About Work for Good
Work for Good is a social enterprise on a mission to unleash the giving power of the business world. Business giving currently represents a meagre 2% of UK charity income. We want to change that by making business giving easy and good for business, and create a major new source of funding for good causes. Our online platform enables businesses to build giving into their day to day work. Work for Good is the smarter way for businesses to give to the causes they care about.
Charitable giving boosts SMEs bottom line – Yet 1 in 4 SMEs are not interested in giving to charity and only 20% give regularly.
New research has shown that the more SMEs give to charity, the better their business performs. On average, SMEs give 1.8% of their turnover, equivalent to £32,000 a year. SMEs that give more than 0.5% turnover are 20% more likely to see an increase in profits, twice as likely to report benefits to company reputation, and almost 50% more likely to improve recruitment and staff retention. Overall, 67% of businesses who give to charity reported a positive impact on profitability.
Unfortunately, not all SMEs are aware of the benefits, with 1 in 3 SMEs (30%) avoiding charitable giving because they fail to see any benefit. But, there is hope – 44% of SMEs would give more if they saw a direct benefit.
The research marks the launch of a new giving platform, Work for Good, which enables businesses to give to good causes in a way that’s good for business too.
In our changing world there is greater expectation from consumers and customers for businesses to make a difference, not just make a profit. This purpose-led approach to business is increasingly important and Work for Good empowers businesses to give to grow – a third (37%) of SMEs claim that charitable giving has helped to attract new clients.
Sir Harvey McGrath, Chair of Big Society Capital comments: “Businesses can no longer afford to ignore the importance of giving back, and Work for Good is a great way to help them do it.”
Ben Davies, Managing Director, The Web Kitchen says: “We like how Work for Good helps us tell our giving story, to inspire and engage others. Whether that’s to motivate our people who appreciate working for a company with soul, or starting interesting new conversations with customers who may be that bit more loyal as a result.”
Helen Mabberley, Head of Fundraising at Malaria No More UK commented, “Securing corporate support can be very difficult. Work for Good’s magic lies in their ability to bring us interest we wouldn’t otherwise find, freeing up more of our time to focus on the fight against malaria.”
Work for Good also provides the solution for businesses faced with complicated Commercial Participation Agreements (CPAs), as required by the Charities Acts to set out an agreed partnership between business and charity.
Danny Witter, CEO and Co-Founder, Work for Good comments: “Our platform is a catalyst for more businesses to make a real and tangible change in the world. Today clients, suppliers, customers and employees now expect the brands and businesses they engage with to do more. Those that do will prosper. The Work for Good platform helps businesses of all shapes and sizes to give whilst growing their business.”
Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever comments: “Work for Good are an amazing team and I truly admire what they are doing. Real leadership is to put the interest of others ahead of your own.”
Brett Akker, Entrepreneur, Founder of LoveSpace and Streetcar said: “Business giving makes a real difference to society, and Work for Good makes sure giving is good for business too.”
Harriet Colley, Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser, Evelina London Children’s Hospital said, “We’re delighted that the story of Work for Good started right here at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, helping us raise much needed funds to provide life-changing care to some of London’s sickest children.”
For more information on Work for Good, or to sign up, visit www.workforgood.co.uk