I think there’s a real eagerness to wrap up the year 2020 and move into 2021 with a positive attitude – what better way to do that than by celebrating some fantastic client wins!  Congratulations to Westpac Group, Sydney Water, Bain & Company and Energy Australia who are all finalists in this year’s Workplace Giving Excellence Awards. We’ve been thrilled to work closely with you supporting your workplace giving goals and are delighted that you’ve been recognised in this way.  Best of luck on 25 November when the winners will be announced!

We’re also celebrating a year of extraordinary generosity from our donors and clients, made even more significant by the challenges 2019/2020 presented us all.  Our Annual Review showcases  this unprecedented increase in donations, which meant we facilitated distribute $27.7 million to charities last financial year.

The need for continued giving is top of mind as we head into the Australian Summer, aware that it was this time last year the Bushfires Crisis started to escalate. As so many individuals and communities still struggle to recover, it is important that the due diligence of the key fundraising charities during this traumatic time has been endorsed, with the ACNC finding they acted “legally and responsibly”. We understand the need donors have for complete transparency to have confidence that funds are going to charities as intended. In fact, I was interviewed by a number of media outlets during the Bushfires Crisis supporting how charities distribute funds to communities in times of crisis, reinforcing the complexity of the matter.

Core to our service, and our mission, is engaging with causes and communities in need. Setting up Appeals on our Workplace Giving Platform is fast and easy, and I encourage you to take a look at your giving priorities and consider setting up an Appeal now, particularly with Christmas around the corner.  As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 global pandemic, charities that support those experiencing financial and personal hardship will be in demand this festive season – think about how you can support them. Corporates may want to consider enhanced matching, providing an increased incentive for their employees to engage with corporate giving and its huge value to society. And for donors, remember any donation made outside of our Workplace Giving Platform could be eligible for Post Tax Matching.

And if you’re looking for further ways to add a new dimension to your giving, find out more about our Volunteering Solutions. We’re delighted that many of our clients have taken up this free offering so their staff can volunteer easily. To find out more about how volunteering and donations are connected, join myself and Victor Lee, Comuniteer CEO for an online event at the end of the month.

I hope you enjoy our newsletter this month.

Lisa Grinham Chief Executive Officer Email LinkedIn