By Heather Ripley ‘Tis the season to be charitable. The holiday season often brings out our country’s most benevolent feelings, but it’s also a great time of year to publicize your company’s charitable donations. Many news outlets tend to focus on what local businesses are doing for the community as an example of the Christmas Read more
charitable giving
By Heather Ripley
‘Tis the season to be charitable.
The holiday season often brings out our country’s most benevolent feelings, but it’s also a great time of year to publicize your company’s charitable donations. Many news outlets tend to focus on what local businesses are doing for the community as an example of the Christmas spirit or as part of a year-in-review story.
As a plumbing contractor, you are looking for ways to stand out from your competition, and one way to do that is to publicize your company’s volunteer spirit.
Studies also show that younger generations take a company’s charitable giving into account when making purchasing decisions, and all generations look favorably at successful companies that give back to their community.
Here are three reasons why sharing information about your company’s altruistic programs can help you stand out from the crowd and heighten your reputation.
1. Attract Customers and Retain Talent
As a public relations professional, I speak to many business owners who feel like it’s self-serving to promote their own philanthropic efforts, but our agency highly recommends it, and here’s why: recent studies show that consumers want to know how businesses are supporting good causes. According to a YouGov poll, nearly half of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that gives to a charity, while only 5% say they are less inclined to do so.
Given those odds, touting your efforts on your social media platforms, through press releases, and on your company’s blog will attract more customers who want to support businesses that care about the issues that are important to them.
In addition to consumer interest, most employees—65%—also prefer to work for companies that value social and environmental causes. Retention experts say that employees are happier when they work for a company that shares their personal values.
Collecting donations and offering volunteer opportunities boosts your employees’ morale and helps them connect with your company and its causes on a deeper level.
2. Boost Your Reputation
As a home service company, it’s imperative that you build trust in your community. Because you work with your customers in their most intimate settings, it’s important they have faith in your work and in your judgment.
By publicizing your philanthropic efforts, potential customers can see that you care. And, if your team also volunteers for activities to help the charities you’ve chosen to support, your company and its employees become more visible in the community.
This type of public relations (PR) associates your brand name with a cause and creates a positive image in the minds of consumers when they see your company name. A great example of this kind of PR is the Dawn Saves Wildlife campaign. As a result of news articles and an intense advertising campaign, people now associate the dish soap with the protection of wildlife after oil and chemical spills, and many consumers prefer to purchase that soap over others because they support the wildlife campaign.
3. Differentiate Your Company
If you’ve ever Googled your industry to see how many competitors you have in your local market, you are aware that you are probably one of several plumbing companies in your service area.
Most likely, their marketing teams are also producing door hangers, designing cool truck wraps, and are monitoring the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on your website to attract customers. That’s why you need to do something to differentiate your company from your competition, and that “something” involves public relations.
If you have an effective PR partner, they can help you develop stories, social media and blog posts, and press releases about your company’s good deeds and will work to garner media interest in these efforts.
This not only gets you noticed by your local media, it also improves your standing on Google’s search results—the more times your company’s name appears in links outside of your website, the higher you’ll be listed in those results.
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t be afraid to showcase your philanthropic endeavors. But you need to do it tastefully. Building a solid PR campaign or working with a professional PR team can help you differentiate your company and celebrate your efforts while avoiding the pitfalls of sounding insincere.
Heather Ripley is founder and CEO of Ripley PR, an elite, global public relations agency specializing in the franchising, skilled trades and B2B tech industries. Ripley PR has been listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Franchise PR Agency for seven consecutive years and was recently named as one of Newsweek’s America’s Best Public Relations Agencies for 2024. Heather Ripley was recently named as a 2024 PRNews Top Women honoree in the business entrepreneur category, and she was recently named as ACHR NEWS’ Top Women in HVAC. She is also the author of “NEXT LEVEL NOW: PR Secrets to Drive Explosive Growth for your Home Service Business,” which is now available on all audiobook platforms. For additional information, visit www.ripleypr.com.
