Company heads say businesses should do more for charities and communities
Businesses may be set to give more support to charities and communities according to a new survey released on December 7 by the Charities Aid Foundation with 100 heads of medium and large companies. The majority (82%) agree that companies should do more for charities and communities and 77% of those surveyed think that community investment is an area of increasing importance for industry as a whole. All those surveyed run companies that operate a community investment programme and despite a feeling that they should do more the vast majority (91%) said that current corporate contribution to society is undervalued by the public. Asked what they felt CSR and CI professionals could do to develop community investment the majority said engage employees more effectively and focus on local communities rather than national ones. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents said that government has a role to play in encouraging companies to increase their community investment, whilst only one fifth think government is doing enough.
Fundraising challenge defies economic doom and gloom to raise £7.7 million
A fundraising challenge, launched by The Big Give, has exceeded expectations during the economic downturn to raise £7.7 million for charity, in a single working week. This year, The Big Give’s Matching Challenge raised three times more than the £2 million it raised in 2008, giving a much needed boost to the 175 charities involved. The Matching Challenge is achieved by creating a matched fund generated through a combination of trustees, major donors and the charitable Reed Foundation – which was then used to double donations via its website, www.thebiggive.org.uk , between 7th and 11th December. Charities set to benefit from the world’s largest ever online matched charity fund include the Prince’s Trust, the National Trust and the WWF.
Levi Strauss encourages consumers to know their HIV status
Levi Strauss & Co. continued more than 25 years of leadership on HIV/AIDS by commemorating World AIDS Day 2009 with support from artists around the world. The company launched a global web site that spotlights work of global artists’ interpretation of World AIDS Day and encourages consumers to ‘know your status’ in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Levi Strauss Foundation also announced $2 million in grants in 2009 for organizations engaging in groundbreaking work on the pandemic.
A new solution developed by IBM, Novartis and Vodafone with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, is aiming to save lives using everyday technology to improve the availability of anti-malarial drugs in remote areas of Tanzania. Called ‘SMS for Life’, the initiative uses a combination of mobile phones, SMS technologies and websites to track and manage the supply of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) drugs and Quinine injectables, both of which are key to reducing the number of deaths from malaria. IBM announced in a press release on December 14 that the concept of using text messaging to improve stock management of medicines was developed by the pharmaceutical company, Novartis, and a team of international students taking part in the IBM’s internship programme, Extreme Blue.
SABMiller is stepping up its efforts to fight AIDS in Africa by provide education, VCT (voluntary counselling and testing) and access to treatment for employees, their dependents and the wider supply chain and communities in which the company operates.
SABMiller’s flagship programme is in Uganda, where 94% of the company’s HIV+ employees are on managed healthcare programmes along with 64% of spouses. Having made an impact in the brewery and immediate community, the programme was rolled out to smallholder farmers, truckers and waitresses in the supply chain. So far 248 truck drivers have been trained in HIV awareness and prevention, and given access to VCT. To date, 200 farmers have been trained as peer educators and given bicycles to give them access to their fellow farmers. They have in turn spread the word to nearly 4,000 farmers.
Santander launched a new charity scheme on January 11, to celebrate the rebrand of Abbey and Bradford & Bingley to Santander, which will see £250,000 donated to local charities. The organisation is asking its UK customers to decide which charity is to benefit in their local area. The Community Chest scheme will allow customers to support local charities by voting every time they visit their branch. It is hoped that it will strengthen relationships in the communities in which Santander branches are located to raise the profile of the organisations making a difference in their area.
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