"Strive to support programs that enhance and strengthen your community." Jim Strite, Remodelers Advantage Consultant

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Altruism Is Good for Business

Doing charity work is a great way to raise your company’s visibility in the community and score some referrals in the process. Last year, as part of its community outreach initiative, the civic-minded people at Encompass Design Build in Vienna, Va., did two pro-bono charity projects managed by past clients whose homes they had remodeled.

“The work we do is so community based we realized that if we extended our involvement in the community by giving back to the neighborhoods where we do most of our work, we would rejuvenate what is already our best lead source--happy past clients,” says Troy Fenley, co-owner and vice president of operations.

One project involved refashioning in concrete an old brick patio that had sunk and had presented a tripping hazard for young students at a preschool. The other project consisted of recycling old cabinets removed from a kitchen being remodeled and installing them in another preschool. The cabinetry greatly increased storage space for the students and their teacher. Both preschools were operated out of churches that had minimal funding, so the $2,500 to $3,500 that Encompass Design Build spent on each project was especially appreciated by the preschools and the students’ parents.

The remodeler featured both projects on its Web site and in its newsletter, and the clients who organized the projects made sure that the rest of the community knew about the good deeds. Each project was written up in the school bulletins that go directly to each parent and was featured in the church bulletins distributed at weekend services. “The women who spearheaded these projects were happy to manage those promotional thank yous,” says Fenley. “We did not have to request or push for that.”

The company gained visibility beyond what the neighborhood saw. “We got some of our employees directly involved so they could see that they work for a company that cares about community,” says Fenley. He and co-owner Chris Neumann convinced two trade contractors to donate their time to the pro-bono projects, and, as a result, “our subs see our company through a different lens now,” says the remodeler.

Best of all is knowing that the company used its skills and resources to benefit the community. The referrals aren’t bad, either. “[Our community involvement] has inspired our happy clients to continue bragging about us and the work we do,” says Fenley.

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