An increasing number of ACF employer and community partners saw Christmas as a time to demonstrate their commitment to workplace giving to drive employee engagement and make a difference where they could.
ACF saw a spike in alternative Kris Kringle initiatives and growing numbers of employer and community partners leveraging the cost effectiveness of technology, with more sending Christmas e-cards to internal and external stakeholders and donating the funds saved from printing and postage to charity.
While employees have until the end of January to join its workplace giving program, Australia Post's Christmas initiative has increased participation by over three percent. Under the shade of its HQ Christmas tree, Santa handed out pledge forms and chocolate Santas. A nearby sign-up table and post box made it easy to convert employees with those choosing to sign-up on the spot given a Keep Cup coffee cup. Promotion through its internal magazine, pay-slip inserts and an intranet banner supported the campaign.
While CSL Ltd has made contributions to charities through the use of e-cards for a number of years, corporate responsibility associate Patrick Castauro said the launch of its workplace giving program meant CSL were able to nominate charities that matter most to staff. Last year Redkite was the beneficiary and this year CSL chose Lort Smith, who received approximately $1,350.00 as a result of e-cards being sent out.
Castauro said the use of e-cards also supports CSL efforts to minimise its impact on the natural environment.
2010 was the third year Integral Energy has supported its community partners at Christmas. To enable all offices to make a difference in their local communities, Integral Energy stakeholder and community partnership manager Kandice Wright said its Christmas present drive included online donations or gifts of toys or food for the Salvation Army, Barnardos and RSPCA within each area.
This initiative is promoted to all employees and is in addition to its year round matching of employee donations dollar for dollar.
Each Christmas, Integral also selects a different workplace giving charity to support with an additional $5,000 donation and profile in its corporate Christmas card. In 2010, Lifeline Australia was chosen to help with seasonal demand from those in need of support. 'One of the great advantages of workplace giving is it gives us the foundation of a regular and steady income stream allowing us to forecast and plan. Low cost fundraising, it also enables us to develop a broader relationship with our employer partners and donors'Â said Lifeline Australia general manager fundraising marketing & media Brendan Maher.
To enable all offices to make a difference in their local communities, Integral Energy stakeholder and community partnership manager corporate and government affairs Kandice Wright said its Christmas present drive included online donations or gifts of toys or food for the Salvation Army and RSPCA within each area.
Popular with staff, Kandice said different charities are chosen each year to ensure employees can spread the Christmas joy.
Veda Advantage took a different approach double-matching workplace giving donations during December. The organisation saw a significant increase in donations, with final results to be tallied at the end of this month.
A new initiative for the Cure Cancer Foundation, its Cure Kringle campaign invited donors to support its young researchers find a cure for cancer by making a meaningful donation instead of buying a novelty item. While the response was small versus traditional fundraising channels, Cure Cancer Foundation's fundraising and communications manager Lorraine McNuff said the learning was valuable and its an area where they expect to see growth in future years.
The Australian Charities Fund and United Way have made a joint submission in response to the Commonwealth Treasury's discussion paper, 'Charitable fundraising regulation reform'.
