NFIB

Will Work for Nothing
05/ 28/ 2004

by Lena Basha

Throwing a big party for her business's 30th anniversary never crossed Gwinavere Johnston's mind. Instead, to celebrate 30 years of success, JohnstonWells (www.johnstonwells.com), a public relations firm in Denver, offered one of its most popular services to 30 nonprofit organizations -- free of charge.

"When our 30th anniversary rolled around we agreed that giving back to the community was the very best thing we could do to celebrate. In addition, it put us in front of very influential people in our community," says Johnston, who can attribute at least three current clients to her business's community involvement.

Now JohnstonWells offers pro-bono services to eight nonprofits each year, adopts a family during the holidays and runs a campaign for United Way. So how did she make giving back such an integral part of her business? A few tips:

Make a move: "Businesses are never too small to be involved," Johnston says. "It's good for business and it's good for the community in which you do business."

Find your focus: JohnstonWells focuses its services on the arts, women and children -- issues closest to Johnston's heart. "Focusing your giving means you can make more of a difference in specific areas, and your efforts are far more obvious," she says.

Motivate: To really get employees interested, let them decide what cause or project would interest them most. "Some of the best, most sustainable programs are employee-driven," says Johnston, who also allows her employees time off to volunteer.

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This article originally appeared in the June/July 2004 issue of MyBusiness magazine.

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