After we all give thanks, community leaders and entrepreneurial changemakers from across the world will come together to make giving more central in daily life. Giving Tuesday, in many ways, kicks off the holiday season with an important reminder about the spirit and meaning of this season – generosity and mutual support.
Uplifting individuals and growing community goodwill are inescapable aspects of franchising. We are a people-first industry on the front lines in every community, everywhere. Local franchise owners are the local face of their brands with heart and drive for their local communities. There’s no question that franchise owners are committed to helping those around them, regardless of what industry, from counter-service restaurants making sure those in need are fed, to sign-manufacturers helping with covid safety materials. It’s in the franchising DNA.
In business for themselves, not by themselves, local franchise owners like Clint Ehlers, owner of FASTSIGNS in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, are forces for good. Clint gives his team paid days off to volunteer at the community service group of their choice, encouraging not only service but personal investment and professional development for the people he employs. Beyond conventional donations, Clint supports the contribution of time and talent, noting, “I tithe to my church. My business tithes to the community we serve.”
Stories like Clint’s are not unique – since 2015, the International Franchise Association has been working in tandem with franchise brands across the country and around the world through the Franchising Gives Back initiative. Franchising Gives Back is a program that recognizes and encourages the charitable acts and exemplary leadership demonstrated by franchisors, franchisees and suppliers in their local communities.
Each year, Franchising Gives Back recognizes businesses with the most innovative and impactful community support and charitable programs. The program both amplifies the good news of charitable efforts through the unique platform IFA Foundation has and brings together leading industry minds to engage in peer-to-peer education on philanthropic best practices. Through the help of partners like founding contributor Roark Capital Group, it is this camaraderie and synergy unique to the franchise business model that creates an ideal environment for these robust and successful giving initiatives. Whether you know it or not, many of us have seen franchises making a difference in our own communities – from Little League sponsorships, to donating food for homeless shelters, to organizing marches for cancer research, the charitable footprint of franchise businesses is impossible to ignore.
“Franchising Gives Back is one of the strongest tools we have in franchising to help people understand what franchising really means for local communities. From elected officials and community leaders to customers and neighbors, Franchising Gives Back amplifies all the positive contributions franchising makes every day in every community across the country,” said Rikki Amos, Executive Director of the IFA Foundation.
IFA members come together in a community that shares much more than a very dynamic growth model. It’s a community of like-minded individuals who share their expertise, energy, and best practices across the board. These business leaders devote themselves to service, both in business and in life, and the power of franchising and the support of the association that represents them strengthens the impact that these individuals can have in their communities. This Giving Tuesday, and year-round, consider the difference you can make through Franchising Gives Back and the many programs like it at the IFA Foundation.