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After graduating from the University of Iowa way back when, with all of my “recent-grad” confidence and 22 years of Iowa residency, I decided I wanted to go somewhere. Anywhere but Iowa. I looked at various places, all with the common theme of “warmer than Iowa” and in the southwest direction, with no real plan or strategy except TO GO. My landing place was Phoenix, Arizona. It took living in Phoenix five years, then St. Louis for three, for me to realize that Iowa really had something to offer. After starting a family, I moved back, and I haven’t regretted a thing. Des Moines has grown so much in recent years into a town I’m incredibly proud to live in and call home.

But one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the sense of community Iowa offers that I never felt in the any of the other cities I lived. People are really passionate about this town, what it offers, and the endless opportunities. That enthusiasm is contagious and breeds the kind of pride people want to feel in their hometown, their schools, their children and their neighbors.

Coincidentally, today I came across this post on Twitter: “I should have come to DSM years ago. This city simply can make things happen.” (via @ben_milne) Well said!

So it surprises me when I come across the few companies or clients who don’t make a special effort to get involved in the community in one way or another. And do it with good intentions, not just to pay their dues or get noticed.

You can’t buy the title “Good Corporate Citizen,” though we see many companies and individuals try. Efforts to do so are usually transparent and do nothing for credibility or integrity. A business’s commitment to the well-being of the community must be genuine to be valued. And when it is valued, it can do great things for building customer and employee loyalty while positively impacting society.

A year ago, Love Scott volunteered our marketing services to a local organization called Meals from the Heartland (MftH). We had volunteered to package food as a company at the organization’s inaugural event and came back to the office blown away by the experience. Having met some of the volunteer organizers, and knowing their genuine hearts and intentions, we felt a calling to get more involved and do our part in helping to feed the world’s hungry.

The experience has been absolutely amazing. We helped rebrand MftH complete with logo design, Web site, PR and collateral. It was time intensive, absolutely, but there is no more gratifying work than when you know a word you’ve written, or a design you’ve created, will help put food on someone’s plate. Powerful. You can feel the pride radiate from staff each time we hear of people fed or lives saved by the food packaged that our work helped make possible.

The added benefits are the hundreds of people we’ve met and connected with through the experience, from community leaders to college athletes. We’ve associated with them not only on a business level, but through a common passion for doing good.

Ways to show your dedication to the community are boundless, including sponsoring special events; becoming active in community programs, boards or clubs; providing talks or speeches for local special interest clubs or chambers; assisting local or national charity efforts; and hosting events, meetings, or educational seminars.

But how do you choose which efforts you get involved in? Consider more than the aesthetics. Worthwhile involvement will take time, commitment and, depending on the scope of the project, money. Choose something you or your co-workers are really interested in or you risk turning it into a forced commitment that breeds negativity and resentment.

If your company doesn’t have a current community relations program, take the time to research your options. Talk with employees and find out their interests, discuss opportunities with business partners, and stay current on local news and politics. You don’t have to invest big money to make an impression – just being involved and donating your time and talents shows the community you are a part of the bigger team.

If your company donates time or resources to help the community, tell us about it. How did you get involved and what does it do for office morale?