Corporate charity partnerships for December 2014
Howard Lake | 11 December 2014 | News
Here is our monthly round-up of some recent corporate charity partnerships, including one-off events and ongoing or annual charity of the year partnerships.
1. ICAP global charity day
On 3 December, ICAP plc, the markets operator and provider of post trade risk mitigation and information services, held its 22nd annual global Charity Day.
For this one day, 100% of ICAP’s revenues and commissions generated globally were donated to more than 200 charities worldwide.
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Since ICAP Charity Day first took place in 1993, ICAP has raised more than £110 million for over 1,600 charities worldwide. Last year it raised £9.5 million for over 200 charitable projects.
The company says that “this equates to 3% of ICAP’s full year pre-tax profit for Full Year 2013/2014”. This year 14 of the 200 charities benefiting were based in the UK. Celebrity patrons of the charities spoke directly to ICAP’s customers on the phone to close deals, boosting trading volumes in the process.
2. Go Ape and Teenage Cancer Trust
Go Ape staff have raised £60,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. The staff devised the ‘Big Banana Relay’ to take in the 28 sites run by the forest adventure company. This consisted of a ‘Big Banana’ being transported a total of 1,823 miles across the UK with the Go Ape gorillas using the quirkiest forms of travel possible.
The relay got underway at Leeds Castle in June and the ‘Big Banana’ travelled to each of the Go Ape UK sites finishing up in Trent Park at the end of October.
3. Wyevale Garden Centres and Marie Curie
A number of fundraising activities will take place across each of the newly re-branded Wyevale Garden Centre group’s 143 garden centres as part of its ‘Gardens for Good’ community programme, which recognises the benefits that gardens and gardening can bring to individuals and local communities.
Every garden centre will display a special Christmas Memory tree which customers can decorate with gold stars personalised with the name or memory of a loved one in return for a donation.
Each garden centre is also encouraging staff and customers to bring in their unwanted items to donate to Marie Curie Shops, up until 12 December.
A Christmas raffle, and branded Marie Curie products will also add to the total sum raised.
4. wagamama and UK Youth
Restaurant group wagamama is aiming to raise £20,000 for UK Youth in a festive campaign.
The campaign called ‘wish upon a wagamama star’ encourages people to make selfless wishes for friends and family. wagamama will grant one wish every day in the lead up to Christmas with each wish made via Twitter or Instagram,
wagamama had conducted research about charitable giving during the festive period amongst its customers in London and reported that:
- 59% of people in London feel more inclined to give to charitable causes
- 70% of London residents would prefer to give a gift that would help others over material goods for themselves
5. Nabarro and Carers Trust
London employees from international law firm Nabarro LLP have chosen to support Carers Trust as their Charity of the Year 2015. The money raised will help Carers Trust update its interactive online services in order to better inform and support unpaid carers.
As well as taking part in many fundraising activities including quizzes, book sales, bake-offs and the annual ‘Battle of the Bands’ event, Nabarro’s employees will also be participating in various volunteering opportunities for Carers Trust, such as skills sharing, mentoring and offering an extra pair of hands at local carers services.
6. Kumon Educational UK and National Literacy Trust
Kumon Educational UK has raised over £19,000 for their corporate social responsibility partner, the National Literacy Trust, at the end of their first year in partnership.
Funds were raised through a variety of events across the year, each with a literacy theme; Kumon Associates took part in a Where’s Wally Fun Run, participated in a World Book Day Book Swap, baked for a Great Literacy Bake Off, dressed up for Fang-tastic Friday and took part in a Terror-ific Pumpkin carving contest.
The company also sponsored a Mary Poppins themed BookBench, which formed part of a path of similar benches lining the streets of London, as part of the National Literacy Trust and Wild in Art’s Books about Town initiative. The BookBench was later auctioned off for £5,000.
- Wagamama announces its first charity partnership (7 December 2012)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.