Everyone has a cause that strikes a chord within them. Whatever the reason, certain causes resonate with people inspiring them to donate money, time and resources. People get satisfaction supporting their cause the best they can.

And for many of us, there’s no more gratifying cause than children. That’s why service organizations like the Optimist Dinner Club of Edmonton make it their mission to “bring out the best in kids.”  They recently introduced SafeStart to Scouts Canada with Boo Boo Bandits and SafeStart for Youth. From running sporting and social events to providing safety skills and education, groups like the Optimists give the next generation important development opportunities.

Corporations can join individuals and non-profits in making safety their cause by sharing training programs like SafeStart with the community, especially with youth-focused groups, and doing so can improve company morale and make children more safety-conscious. There’s a financial benefit too, as overall business performance is linked to safety success.

Companies and non-profits need to take several steps to effectively embrace safety as a core value. Here are four tips to make safety your cause:

1. Make safety part of your brand. In a world where what you stand for weighs heavily upon your success, show that safety is the most important thing to your company. It should carry through in everything you do and become embedded in the company culture. It all starts at the top, and senior level management must make a sincere commitment to safety. It’s impossible to overstate the value of corporate leaders who walk the talk. Take a look at what happened when Paul O’Neill took over Alcoa and made it widely known that safety was the single most important corporate value—profits rose over 1400% over the next 13 years as employees embraced the safety-first message.
2. Get buy-in at all levels. Because most people put their families’ safety ahead of their own, find a personal safety program that applies not only to employees but extends to their families as well. A lot of times when a safety program is initiated by management,employees do not see how it benefits them personally and they will not commit to it. That’s why it’s so important to provide training that keeps them and their families safe at home and on the road where most injuries occur.
3. Communication is key. Incorporate safety into everything you do within the company. SafeStart recommends beginning each meeting with a SafeStart story. It’s also important that everyone speaks the same safety language. Using common terms that everyone recognizes will make it easier for everyone to understand and remember key safety messages.
4. Encourage community engagement. Take the children-first safety message as far as you can by creating safety educational opportunities for youth in the community. It will make kids safer and it will naturally engage their parents—and your employees—in safety when kids discuss what they learned with their family.