Supporting charity is a growing trend these days, but at Globoforce, a provider of global, strategic on-demand employee recognition, it's nothing new. For over four years, clients of Globoforce have been given the option in their programs to donate to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Derek Irvine, vice president of marketing and marketing strategy for Globoforce, based in Southborough, Mass., says there are several reasons why companies look to incorporate a charity option into a reward platform—none of which have anything to do with PR. "For one, people don't always want to spend the reward on themselves. They like to give it to charity. Or maybe the award amount is, relatively speaking, quite small." Irvine describes a third scenario where a participant will have a small amount of money left over after redeeming for something—such as $5 left over from a $50 reward, after redeeming for an item that's $45. Rather than hold on to $5, the recipient may prefer to donate it. A $1 donation minimum allows participants to give in small amounts; thus, the option of giving to charity need not be an all-or-nothing decision. Even so, Irvine says participants will often donate their entire award to charity.

Over the years, the Red Cross charity has become a popular option for Globoforce. "On our platform, the donations offered to the Red Cross are of the same scale as a popular family restaurant," says Irvine. "So people do enjoy and appreciate having it there as an option." While careful not to overemphasize the role of charities in programs, Irvine says he strongly believes in them as a part of a mix of options. "If you look at any engagement research, time and time again you'll see that it's important for employees to feel they work in a socially responsible corporation. Having a charity option as one of the redemption options does just that. It helps reinforce the message, 'Yes, we are socially responsible; yes, we care.'" In addition to the Red Cross, Globoforce has added an emergency-effort charity known throughout Europe. Coming soon, the company plans to offer a carbon-offsetting option. This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy