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Author: Philip Webb

Investors In Community Newsletter – Issue Two

Posted on by Philip Webb

IIC Platform See Increase in Charitable Giving in 2021.

Whilst 2021 has seen the continuation of the pandemic, the need to give back is stronger than ever. Whether local businesses are helping to support people with disabilities or donating laptops for home schooling children, there’s nothing quite like knowing your small act of kindness can have a positive impact on the world.

Many more businesses are recognising the value of giving back and Investors In Community, a digital platform which enables businesses to connect with charitable projects in their area and measure the impact of their Corporate Social Responsibility activities, has seen an encouraging start to 2021 as donations via the platform have grown by 18 per cent.

“Businesses have responded to charities in crisis by offering various kinds of support including volunteering and donating gifts in kind, and this is continuing. Those still looking for support locally include SCCCC’s, who are looking for people to keep in touch with our local older population. Mums in Need is appealing for old tech donations and we are hosting four fundraisers for Support Dogs’ Charity Abseil in May.” said Lisa Newton of IIC

“We also helped to make a success of Liniar’s Easter Egg project – collecting donations to support Derbyshire WISH, a supported housing project which provides emergency short term refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence.”

Get Your Tickets to the IIC & VNXD Event!

Now is the time to talk in a little more detail about Social Value through some peer-to-peer group sessions.

Who’s Speaking:

1. Supply chain transparency & social value – Louise Richardson

2. Empowering purpose-driven staff – Philip Webb

3. The challenge of measuring social value – Lisa Newton

4. Leading a team post-COVID – Dave Clarkson

5. How to market your purpose-driven business – Johnny Pawlik

6. How do I get a return on human social value – Richard Collins

Book your place now!

We’ve also seen success in our company growth after welcoming five new Ambassadors to the IIC team including; Johnny Pawlik, Chris Arnold, Jeremy Taylor, Valentina Hynes & Ian Straw.

How To Make Giving a Habit.

  • Make It Easy – it’s important when trying to create a habit to make it easy. Using online giving platforms like ours ensures that donating regularly is as hassle free as possible.
  • Find What You Care About – take a moment to write out a purpose statement, ask yourself what motivates you and what are you interested in. If you love animals, perhaps a wildlife sanctuary is the charity for you. If you’re passionate about helping kids stay active and have access to sports equipment then maybe look into your local community sports clubs and donate to them. Find what interests you and then start from there.

  • Focus On The Reward – “habits are reinforced by rewards, and the good feeling of helping others is a huge reward.” Make sure you can see the impact of your donation, you can do this by following your chosen charity on social media or getting in touch to discuss what each donation enables your chosen charity to do.

Small Donations Can Make a Difference – ‘small actions x lots of people = big change’ any donation is appreciated, by donating whatever you can to your chosen charity, your small contribution is going to make a huge difference in the long term.

  • Don’t Just Donate Money – giving back doesn’t always have to be donating money, on Investors In Community, we facilitate the 5 forms of giving; funds, volunteering, skilled volunteering, pro bono & gifts. So if you’d prefer to donate your time, or even gifts, it’s so easy to get involved!
  • Start Small – any donation is appreciated no matter how small, If you’re worried about how you’re going to add giving to your routine (especially during a pandemic) make the decision to donate £5 each month. Soon it will become an exciting routine of picking a charity or cause you want to help and you’ll see the impact so often that each month you will find yourself wanting to donate more and more!

A Word From Our Ambassador, Stuart St V Fitzgerald:

“For me, the opportunity to volunteer with Investors in Community as its first global Ambassador, covering the NW of England in June 2020, was a total no-brainer.”

Investors in Community offers a way for every family, street, neighbourhood, community and council area to not only track but direct and manage the full engagement of businesses, employers across all sectors, their employees and the resultant investment of donated time, funds, gifts, skills and voluntary efforts into charities and community organisations which in the end delivers the true social impacts a civilised society needs to realise and from which its people can benefit. 

