Easy Ways to Make Your Contact Centre More Charitable

Getting your agents involved in charitable activities is a brilliant way to build team spirit, create a sense of purpose, and, of course, help out where it’s needed most.

Want to make a difference in your community while giving contact centre morale a boost? Here is a mix of practical ways to get involved locally, alongside some fundraising initiatives that are easy to implement.

Try In-House Charity Activities and Fundraising Ideas

Want to raise money for a good cause, but stuck for inspiration?

Here are some great ideas to help get you started…

1. Fitness Fundraisers

Get everyone moving with a fitness challenge! Set a goal (like walking a million steps collectively) and tie it to a donation.

You could even try a virtual walk to another site, as Alan Mullen, Senior Customer Care and Business Change Manager at Superdry, shares:

“We set a virtual walking challenge to Belgium where our European warehouse is located – with the challenge taking place over the course of a month.

Superdry Customer Service completed their challenge in May 2024, walking 3 million steps, which was 1,503 miles, going beyond Belgium to Oslo in Norway. The team raised a fantastic £530 for Leukaemia UK!”

2. Support Charity Call Campaigns

Put those fab call handling skills to additional use by lending your team’s time and expertise to a charity call campaign, where a group of individuals makes phone calls on behalf of a charity to support their goals.

These campaigns are often focused on tasks like:

Thanking donors – Reaching out to people who’ve contributed to the charity to express appreciation and strengthen their connection to the cause.
Promoting events – Letting people know about upcoming fundraisers, community initiatives, or charity drives and encouraging participation.
Fundraising – Calling supporters to encourage new donations, whether one-off contributions or regular pledges.
Surveying or updating supporters – Collecting feedback, sharing updates about the charity’s work, or inviting supporters to get involved in new ways.

To formalize this, you could consider putting a rota together, dedicating a few hours each month for different agents to put their professional skills to work for a good cause.

3. Charity Auctions

Tap into your team’s talents by hosting an auction of goods or services.

Whether it’s homemade bakes, photography sessions, or even offering to take someone’s shift, the possibilities are endless.

You could also ask any suppliers and local businesses you work with (or near) to donate prizes and services to a good cause.

4. Host a Contact Centre Bake-Off

Host a contact centre bake-off and then sell the cakes for charity.

You could even break the competition up into categories just like the TV show (bread week, etc…) to maximize the opportunities for agents to get involved – and win prizes in different categories too!

It’s a surefire way to get people involved.

5. Dress-Up Days

Who doesn’t love a good excuse to dress up? Pick a theme – pyjama day, superheroes, or even something cultural – and ask for a small donation to take part.

It’s fun, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser – and those £1 coins can really add up! You could even set up an online fundraising page to make it easier for agents to pay by card.

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Get Your Teams Involved in the Local Community

…And it’s not just about fundraising! Here are 5 ways to inspire and support your teams to share their precious time with your local community too…

1. Gift Volunteer Days to Sort Food Donations for Homelessness Charities

Give your teams a chance to roll up their sleeves and do some good with paid volunteer days, available to use in addition to their standard holiday allowance. Whether it’s packing food parcels, helping out at a local animal shelter, or painting a community centre, it’s a win–win.

For example, on International Volunteer Day, Specsavers made a commitment to encourage employees to take advantage of their volunteering days as a way of giving back to their communities.

So far, the team has built kingfisher nests in country parks, cleaned reflection gardens for Derby’s Treetops Hospice, and sorted food donations for the local homelessness charity, Emmanuel House.

2. Get Stuck Into Local Events (and Even Sponsor Them)

Don’t just organize events yourself, take a look at what’s coming up in the area. For example, you could encourage your team to join in with local events, like fun runs, festivals, or clean-up days.

You could even sponsor part of the event. It’s great exposure for your contact centre, gets your team involved in something bigger than themselves, and can even help with your recruitment efforts.

3. Take a Day Out of the Office for a Team Gardening Project

Nothing beats a bit of fresh air and teamwork. So why not organize a day for your team to tidy up a park, plant some flowers, or revamp a community garden?

Organizing a team day out of the office like this not only beautifies public spaces but also promotes environmental stewardship and community engagement.

For instance, the Calthorpe Community Garden in London welcomes corporate volunteer groups to assist with various tasks, including planting, composting, seed sowing, and site maintenance like painting or refurbishing. These activities are supervised and tailored to the season, ensuring that volunteers can contribute meaningfully regardless of their prior experience.

4. Encourage Your Team to Share-A-Skill With Local Job Seekers

Did you realize your team have tons of skills that could make a real difference to job seekers in their local community.

So how about organizing workshops where they help with CV writing, tech tutorials, or interview prep for local job seekers or apprentices? It’s a simple but effective way to give back.

5. Connect With Schools or Care Homes in Your Area

Long-term partnerships with local schools or nursing homes can make a world of difference.

Specsavers employees, for example, have supported school reading programmes, which is a fantastic way to help young learners while building connections in the community.

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How to Make It Happen

Now, here’s the tricky bit: turning these ideas into reality without them feeling like just another wish list.

Here are some top tips to help charity initiatives become a core part of your contact centre culture:

Check in on Your Employees First

It’s important that your employees feel safe, secure and aren’t struggling too much themselves in order to be able to fully focus on charity work for others.

Ocado does a great job of this, as Sarah Graham, their Senior People Development and Training Manager, says: “It’s about being mindful of personal circumstances, but still giving people the opportunity to give something back – without putting them under pressure.”

Give Them Time to Volunteer

Make it easy for agents to get involved by offering paid volunteer hours. It’s a simple way to show you’re serious about supporting their efforts.

Build Relationships With Charities

Partnering with local organizations makes everything smoother. Regular, planned activities – like volunteering at the same food bank every month – take the guesswork out and keep the momentum going.

Link Charity Work to KPIs

Tie charitable initiatives to team milestones. For example, every time your team hits a KPI, donate to a charity as a reward. It could be a great motivator!

Shout About It on Social Media

Celebrate your team’s efforts on LinkedIn, TikTok, or wherever your audience is. Companies like Ocado and BargainMax regularly post about their charity work, which not only boosts team pride but also inspires others to get involved.

Get Input From Your Team

Ask your agents what causes they’re passionate about and what kind of activities they’d like to do. When people feel like their voice matters, they’re much more likely to get stuck in.

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A Little Planning and a Lot of Enthusiasm Can Go a Long Way!

With a little planning and a lot of enthusiasm, your contact centre can become a real force for good in your community – and your team will feel more connected and motivated than ever. Give it a go!