Through the Feel The Love program, sponsored by the LII Lennox Foundation, Lennox and its dealer network supply and install new HVAC units to local community heroes throughout North America. Marking its 15th year anniversary, Feel The Love, sponsored by the LII Lennox Foundation, donated 413 heating and cooling (HVAC) units to deserving homeowners during Installation Week Read more
Through the Feel The Love program, sponsored by the LII Lennox Foundation, Lennox and its dealer network supply and install new HVAC units to local community heroes throughout North America.
Marking its 15th year anniversary, Feel The Love, sponsored by the LII Lennox Foundation, donated 413 heating and cooling (HVAC) units to deserving homeowners during Installation Week, which occurred from October 5-12.
Dealers across 45 states in the U.S. and several Canadian provinces worked alongside Lennox to install HVAC units for nominated recipients and beloved local heroes free of cost. Whether the recipient had been affected by financial challenges, unexpected injury or illness or other difficult circumstances, Feel The Love supported their needs by providing perfect air to keep their home at the ideal temperature through increasingly extreme winter and summer seasons.
“The hard work and generosity of our dealers and their employees have allowed us to bring comfort to deserving members of the community,” says Gary Bedard, EVP & President, Lennox Home Comfort Solutions. “Over the past 15 years, we’ve made a positive impact, and we look forward to continuing our mission of providing essential HVAC solutions to our neighbors in need.”
The donated units are the most efficient and modern designs, helping to keep energy bills down for recipients, heat and cool the home with less energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, ultimately showcasing Lennox’ dedication to long-term investments in the community.
“We were really taken aback because this is a huge relief for me as a father,” says Mike Hooper, 2024 Feel The Love recipient. “When we heard about the (Feel The Love) program, we were just taken away. I am just really grateful for the relief this program has provided for us.”
Feel The Love is sponsored by the LII Lennox Foundation. Established in 2023, the LII Lennox Foundation is committed to improving the communities where Lennox employees work and live through impactful programs, strong partnerships and an emphasis on employee volunteerism.
Over 2,750 families in need have benefited from Feel The Love since it was first launched in 2009. Stay up to date on Feel The Love by following along with @LennoxFeelTheLove on Facebook. To nominate a member of your community for next year’s Installation Week, visit FeelTheLove.com.
About Feel The Love™
Since 2009, Feel The Love has been a key program for Lennox Residential to give back to its communities. Culminating in Feel The Love Installation Week this October, Lennox partners with HVAC installers and local community members in the United States and portions of Canada to deliver units at no cost to people who consistently put others before themselves and need a helping hand. For more information about how Lennox is bringing perfect air to deserving households across the United States and Canada, visit FeelTheLove.com. Beginning this year, in 2024, the LII Lennox Foundation is sponsoring the Feel the Love program.
Leading Denver plumber provides support for nonprofits year-round through social media Donations to nonprofits tend to spike during December due to the Christmas holiday. But for High 5 Plumbing, a family-owned and operated plumbing company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area, their dedication to charitable giving lasts all year long thanks to its Read more
Leading Denver plumber provides support for nonprofits year-round through social media
Donations to nonprofits tend to spike during December due to the Christmas holiday. But for High 5 Plumbing, a family-owned and operated plumbing company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area, their dedication to charitable giving lasts all year long thanks to its High 5 Cares program.
High 5 Plumbing has donated nearly $90,000 to local nonprofits through their “High 5 Cares” program.
In 2023 alone, High 5 Cares donated over $16,780 to nonprofits in and around the Denver area. Over the course of the program, the leading plumbing company has donated over $88,431 since the program started in 2018.
“Giving back is about more than donations,” said Levi Torres, co-owner of High 5 Plumbing. “It’s about showing your community partners that you care and providing support to those who have supported you. When we first started High 5 Plumbing, we always knew that giving back would be one of the pillars we stood on. High 5 Cares provides us with an avenue to do that.”
The High 5 Cares program was created to shine a spotlight on different nonprofits throughout the year with the use of social media. High 5 Plumbing donates $3,000 to the selected nonprofits in addition to funds generated from employee donations and the profits of the High 5 clothing line.
This year’s nonprofits included a variety of organizations who had previously been featured by the program including:
- International Hearing Dog Inc. (IHDI) – IHDI’s mission is to empower individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing by purposefully training selected dogs to alert to sound.