It’s been a privilege and an honour to be so involved in the development not only of the platform but also the design of the imperative business cases that can be used to bring local; authorities, employers and citizens on this crucial journey as we create a really game-changing social movement.”

A Word from a Business On IIC, East Midlands Chamber & Lucy Robinson:

Director of Resources Lucy Robinson commented: “We were attracted to the platform initially due to its innovative use of bringing businesses & charities together. We particularly loved how easy the platform made giving back in our community and we’re very excited to use IIC more in the near future for our own fundraisers.”

EMC are the leading business representation organisation in the East Midlands region, the voice for business and the 2018 British Chambers of Commerce Chamber of the Year.

With a growing membership of more than 4,300 businesses –  start up to scale up, local to global – the Chamber is renowned across the region for enhancing Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire businesses and communities.

The Chamber’s activity is so diverse and multifaceted that thousands of businesses from across the East Midlands and beyond put trust in the Chamber to help their businesses flourish and grow – irrespective of size or sector.

5 Simple Steps For Accessible Social Media – From Sense on The IIC Platform:

“Making social media more inclusive is easier than you think. Small changes can make a big difference for blind and/or deaf people interacting with your posts!

In this quick 5-step guide, we’ll help you understand how people with visual or hearing impairments use social media, and what you can do so that your posts are accessible.”

Sense recently launched their ‘Left Out Of Life’ campaign aimed at tackling social isolation and loneliness amongst disabled people.

“Loneliness has increased by a quarter over the last year, with nearly two thirds (61%) of disabled people feeling lonely always or often, rising to 7 in 10 (70%) of young disabled people.”

If you’d like to support this terrific cause, please sign their pledge and play your part in making society more inclusive.

We thought we would share some amazing charities with you as well!

Share My Telly Job

Thier mission is to promote a practical solution to hiring and crucially, retaining, experienced industry talent. They are advocating job-sharing to help all freelancers achieve a better work-life balance and continue to thrive in an industry they have dedicated their working lives to. If you’re interested in helping this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.

The Peter Pan Centre

There is no statutory support for pre-school education for disabled children, yet research shows that providing effective early help is the best way to improve their lives and life outcomes. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Weddy Friends

Weddy Friends are the PTA of Weddington Primary School, a group of parent and teacher volunteers who raise funds and put on events for the benefit of the children and parents. If you’d like to support this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.

Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People

Since 1994 they’ve opened their doors and hearts to children and the people who love them most. And now more than ever, they need your help to keep on bringing care and happiness to children and families. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Skiggle

 The only disability charity of its kind in the UK dedicated to helping people with disabilities when they need it most. Skiggle facilitates and filters each request out to members within the closest geographical area to the SOS in the hope that someone can provide help from their own surplus supply of disability care products. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

SAYiT

SAYiT’s Vision – To create an environment that supports the sexual and emotional well being of young people and empowers LGBT+ young people and those affected by HIV to transform their own lives and that of their peers. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Wild Futures

Wild Futures is a registered charity founded upon five decades of experience as a leader in the field of primate welfare and conservation, environmental education and sustainable practice. They are committed to protecting primates and habitats worldwide, with the protection of non-human primates at the forefront of their work. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Carlisle Youth Zone

Carlisle youth zone is a modern take on the Traditional youth club, with state-of-the-art facilities. It’s a safe and fun place where the potential of young people aged 7-18 (or up to 25 needing additional support) is developed and fulfilled. If you’re interested in helping this brilliant organisation, please follow this link.

Pursuit of Happiness

They are a not for profit organisation and here to make a difference for the black community. They are a Kirklees based organisation called ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ they have an ambition of making Huddersfield a more harmonious place in which the black community can thrive in. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation please follow this link.

We’re looking forward to the future of the platform and the future of giving with Investors In Community.

Tips and Tricks for Charities To Create A Great Project On IIC

Posted on by Philip Webb

Tip 1. Make your project relevant to COVID-19.

