The support of our corporate partners and their employees is vital in enabling us to take the steps we need to get closer to achieving our mission.
But what are the most important things that can elevate a charity partnership and make it even more successful?
AEGIS is an engineering company in the Ikos Consulting group operating in the railway sector. They had supported SolarAid for a number of years, but felt that as an organisation which cares about sustainability and innovation, they could make an even greater impact by inspiring staff and their networks to join together through our partnership. Development Director Chris Hoare, the driving force behind AEGIS’s activity with us, tells us how it became a success.
“We’ve raised money at Christmas for several years by getting people to buy SolarAid’s solar lamps as Christmas presents, we even ordered SolarAid’s Light in a Box to give to attendees at an event – they make a great and impactful thank you gift for clients and contacts – but we wanted to do a bit more. So, we made SolarAid the focus of our charitable giving, set ourselves a target of £12,000 over a 12-month period – and we smashed it!”
This proves that a successful charity partnership doesn’t rely on one stream of activity alone. Through promoting our cause and being an inspiring voice for SolarAid at AEGIS, Chris was able to rally support from his company, colleagues and networks in a variety of ways, also leveraging support from networks and other organisations. Through securing a charitable grant, AEGIS got a fantastic boost towards their fundraising target, and at the same time helped SolarAid raise vital awareness with a wider audience.
“The company committed to donate half the target amount, with the rest to be raised by the people in the company through events, personal giving, and grants. We did cake sales and sponsored runs, people donated prizes that they won in company competitions. We had a nice line in re-purposing retired company laptops for staff to take away in return for a donation to our fund. One colleague was clearing out a flat and everything he offloaded generated more donations.
We also received an important grant donation from a charitable grant-giving organisation – tapping up our networks to bring that one in!”
Pledging a contribution towards a fundraising target, or matching staff fundraising efforts are great ways for companies to motivate employees to take part in activities, contributing to the feeling of making an even greater impact. Through providing a variety of ways for staff to contribute, getting involved becomes accessible to everyone, no matter their interest, abilities or location.
Through giving old office equipment and personal items a second life, circularity is brought into fundraising, becoming a great example of holistic, sustainable thinking.
“In the end we raised £12,740 – 105% of our target. A great joint effort from so many people in the company and the company itself – living up to our ‘We Care’ core value. Being awarded a ‘Top 1% of Fundraisers’ badge by Just Giving was a nice touch too!
Of course the main beneficiaries of this campaign are the people in Malawi and Zambia whose lives will be so improved by the work that SolarAid is able to do with our donations, but the benefits to individuals and the company from being involved and giving freely and generously cannot be overstated,” Chris told us.
Creative and engaged corporate partnerships, like the one with AEGIS, are crucial for SolarAid to continue to bring safe, clean affordable light and power to communities no one else is reaching. At the same time, they help motivate staff and bring teams together in support of a cause which aligns with the company values, helping companies and individuals to contribute to a better future for people and the planet.
There are lots of creative ways companies and employees can raise funds and spread awareness of SolarAid’s work, including the following ideas:
- Give our Light in a Box as a corporate gift and share the power of light with your clients
- Match the fundraising efforts of employees or pledge a company donation towards their target – a great incentive to increase motivation
- Encourage staff to make a regular monthly donation or payroll giving gift – all donations will be matched for the first six months, thanks to a generous SolarAid donor, meaning their donations will be doubled
- Create a variety of fundraising activities both virtual and in person so that everyone can take part
- Share SolarAid’s mission with clients, networks and the wider company through your internal and external comms channels and website, and encourage everyone’s support
If you would like to know more about how your company can get involved and support SolarAid, contact [email protected].