- Food for Hope – This nonprofit dedicates itself to delivering children from hunger in Adams County, Colorado. Their mission is to empower and strengthen the future of communities by providing nutritious food to children in need.
- HopeKids – HopeKids provides ongoing events, activities and a powerful, unique support community for families who have a child with cancer or some other life-threatening medical condition.
- Clothes to Kids of Denver – This nonprofit proudly provides new and quality used clothing in a boutique setting to Denver area students from low-income or in-crisis families, free of charge. Their vision is that all students will have the clothing they need to feel comfortable and confident.
- Hope House Colorado – This organization provides free self-sufficiency programs to parenting teen moms. This includes educational assistance, healthy relationships and personal growth classes, licensed counseling, legal advocacy and financial literacy, and much more.
- Advancing Warriors – Advancing Warriors is a ministry serving veterans, first responders and their families and communities to help them thrive in Christ. Their services equips these individuals for intentional growth toward wholeness, wellness and spiritual well-being though the development of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
“We love providing exposure to the nonprofits in our area,” said High 5 Plumbing co-owner Cassi Torres. “And it’s not just our leadership team. Many of our employees donate their bonuses and are willing to volunteer as well. High 5 Cares is an essential element of High 5 Plumbing, and we look forward to seeing it grow so we can provide even more support to our local charities.”
High 5 Plumbing offers a variety of plumbing services to residents in the Denver area, including repair and installation, drain cleaning, pump plumbing, piping, garbage disposal services, sewer line repair, gas plumbing, water heater installation and much more. In addition, the company offers 24/7 emergency services.
To learn more about High 5 Plumbing, visit https://high5plumbing.com/.
To learn more about High 5 Cares, visit https://high5plumbing.com/high5-cares/.
Leading manufacturer continues partnership with local community organization and its ongoing efforts to eradicate food insecurity Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is providing critical support for the fight against hunger this holiday season with a $10,000 contribution to Philabundance. The donation will help Philabundance’s year-end food distribution Read more
Leading manufacturer continues partnership with local community organization and its ongoing efforts to eradicate food insecurity
Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is providing critical support for the fight against hunger this holiday season with a $10,000 contribution to Philabundance.
The donation will help Philabundance’s year-end food distribution program, which provides holiday food items to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity in the Greater Philadelphia area. Bradford White also donated to the Philabundance Camp Out for Hunger food drive event and will also be hosting food drives throughout the year to support the urgent need in the region.
“The holidays can be stressful for members of our community who are struggling financially,” said Rebecca Owens, senior manager of communications at Bradford White. “Philabundance works hard to ensure that all of our neighbors have the opportunity to share a happy, healthy holiday season with their families and friends. We’re proud to support them and their mission during this special time of year.”
Philabundance was founded in 1984 with the simple belief that no one should go hungry while healthy food goes to waste. The organization’s mission is to drive hunger from our communities today and to end hunger for good.
For more information about Philabundance, visit https://www.philabundance.org/.
For more information about Bradford White Corporation, visit https://www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com.
Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is providing critical support for the fight against hunger this holiday season with a $30,000 contribution to Philabundance. The donation, part of Bradford White’s 30th anniversary celebration, will help Philabundance’s year-end food distribution program which provides holiday food items to individuals and families Read more
Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is providing critical support for the fight against hunger this holiday season with a $30,000 contribution to Philabundance.
The donation, part of Bradford White’s 30th anniversary celebration, will help Philabundance’s year-end food distribution program which provides holiday food items to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity in the Greater Philadelphia area, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania. Bradford White team members are also participating in Philabundance’s virtual food drive Nov. 16-Dec. 2.
“Bradford White is committed to helping build stronger communities and ensuring our neighbors have the opportunity to experience a happy holiday season,” said Rebecca Owens, senior manager, communications, at Bradford White. “We’re proud to work with Philabundance to serve families in need and demonstrate our ongoing support for the communities where we live and work.”
Philabundance was founded in 1984 with the simple belief that no one should go hungry while healthy food goes to waste. Philabundance’s mission is to drive hunger from our communities today and to end hunger for good.
For more information about Philabundance, visit https://www.philabundance.org/.
For more information about Bradford White Corporation, visit https://www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com.