At the moment people are more inclined to donate to Projects Relevant To Coronavirus, it’s something that affects all of us so it’s very easy to relate to and find sympathy for peoples needs, so make sure you relate fundraisers and volunteering opportunities to this. This could be home working IT equipment, shopping for neighbours, asking for admin volunteers who can work from home or even adopting/fostering an animal whilst we’re all stuck at home!

Tip 2. Have realistic goals.

We find all too often that if someone sees a project on our platform that needs over £10,000 it seems far too unrealistic, we suggest advertising for small pots of money needed, £500-£1,000 sounds far more achievable than £10,000 therefore, people are more likely to donate as it provides a sense of accomplishment to see something completed that you have helped. It also feels far more useful to donate £20 to a project of £200 than to donate £20 to a project that needs £5,000.

Tip 3. Advertise on your social media.

IIC will happily advertise your projects and show them off to as many people as possible but it helps enormously if there are multiple different sources advertising the project, you also have dedicated followers on your socials who are more likely to donate through a link you post as it’s far more trustworthy and feels more personalised for them.

Tip 4. Give your project a purpose, not only to keep the charity running.

Whilst funds to keep daily charity needs running are vital right now people are more inclined to donate to something when they know what exactly their money will be used for, we suggest saying that £5 will get you this, £10 will get you this etc. It’s good to be able to see what your donation will do, you should also post on your socials about thanking people for donations, it feels good to be appreciated so make sure your donors know you appreciate them.

Tip 5. Appeal to people & businesses you already know.

This also goes hand in hand with social posts, your followers tend to be the people most dedicated to your charity and will be More Inclined To Help if they see you need it, this can be done through phone calls, emails, letters etc to all your contacts.

Tip 6. Set a minimum goal of £1.

Be sure to set your minimum goal as £1 on the IIC Platform, this means even if a project is not fully completed you can still get what is remaining of the donations. If you don’t remember to do this you could lose the donations you have if your project completes and you don’t have enough funds!

Also, remember that whilst it’s hard right now, this will all be over soon and everything is going to be okay!

5 Amazing Examples of Kindness Through The Covid-19 Pandemic.

Posted on by Philip Webb
  1. Some Good News with John Krasinski.

 

“No matter how bad life may seem, you can always find some good news to smile about.”

In March 2020, John Krasinski reminded the world to find the good news. Asking his twitter audience to share wholesome stories from around the world, he received an influx of positive stories, and he shared this with the world for free on his YouTube series. He hosted graduation ceremonies, a virtual prom and even married two of his fans in an Office themed virtual wedding.

This series also helped many charities as well, John announced that PepsiCo would be donating $3 million to his Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. He also donated all proceeds from his SGN merchandise and put time and effort into uplifting the spirits of as many people as possible across the world.

 

  1. Joe Wicks Free Work Out.

 

Throughout the lockdown, Joe hosted live fitness sessions aimed at kids on his YouTube channel as a way to replace their missed P.E lessons, every weekday at 9am, to help little one’s stay active while the UK and many other countries schools are were closing.

Joe raised over £580,000 for the NHS with his free P.E sessions and helped raise the spirits of children, not only in the UK but worldwide.

 

  1. Casa Hotel offering Free Rooms For NHS Workers.

 

The owner of Casa Hotel generously offered a free night’s stay for Chesterfield’s frontline NHS workers who are dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. Each frontline NHS worker has access to a mini bar, a hot meal and breakfast. Mr Perez (Casa Hotel owner) said: “Our NHS staff are doing an exceptional job during these unprecedented times. We’ve all got to try and do our bit to help wherever we can. I’ve got a big hotel which obviously isn’t open to members of the public right now so I wanted to use it to help treat NHS workers in Chesterfield.”

This unbelievably generous offer was an inspiration to businesses across the UK and a glimmer of hope in an otherwise difficult time.

