Contributions to Community
• Ninety-one (91) percent of small employers (small-business owners) contributed to their community in the last year through volunteering, in-kind contributions, and/or direct cash donations. About 41 percent contributed all three ways. The estimated average value of contributions is $6,600 per small employer, contributing and not, for a total of roughly $40 billion.
• Seventy-four (74) percent of all small-business owners say that they volunteered for community and charitable activities (broadly defined) in the last year. The average is somewhat over 12 hours per month or the equivalent of 18 working days per year. Thirty-seven (37) percent who volunteer also hold an office, including a Board position, in one or more community organizations.
• Groups of employees in 39 percent of small businesses volunteer for community activities on behalf of, or in the name of, the business.
• Seventy (70) percent provided in-kind contributions during the last year. The estimated median value of those contributions was just over $2,000 per contributor. The average was $4,000.
• Seventy (70) percent of all small-business owners made direct cash donations in the last year. The median cash donation was just under $2,000 and the average was about $3,600. About one in 10 donated more than $10,000.
• The contributions of small employers tended to be widely dispersed rather than concentrated. They gave to 4.7 generic activities/groups of the 10 generic types listed on the survey. Just 18 percent confined their contributions to one or two. Since every generic type of activity/group has several specific ones, it is highly likely their contributions went to many specific activities and organizations.
• The generic activities/groups most likely to receive small-business owner contributions were: education/schools (from 73 % of those who contribute to anything); civic organizations, such as community promotion groups, Lions, Rotary, etc. (64%); religious organizations (64%); and athletics/sports groups (58%). The type of generic group least frequently supported was environmental (18%).
• Small-business owners were likely to contribute to groups that have an affinity to one another. For example, if an owner contributed (or did not) to a health/disability, human services, or United Way-type umbrella organization, he was likely (or not likely) to contribute to the others as well.
• The most important reason for giving tended to be associated with personal satisfaction and fulfillment. The least important reason was direct business benefits. Owners of larger, small firms were more likely to see a direct business benefit in contributing to community, but they, too, were much more likely to attribute their behavior to personal reasons.
• Creating a better business climate and making the community a better place to live were also important reasons to contribute, though typically not as important as personal satisfaction and fulfillment.
