Should businesses partner with charities? Do charities want business support? Is there bottom line value to backing charities? At ActionFunder we say yes, yes, and yes. But what do others have to say? We turned to a panel of experts to discuss what charities want right now and whether businesses are best placed to provide it.
We spoke with:
- Charlotte Hill OBE: CEO at the Felix Project, a charity fighting food waste and food poverty by redistributes surplus food from major businesses into charities.
- Michelle Levi: Social Value Lead at Jacobs, a global business that provides consultancy and infrastructure for the construction sector.
- Chris Dooley: Head of Social Impact at JCDecaux, the global industry leader in outdoor advertising
Watch the event, hosted in partnership with Responsible Futures at this link or dive into the highlights below.
Our communities face acute challenges
Demand is incredibly high, higher than it was during the pandemic. It is incredibly challenging for people out there and for the community organisations that are trying to serve them.
- Charlotte Hill
Businesses are under pressure too
There’s a lot of uncertainty and pressure on budget which means we need to be more creative and imaginative about how we build partnerships that are genuinely valuable and worthwhile and productive for the charities that we support.
- Chris Dooley
As we saw in the 2008/9 recession, there’s more of a focus on the additional value that businesses are going to bring to communities and contracts.
- Michelle Levi
Partnering with charities boosts employee retention
The concept of a job for life doesn’t exist anymore and we’ll see more and more employees vote with their feet if we don’t step up and act responsibly… The generation coming through wants to work for a responsible employer and we can’t ignore that. So, how we give back to society is a big focus for us on our talent attraction.
- Michelle Levi
Partnering with charities boosts contracts
At Jacobs we’re seeing a 500% increase in the social value questions we’re getting asked at bid stage. And we have to get into a position where we can deliver against those commitments. Part of doing that is working with local charities.
- Michelle Levi
We have a business built on partnerships, largely with public bodies, and we’re seeing increased pressure on the social value commitments that we’re able to bring to the table.
- Chris Dooley
Effective impact is sustainable impact
Effective charity partnerships should consist of long term shared vision; something that’s going to bring positive outcome, real change, and most importantly that they’re mutually beneficial.
- Michelle Levi
Conclusion
This expert panel spoke loud and clear: a true partnership should add value for all involved and when businesses partner with charities the mutual value is substantial.
So, what’s stopping you from working with local charities? They need support, they’ll deliver value to your business, and they’re best placed to deliver impact on the ground. To find the charities on your doorstep sign up to ActionFunder and create a profile. It’s free, it’s quick, it’s impactful.