IQ-Magazine-Issue-14

IQ CSR
Charitable Giving
In Cambridgeshire
Emily Dawson, of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of
Commerce, discusses charitable giving in the county
Unless you run your business with a particularly
altruistic philosophy, it is unlikely that your first
concern, when you’re faced with the latest accounts,
is how you’re going to transfer your profit line to local
good causes.
Assuming you’re not a charity or not-for-profit
organisation, I doubt it will ever be your
primary concern, but that’s not to say
that charitable giving isn’t rising up on the
agenda.
Perhaps uncertainties in the economy
have led companies to become more
community-minded in their approach,
as evidence shows that charitable giving
by FTSE100 companies doubled to
£1.2billion between 2007-2012. On a
more local scale, the Cambridgeshire
Community Foundation has experienced
an even greater increase as it continues to
distribute funds on behalf of individuals,
companies, grant schemes and other
charities who all want to see money
channelled into valuable, local
projects.
The organisation received almost £3
million in contributions during the year
to March 2014, up an incredible 68% on the
previous year. Those contributions enabled the
organisation to create or maintain 43 charitable
funds, supporting 224 local voluntary groups during
the year.
It’s great news for both the charities and the
communities they serve, as well as the individuals and
companies making the donations. Research conducted
by the Charitable Aid Foundation has previously
shown that over half of people surveyed would be
more inclined to buy a product or service from a
company that donates
to charity. If your target
demographic includes
18–24 year olds,
you might be
interested to
know that
that figure jumped
notably higher in
this group.
It’s clear that
charitable giving is about more than just
encouraging staff to dress up or bake cakes
on Red Nose Day, especially at a time when
employee engagement is crucial to retaining
the best staff and recruiting the most promising
talent. Partnerships with local charities
generate opportunities for the whole team to
work together to achieve a common goal, and
any positive publicity should be considered
secondary. Whether you offer employees time
off to complete charitable activities, or offer to
match the proceeds of a fundraising activity, it’s more
beneficial to view this as an opportunity to ensure that
your employees feel supported and recognised for
their efforts outside work.
If you value your company’s reputation as a great
place to work, as somewhere that’s integral to the local
community, and somewhere that supports staff and shares
their passion for the issues that really matter to them, it’s
then that charitable giving is a great place to start.
Charitable giving
by FTSE100
companies doubled
to £1.2billion
between 2007-2012
More Information
To find out more about the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce
www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk
issue 14 | page 45