ach of our businesses tells a story. You may think your story is simply, “I have 10-by-10 climate-controlled units now available,” but there’s actually a lot more to it. Your story could be about cleanliness and convenience through well-placed technology and a well-kept property. Perhaps it’s a story of hospitality through homemade cookies in an office and a friendly property manager. Or maybe your story goes further, showing community involvement through sports sponsorships, toy drives, or charitable donations. Stories connect us with the people with whom we interact, and shaping that story can go a long way toward building goodwill with current and potential customers.

As you think about your business, what story are you telling? Is it all about self-storage, or does it go deeper? As many owners are finding out these days, customers want to know more about the heart behind a business. They are curious about where you might stand on cultural and social issues. Eighty-three percent of consumers wish more of their retailers would support the causes they care about, and many retailers are taking advantage of this trend by being more vocal about the causes that mean a lot to them. This focus on cause marketing is growing in virtually every industry, including self-storage.

So, where do you start? How do you tell your customers what you really care about? How can you avoid divisive causes that could cost you business while supporting those that can really make an impact, not just for your company but for those who benefit from the causes you support?

A simple place to start is to ask these two simple questions: What is important to you and what is important to your community? Hopefully they line up. For many of the more mainstream causes, you won’t get any pushback. Things like supporting the local high school, helping the homeless, supporting veterans, and fighting cancer are hard to argue against. The trickier part is putting the right things in place to enable your customers to see your involvement and get involved themselves. That’s where an organization like StorageGives comes into play.

StorageGives is a charitable organization within the self-storage industry. It was founded by Lonnie Bickford, the founder of StorageAuctions.com, the owner of several facilities in Louisiana and Alaska, and a man passionate about his causes. From the beginning of his self-storage journey, he wanted to create an organization that would enable self- storage owners to get involved with important causes that were making an impact around the world. He looked for organizations that would have low overhead costs, ensuring most of the donated funds went to those in need. These organizations must also benefit causes that were accepted by everyone. As this new charity began to take shape, another principle took force: 100 percent of every donation would go straight to the organizations supported by StorageGives.

Today, StorageGives provides a wonderful and effective conduit for self-storage owners to connect to their customers by highlighting causes that are important to them, thereby telling more of their story. You can find out more about the causes supported by StorageGives at StorageGives.org/causes. These causes focus on four main areas: water, children, medicine, and veterans. I think we can all agree that each of these categories deserve our attention and resonate with most people.

StorageGives has seen massive growth in the past few years as it has expanded the ways people can get involved. It started as a charitable option where storage owners could donate a portion of their auction proceeds. But now, it sees much of its donations come through events at state and national self-storage shows where big and small ticket items are auctioned to the attendees. During this past year, events at the Inside Self Storage World Expo, the Texas Big Ideas Conference, and the Tennessee and Louisiana fall conferences brought in thousands of dollars for charities like Shriners Hospitals for Children, Homes for Our Troops, Kure It, and Autism Speaks.

A recent addition to the list of causes is the Sparrow Foundation, based in Louisiana, which fights human trafficking. At the SSALA Fall Conference in Baton Rouge last year, $40,000 was raised after a moving address from its founder.

“Our attendees were moved to tears after hearing first-hand accounts of trafficking, abuse, and how Sparrow Foundation was making a difference,” commented Melissa Huff, director of the Louisiana and Tennessee Self Storage Associations. “It was so eye-opening that I decided to bring them back again for our next conference to educate us on how to spot trafficking that may be happening at our facilities and how to get involved.”

This is the strength of an organization like StorageGives. It enables every-day self-storage owners and operators to truly make a difference and get their tenants involved in worthy causes. This not only benefits the causes, but it builds good will between you, your tenants, and your communities. Did you know that when the products are the same (like your 10-by-10 and the 10-by-10 across the street), 80 percent of consumers do business with the retailer that supports the causes they support? Don’t be shy about telling this side of your story. Put out signs that talk about your support of Autism Speaks. Post on social media about your involvement with breast cancer research or Homes for Our Troops. Make a point to highlight your banner hanging in the high school football stadium. All of these bring connections, build relationships, and have an impact beyond your bottom line.

Customers today are looking for more than just a place to store their belongings—they are looking for businesses that reflect their values and contribute positively to society. By embracing cause marketing and getting involved with StorageGives, self-storage owners can elevate their business from merely a service provider to an active part of the community that helps their customers contribute in that positive way. If you aren’t telling this part of your story, it’s time to get involved, whether you donate a portion of your auction proceeds, sponsor an event, or enable your customers to donate directly.

As Huff’s testimonial highlights, the emotional and social impact of these efforts can be profound, leading to greater awareness and engagement within your community. When you tell your story through the support of veterans, the fight against human trafficking, the advancement of medical research, or the provision of clean water, you are telling a story that customers want to hear and be a part of.

So, start today by exploring the opportunities StorageGives offers. Visit StorageGives.org to learn more about the causes you can support and find inspiration in the stories of others who have made a significant difference. Together, we can transform our industry and our communities, one charitable act at a time.