 

  1. Marcus Rashford raising money for FareShare

 

“Since March 2020, Marcus has: Helped raise enough money to enable FareShare to distribute the equivalent of over 21 million meals for children and families who might not otherwise eat.” – FareShare

Marcus’ tireless efforts meant that the Child Food Poverty Taskforce was launched which continues to spread awareness of child hunger in the UK. He also created the #MakeTheUTurn campaign which meant 1.3 million children had access to food throughout the pandemic. His work has been an inspiration to many and has saved countless children from going hungry.

 

5. All the incredible NHS heroes and key workers.

What else can we say other than: Thank you for everything, NHS.

 

Lastly, we can’t forget the charities who worked tirelessly to ensure the people they support were not forgotten. Lets not forget to show our support to these wonderful organisations, why not kick off your acts of kindness for the day by donating?

 

Get involved with acts of kindness yourself:

  1. Arrange a virtual catch up with someone you know.
  2. Send someone special a small gift.
  3. Call an old friend.
  4. Remember to tell loved ones that you appreciate them.
  5. Cook for your household.
  6. Don’t underestimate the importance of a clean house.
  7. Jump onto Netflix party and watch a film with family and friends.
  8. Be thankful.
  9. Help neighbours with dog walking.
  10. Lend your ear, charities like Sense are asking for virtual buddies during the pandemic.
  11. If you miss your colleagues, arrange a virtual lunch.
  12. Share sensibly, fake news spreads a lot, remember to check everything you share is legitimate, so you aren’t spreading rumours!
  13. Support your neighbourhood.
  14. Donate to foodbanks.
  15. Donate to charity.
  16. Write a letter to isolated people.
  17. Socially distanced litter picking.
  18. Do your own virtual pub quiz.
  19. Send those who have birthdays in lockdown a quick message, so they know you’re thinking of them.
  20. Take time for yourself, being kind is not only for other people.

Sense & Investors In Community Work Together to Create Positive Impact.

Posted on by Philip Webb

Investors In Community and Sense Charity are working together to promote the understanding of what it’s like to be deaf and blind from birth, the complex needs that each individual has and the battles each day just to live a fulfilling life.

 

‘For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind’ – Sense is here to help people communicate and experience the world. They believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.

 

The essence of Investors In Community is to create a movement for good.

 

This movement seeks to connect all of those in our society: businesses and individuals, with charities, community groups and not for profit organisations.

 

Our platform is utterly free for all charities and constituted community groups, so any money that you donate goes directly to the charity – no middleman taking a cut! You yourself can also sign up to the platform and engage with other charities or even set up your own project that you feel passionate about whilst earning community credits that showcase all the support and donations that you have given.

 

We are the only platform to unify the five ways of giving, so if you feel you can donate some of your time or a gift in kind instead of money then you can provide much needed support at Rotherham Sense.

 

We would love to explore what we could do together and work with you and your team to support Sense and enable those affected to lead a more fulfilling life.

 

If you’re interested, lets arrange a time to talk and share ideas: zoey.purdy@investorsincommunity.org

 

Learn more about Investors In Community.

20 Lockdown Fundraising Ideas

Posted on by Philip Webb

These past few months have made fundraising very difficult but now is the time charities need us more than ever! We have put together a list of some of the best ideas we’ve come across and we hope these provide some good inspiration for your next lockdown fundraisers.

  • Donate your commute.

Donate all the petrol money you’ve saved or even half every month, by now you will have saved 3 months worth of petrol money, maybe consider donating alternate months! Whatever works for you.

  • Bingo Night.

This is great to do with friends or employees! A Charity Bingo Night is “one of the most effective and fun ways to raise funds for your organisation or cause”.

  • Raffle.

“A Charity Raffle can be an extremely successful fundraising method, raising high profits and supporter engagement. Setting up and running a charity raffle is low-cost, especially when prizes have been donated”.

  • Virtual bucket collector. 

We have a few Charities Doing This On Our Platform you essentially post a small £100 target project and ask people to donate their petty change just as they would for a bucket collection.

  • Round up money.

Online shopping a lot recently? Do you find due to the sales a lot of your purchases end in odd pennies? Round up those pennies to the nearest pound and donate, you may not think this will be a lot but if everyone did this, imagine how much good it would do.

