The Honest Truth About What Makes Companies Take the Leap

I’ve been asked a lot recently what actually sparks a company to take Payroll Giving seriously. It’s rarely the stats or the tax benefits. It’s simply a feeling.

Most companies take the leap because something personal nudges them. A moment that makes them stop, think, and realise: “We could be doing more here.”

I’m no different. I lost my mum to Alzheimer’s and my mother in law to  Parkinson’s. Anyone who’s walked that road knows it’s not just the illness itself that’s hard, it’s everything around it. The care, the strain, the moments where you realise how much relies on charities quietly filling the gaps.

The shock for me was discovering that Parkinson’s has to fundraise to provide palliative care nurses because they’re not funded by the government. And they’re not the only cause in that position, there are loads of charities desperately trying to keep essential services going.

And when you understand that, Payroll Giving stops being “a nice CSR add-on” and becomes something much more human. A way for every person in a workplace, whatever their job title, to feel they’ve helped someone they’ll never meet, in a moment that truly matters.

Why It’s Usually Personal Before It’s Practical

When a business finally gets it, it’s because someone inside the company has had a moment like I did, a parent ill, a child in hospital, a family member supported by a charity they never expected to need.

There’s always an emotional tipping point. The practical benefits come afterwards: stronger team morale, a sense of purpose, a CSR commitment that actually feels real rather than corporate waffle. But first comes the spark.

Payroll Giving gives a workforce the chance to support causes that mean something to them personally. And if just one person in the business has walked through something tough, they tend to become the quiet ambassador who says, “This matters more than you think.”

The Story I Didn’t Expect to Become Part of This Conversation

If you’d told me back in October that a Facebook post about an early-morning walk would end up teaching me a lesson about community, purpose, and support… I’d probably have laughed.

But here we are. On 3rd October 2024, I put a post out inviting anyone who fancied it to join me for a morning walk, 5:45am start, in the cold and dark. Probably not the most appealing advert.

I even joked that if nobody turned up, I’d still be there. Billy No Mates, enjoying the silence and a bit of fresh air.

But people came. At first it was a handful. Then more. And now, three months on, there’s a solid little trio of us, who formed a close knit group. And I mean we put the world to right about a lot. I’m talking about the miners’ strike, rugby league and rugby union, parenting disasters, local wildlife, politics (somehow without falling out), music (from Sex Pistols, Northern Soul, Abba, Aretha, even the odd debate over who ruined what decade). 

But underneath the laughs, the tangents, the daft questions and the nostalgia, something bigger was happening; a bit of camaraderie, support, and “you’re not on your own, mate”.

Two hours fly by on a morning walk without a single disagreement. Four miles covered. Spirits a bit higher than when we started.

And do you know what? It’s changed all of us in small but meaningful ways.

What This Has Taught Me About Payroll Giving

That walking group reminded me of what people really want, whether they’re employees, leaders, charity workers, or some bloke trying to warm up at 6am: connection, meaning, and a sense they’re doing something that matters.

Payroll Giving is about giving ordinary people a way to support something extraordinary, quietly, consistently, and together. Most staff don’t want a big grand CSR strategy. They want to feel part of something that makes life a little better for someone else.

Just like those morning walks, it’s not a competition. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, how much you give, or whether you’re new to it. What matters is showing up.

One small contribution, repeated across a whole workforce, builds into something huge, not because it’s corporate, but because it’s human.

When a Company Finally Gets It

The moment a company understands Payroll Giving is usually the moment they stop looking at it like a programme, and start seeing the people behind the causes.

They realise someone like my Mum or mother in law benefitted from a charity worker funded by donations. They realise thousands of families go through the same thing every year. They realise their staff aren’t just employees, they’re human beings with stories, losses, joys, responsibilities, and causes close to their heart. And once they see that, it’s impossible to unsee.

That’s why I do this work, and why we keep pushing to bring the corporate world and the charity world closer. I believe Payroll Giving isn’t just a “nice thing”, it’s a lifeline.

If You Fancy a Walk (Or a Chat About Something That Matters)

We’re still walking every morning at 6am. Anyone’s welcome. No fitness tests, no pressure, no daft rules. Just good company, fresh air, and the kind of conversations you didn’t know you needed.

And if you want to know more about what Payroll Giving could mean for your business or your people, that conversation always starts the same way: with something real, something human, something that matters.

Mark O’Brien