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While giving back to our local community has always been an important part of the business, it was during a pandemic brainstorming session that we decided to take our commitment to the next level. That day, the Greater Chicago Food Depository became our charitable partner, and it was one of the most rewarding business decisions I have made.
Charitable partnership builds community
According to Feeding America, one in seven Cook County (Chicago) residents will experience food insecurity this year — a truly staggering statistic. Since we started our partnership at the end of 2020, Busby Group has provided nearly 100,000 meals for those in need.
Our motto at Busby Group is, “Feeding Chicago one home at a time,” and that really is true for us. Not only do we contribute a portion of every sale to the food depository, but our clients also donate on a regular basis. It feels good to give back to the community we serve every day. It’s a true win-win all the way around.
Charitable partnership helps connect with clients
One recent way our charitable partnership helped us reconnect with clients and friends is during our first annual Busby Group Pantry Pickup. The idea was simple: Schedule times with clients and friends to stop by, say hi and pick up their donated food items.
The event was a huge success, with the whole team reconnecting with clients and friends they had not seen in a while, plus we dropped off an incredible amount of food. Pantry Pickup will definitely become an annual, or even biannual, event.
Charitable partnership enhances the business
When first creating our listing presentation, we were not sure if prospective clients would care about our partnership. Turns out they do. Our partnership with the food depository is now one of the first, and most discussed pages, of the presentation. Corporate partners also like that we have a giveback program in place.
We can see this interest reflected in objective ways, too. The page of our website that outlines our partnership is one of the highest traffic pages on our website.
If you are considering adding a charitable framework to your business, my vote is a wholehearted “Yes!” We are three years in, and the number of benefits I see only continues to grow.
Julie Busby is the founder and president of Busby Group, and in the top 1 percent of Chicagoland brokers. Follow her on Facebook and LinkedIn.