  • Donate whatever you’re not spending money on.

Is there something you regularly buy? A morning coffee or your regular sandwich at lunch? Donate those few pounds to a charity or good cause, to you it may be £1+ but if everyone did this the results would be incredible.

  • Home challenges.

Bake, create an obstacle course, paint a rainbow make this a competition between employees or friends and all vote for the best, ask for £1 per entry and whoever wins gets to donate the money to the charity of their choice.

  • Do something crazy with your hair.

Thinking of shaving it all off? Why not ask people to send in suggestions and pay money to have you do it, such as giving yourself a mohawk and taking a picture to send to the work or family group chat, this will be a funny fundraiser for sure!

  • Virtual pub quiz. 

Easy and a classic, host a quiz night and donate what you would’ve spent on a pint or portion of chips to enter, the winner picks the charity the proceeds will be donated to.

  • Find items to donate later.

Now is the perfect time to clear your wardrobe and donate those old clothes, find a charity that’s in need of clothing items and donate through the IIC platform.

  • Wash your hands.

Every time you wash your hands put 10p in a jar, create a competition within the office and see who is the cleanest. It’s an unusual competition but competitive people will do anything to win!

  • Remote portraits.

Ask employees kids to draw a portrait of their parent, best portrait gets to donate £100 to their chosen charity. Parents will also be thankful for the new exciting activity for their children!

  • Sponsored silence.

Are you a bit of a chatterbox? Would staying silent be a struggle for you? Why not test how far you can go and ask people to sponsor your silence.

  • Share your skills.

Does one of your employees have a skill they could share like baking or playing an instrument, ask if they would do a class and give the donations to their chosen charity. A great excuse to show off as well!

  • Movie night!

Create a Netflix Party and ask people to donate the cost of a cinema ticket to join.

  • Looking for a funky new logo?

Ask people to design a new company logo! Entry costs £1 and it will be posted up on the website for a month, this could particularly appeal to employees kids who are stuck at home! It could also encourage aspiring graphic designers to participate.

  • Give it up.

What’s the one thing you couldn’t live without? Would your friends and family sponsor you to give it up for a week, a month or even longer? Share daily updates with your supporters to let them know how well you’re doing and watch the pennies pile up.

  • Donate your drink.

We would all love to grab a G&T at the bar and kick back so why not try donating your drink? How much does that rum and coke usually cost you? Put it towards a good cause and help out in your community!

  • Run, jog, walk, bike.

Set a tough goal and reach it whether it’s a 10k run or 25k hike people love to see you push your limits so set up a fundraiser now!

  • Birthday fundraiser.

There’s not really much to do for our birthdays this year so why not make it memorable by asking friends and family to donate to a charity you care about!

Liniar Leads The Way With Investors In Community Partnership

Posted on by Philip Webb

Industry-leading PVCu systems company Liniar has strengthened its community focus and commitment to ‘doing the right thing’ by joining the Investors in Community platform.

Designed to connect businesses with charities and good causes in their local areas, Investors in Community has helped facilitate hundreds of measurable volunteering hours, donations, and fundraising projects by firms across the country. The platform already supports the likes of Specsavers, Balfour Beatty and the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce with their CSR activity.

Liniar is part of the global Quanex group of companies, and ‘Communities’ is one of the four key pillars of its business, alongside Employees, Customers and Shareholders. With 500+ local employees and a strong presence within the Amber Valley District, Liniar has always been committed to supporting local causes. During the pandemic, it began the mass production of protective visors, and has so far donated more than 35,000 to key workers across the UK.

The team at Liniar will be using the Investors in Community platform to find charities and organisations to jointly support while also offering volunteering help to good causes. Group Managing Director Martin Thurley explains why Investors in Community appealed to the management team:

“During the last 12 months, Liniar has made a positive difference to many lives – you could say it’s in our DNA to do the right thing, and COVID-19 really highlighted this to us all.

