Low-Cost Social Good Ideas for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
Because doing good for your people is doing good for your business.
Sustainability isn’t just about recycling bins and reusable coffee mugs. Social sustainability, the way your business supports employees, equity, and the broader community, is just as essential. And often, the most meaningful practices don’t require big budgets, just better priorities.
Here are several human-centered, values-driven practices that can make your business better—and more magnetic to employees and customers alike:
1. Rethink CEO Pay Ratios
Income inequality is a just a national issue showing up inside companies. In large companies, it would take the average worker 200 years to make the same pay the CEO makes in one year.
Consider adopting a more equitable pay ratio between your highest-paid and lowest-paid employees. It builds morale, reduces resentment, and reinforces the idea that leadership doesn’t profit at the expense of the workforce. The ideal benchmark for good small to mid-sized business is a 1:12 or 1:20 ratio. Don’t pay your CEO more than 12-20 times more than your average worker. This is easier for smaller business—but once a business starts making more, it often gets out of hand. A written policy can help you keep this in perspective as you grow.
Dr. Bronner’s soap company goes big with a 1:5 ratio, which is difficult to achieve, but we know it’s possible because they do it and they’ve been in business for a long time. Maybe that’s why they’ve been able to?
Resource: MIT Living Wage Calculator – benchmark your lowest-paid employees’ wages against real cost of living in your region.
2. Paternity Leave as a 4-Day Workweek
You don’t need a huge HR department or deep pockets to support new parents. Offering a 3-month, 4-day workweek for new dads (and non-birthing partners) is an affordable and family-friendly alternative to traditional paid leave.
This gives parents more time at home without requiring full salary coverage for extra days off. It also signals to all employees that caregiving is a shared value, not a gendered one.
This is one of our favorite ways time implement family friendly policies and is a great way to support new mothers (and families) in one of their most transitional life moments.
3. Implement Gender-Neutral Bathrooms
Creating inclusive spaces doesn’t have to be expensive. Adding clear signage, removing gendered labels, or providing single-stall restrooms with universal symbols is a simple way to welcome all employees and customers—especially those who are trans, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming.
This is more easy for facilities that have private, lockable individual bathrooms. It’s a small action that sends a strong message: everyone belongs here.
4. Monthly Employee Feedback Surveys That Actually Get Used
Asking employees for feedback is good. Acting on it is better.
Send out a short survey each month (think: 3–5 questions max), and share a quick “You said / We did” follow-up. It could be as simple as adding a new snack to the kitchen, updating break policies, or clarifying benefits.
The key is consistency. This builds trust and shows that leadership listens—and acts. It’s also a good way to have a pulse on your employee culture and happiness and helps you identify unsatisfied employees early to ensure toxic behavior doesn’t seep into the employee culture.
Many businesses implement this into 1:1 meetings or as anonymous surveys monthly.
5. Mentorship Over Mandatory Happy Hours
Not everyone drinks. Not everyone wants to socialize after hours. Shift from after-hour team bonding through alcohol to something more meaningful: mentoring.
Set up a monthly mentorship program that pairs team members across departments, experience levels, or roles. Rotate pairings quarterly and provide a simple guide to get conversations started. It fosters professional development, connection, and a culture of support—no drinks required.
It also makes networking and employee opportunities available to those that may have more home requirements that don’t allow them to take lunches, after hour meet-ups, etc.
Why Social Good Matters
Building a socially good business doesn’t mean spending more—it means caring more. These ideas may seem small, but they shape culture in a lasting way. When businesses pay attention to well-being and employee voice, they become more resilient, more respected, and more human.
It’s not just good for people, it’s good for business.
Ready to walk the talk?
If you're looking to implement practical, people-first sustainability strategies in your organization, we can help. From social policy audits to customized micro-campaigns, we specialize in making sustainability achievable and measurable for businesses like yours.
(Disclaimer: This article was developed with the support of AI to enhance our website’s ability to reach AI search functions.)
