nonprofit, Paradox Sports, which helps wounded veterans and people with disabilities participate in outdoor adventures like ice and rock climbing.

"Our close association with Timmy and our belief in the good work his organization does has made Paradox Sports one of our CSR projects," Ferris said.

• Take steps. Equinix is sponsoring a Paradox Sports event this year, and company employees will be cheering on the participants.

"These activities are becoming part of the fabric of who we are as a culture," Ferris said.

• Follow the trend. Sixty-five percent of shoppers purchased goods or services from companies that they felt were socially responsible — or involved in community and conservation efforts — in the past 12 months.

That's according to the Conscious Consumer Spending Index, a yearly poll by marketing firm Good.Must.Grow.

Still, some shoppers struggle to separate the noble from the not-as-noble. Asked to name a socially responsible organization, 28% of respondents couldn't come up with one.

• Anticipate the tide. The survey also found that younger buyers tend to be more concerned with social issues, with 41% of those ages 18 to 24 planning to spend responsibly. That's compared with 30% of those ages 45 to 54.

Giving follows a similar trend.

Thirty-two percent of those ages 18 to 24 plan to increase their charitable giving in 2015, compared with 23% of those ages 45 to 54.

• Make a dent. "One of the most important lessons I've learned is that life-changing gifts can be small."

So says Carrie Morgridge, author of "Every Gift Matters."

She's vice president of the Morgridge Family Foundation, which invests in education, conservation, health and the arts.

"Most of the money donated to nonprofits in America comes from households that give a total of $2,000 a year, on average," Morgridge said.

-Investors