“We see the Investors in Community platform as a streamlined way to expand the support we can offer as a business – we were particularly drawn to the way the charities receive 100% of any fundraising money. Our team will be able to find volunteering opportunities and other ways to ‘give back’ and the platform also offers the means for us all to measure and track the impact of our CSR activity.”

Group Marketing Director Sue Davenport continues:

“Investors in Community has been straightforward to implement and the team there have been very supportive in helping us to roll it out. We’ve already provided financial donations and support to two smaller charities who have seen a reduction in fundraising activities, as well as collecting items for food banks – our latest initiative is collecting Easter eggs for children who may not otherwise receive one – and it’s great to see the results of our efforts going straight to those who need our support.”

Philip Webb, managing director of Investors in Community, is thrilled to welcome Liniar to the platform:

“We love the ethos and values of Liniar and Quanex and their focus on local community connections.

“The reality is that there are thousands of charities and community groups across the country doing amazing work in places like Derbyshire. However, there’s still the tendency for corporate giving to be focused on the bigger charities that get a lot of media attention.

“It is great to be working with Martin, Sue and the team, and to hear that they want to extend the work they have done in the past to make a real difference in their local community and to make connections that have a lasting impact.

“For us, Liniar is leading the way with a focus on purpose being at the forefront of their business. We look forward to all of the staff engaging with local causes in a variety of ways.”

For more information about Investors in Community, visit www.investorsincommunity.org.

For more information about Liniar, visit www.liniar.co.uk.

6 Tips On How To Make Charitable Giving a Habit.

Posted on by Philip Webb

“Try not to focus on how much you can or can’t give, just focus on giving … life is more enjoyable when you give back”

Like many others, I spent years thinking that I couldn’t make an impact because I wasn’t able to donate hundreds of pounds each month but, in 2021, I decided to donate what I could each month and after hosting two fundraisers on the IIC platform and having both charities offer their thanks and gratitude for my small donation, I realised how big my little donation actually was.

So, below are some tips to form a giving habit, but the best tip I can offer is to just give once and then see the impact you’ve created, after that you won’t want to stop!

 

1. Make It Easy.

It’s important when trying to create a habit to make it easy. Using online giving platforms like IIC ensures that donating regularly is as hassle free as possible. Look into donating with friends who remind you to keep up your new habit, or set up automatic reminders on your phone on each pay day so it’s the first thing you think of when you get your pay check!

“Adopting new habits is only ever difficult for one of two reasons: You don’t understand how habits are structured and how to leverage that structure to your advantage. You are attempting to do too much too soon and setting yourself up for failure.” – Forbes

2. Find What You Care About.

Take a moment to write out a purpose statement, ask yourself what motivates you and what are you interested in. If you love animals, perhaps a wildlife sanctuary is the charity for you. If you’re passionate about helping kids stay active and have access to sports equipment, then maybe look into your local community sports clubs and donate to them. Find what interests you and then start from there.

“A personal mission statement is a statement that defines your values, who you are & how you define success.” – Indeed 

 

3. Focus On The Reward .

Habits are reinforced by rewards, and the good feeling of helping others is a huge reward. Make sure you can see the impact of your donation, you can do this by following your chosen charity on social media or getting in touch to discuss what each donation enables your chosen charity to do.

“Most people fail to adequately reward themselves for taking action on a beneficial habit. Think about it this way: most addictive and destructive habits have a built in reward system that requires little or no input from you.” – Forbes

 

4. Small Donations Can Make a Difference.

‘Small actions x lots of people = big change’ any donation is appreciated, by donating whatever you can to your chosen charity, your small contribution is going to make a huge difference in the long term and it can make you feel connected to your community.

“Small actions are easy to do and these are the ones that inspire lots of people to do the things that matter and therefore create big change. So by just being ‘average’ you can change the world – because everyone is powerful, influential and above all inspirational in their own way.” – Change Ready

 

5. Donate Time, Donate Money, Donate Gifts.

Giving back doesn’t always have to be donating money, on Investors In Community, we facilitate the 5 forms of giving; funds, volunteering, skilled volunteering, pro bono & gifts. So if you’d prefer to donate your time, or even gifts, it’s so easy to get involved! Why not donate an Easter Egg to Liniar’s Easter Egg appeal?

“Giving to charity doesn’t require a lot of disposable income. If you want to make the world a better place, you can still contribute without cutting a big check.” – USA Today

 

6. Set a Realistic Budget.

Any donation is appreciated no matter how small, If you’re worried about how you’re going to add giving to your routine (especially during a pandemic) make the decision to donate £5 (or even less) each month. Soon it will become an exciting routine of picking a charity or cause you want to help and you’ll see the impact so often that each month you will find yourself wanting to donate more and more!

“If you’re getting serious about your charitable donations and commitment to charitable giving, one of the easiest ways to make it a habit is to incorporate donating to charity into your budget. Whether that means setting money aside at the beginning of the year or as part of your monthly expenses, planning for your charitable donations in advance usually makes for more intentional giving.” – Real Simple

Good News Story – £10,000 Donated to St Luke’s on IIC Platform

Posted on by Philip Webb

A £10,000 donation has generously been made from Aesseal to St Luke’s Hospice Care Sheffield!

Aesseal are a company where CSR is a top priority: “We believe in operating in an ethical and sustainable manner, providing sealing solutions to our customers that improve reliability and help reduce energy and water consumption”.

St Luke’s Hospice care for people aged 18 and above throughout Sheffield who have terminal illnesses. They aim to control their symptoms, alleviate pain, and give them the best possible quality of life – all free of charge.

St Luke’s is not just for cancer patients, and it’s far more than a building. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that most of their patients never set foot in the Hospice itself.

Working in partnership for their patients, St Luke’s plays a central part in the network of palliative care nursing and support services in Sheffield, collaborating with many other organisations and agencies in the city.

Joasia Lesniak from St Luke’s said: “We are so grateful for the incredibly generous donation we have received through Investors in Community.  Now more than ever, we rely on the generous support of our donors to ensure we can continue delivering our vital services to the people of Sheffield. The Investors In Community platform was very easy to use, the team there were very helpful and provided support every step of the way”

If you would like to donate to this amazing organisation please Click Here.

 

Top Ten Pandemic Fundraising Ideas

Posted on by Philip Webb
  1. Virtual Bucket Collection
  2. Donate Your Commute
  3. Buy a Christmas Present
  4. Home Challenges
  5. Virtual Quiz Night
  6. Donate Your Skills
  7. Virtual Car Boot Sale
  8. Fitness Fundraising
  9. Virtual Guess It
  10. Isolation Challenges

 

  • Virtual Bucket Collections:

Many charities make money through spare change Bucket Collections so this was a huge loss for charities in the lockdown. So, we have made it possible to get small donations on the Investors In Community platform just as you would in a bucket collection. Make it happen, get a project on Investors In Community today.

 

  • Donate Your Commute:

We have saved a lot of money not needing to commute to an office, why not donate what you’ve saved, or even half of what you’ve saved to a Charity Of Your Choice.

 

  • Buy a Christmas Present

Every year donating shoe-boxes filled with presents is done and this year it feels more important than ever, we have Buddy Bag on the IIC platform which is a “backpack that contains all the essential items a child needs. They include toiletries, pyjamas, socks and underwear. They also include comfort items such as a book, a photo frame and a teddy bear. A Buddy Bag is something a child can call their own, no matter where they go.” Why not Donate To Buddy Bag this Christmas.

 

  • Home Challenges

Home challenges could be anything, challenge yourself to make an intricate obstacle course and film you trying to complete it. Challenge yourself to bake a cake without a recipe, or maybe spend 24 hours not looking at your phone and film yourself trying to navigate your day, put the videos on Youtube and donate the ad revenue!

 

  • Virtual Quiz Night

Zoom and other platforms have made communication with large groups of people so easy during this pandemic and virtual quiz nights have become increasingly popular, ask people to donate the price of a drink and a ticket, which is what they would usually spend at a pub quiz and Enjoy Your Night!

 

  • Donate Your Skills

We all have something we’re good at, right? You could arrange a virtual yoga, cooking or art class and ask people to donate to join in, then donate all the earnings to your favourite charity!

 

  • Virtual Car Boot Sale

Car boot sales are an excellent way to sell items you no longer need, why not clear out your wardrobe and sell on your old items, you’re saving the environment and doing it all for charity, what could be better?

 

  • Fitness Fundraising

Set yourself a run, walk, hike or cycle challenge. Why not try to run, walk or cycle the length of the UK? It’s a tough challenge but so rewarding when you’re doing it all for a good cause.

 

  • Virtual Guess It

Guessing how many sweets or guessing the name of the animal is always a huge hit and that doesn’t have to stop now! Showcase your fundraiser on social media and ask people to donate through your project link to enter their guess.

 

  • Isolation Challenges

Not needing to be seen in public is the perfect chance to try everything you’ve ever wanted to try, grow a huge Dumbledore style beard, cut your hair into a pixie cut to see what you’d look like, try an eyebrow slit if you want to! Share with friends and family what your plans are and ask them to donate and even provide suggestions of what they’d love to see you do.

Investors In Community Newsletter – Issue One

Posted on by Philip Webb

Reflecting On 2020 & Looking to The Future of 2021.

In 2020 Investors In Community saw some great achievements amongst the chaos. Early on we received the great honour of being recognised by IBM through Cognition Foundry for an IBM Beacon Award!

“For over 20 years, the IBM Beacon Awards have recognised Business Partners for creating exceptional solutions using IBM products and services. You take risks, solve problems, and use undeterred imagination to spark innovation. Cognition Foundry developed a bespoke platform for Investors In community (IIC) to help companies manage their HSV in a transparent, efficient and engaging way without reducing the value of contributions to charities.”

Then towards the end of the year we were honoured again through East Midlands Chamber, where we won the Community Impact Award for our continuous efforts to better communities throughout the UK. Check out the picture of MD Phil Webb and Business Development Director Dave Clarkson accepting our Community Impact Award!

We also saw success in our company growth after seeing a 68% increase in the number of charities using the platform since March, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, British Heart Foundation and Mind. The growth has resulted in two new additions to our team with Juliet Thompson and Nadea Van Der Merwe appointed as Relationship Manager and Executive Assistant.

IIC Helps Bring Charities Together to Tackle Homelessness in Wakefield.

After Wakefield BID invited us in to help businesses and charities in the Wakefield District, we quickly formed a new partnership with Wakefield Council and the Street Support Network.

The aim was to build an awareness campaign and encourage individuals and businesses to help local charities who are supporting vulnerable people and tackle the challenge of rough sleeping in Wakefield.

The Street Support Network which is active in 26 locations across the UK found the IIC team and platform was the ideal partner to help verify, manage, and measure all the giving from individuals to the charities. IIC worked closely with the Communities Team at Wakefield Council as part of the Councils remit to help the homeless and those who are looking to transform their lives in the City.

The initial project involved IIC bringing 24 charities onboard and is still running across the Wakefield District. The campaign has been so successful that Wakefield Council have also tasked IIC and the platform with a further campaign to help with all the Food Banks from across the district.

Save The Date!

We are also hosting an event on February 24th discussing ‘how to unite purpose in your business through Human Social Value’.

This online event will bring speakers together from current businesses and the next generation of inspiring leaders. Through workshops we will hear from experts on the economic value of social impact, employee engagement and good human social value.

By the end of the event we will have answered these questions and more:

1. How can my business measure its social impact?
2. What process and tools do I have in place to measure our impact?
3. What contribution does my business bring to our communities?

Please purchase your tickets here.

 

A Word From Our Ambassador, Jo Thackwray:

“Giving back is an integral part of who I am, which is why I jumped at the chance when Investors in Community asked me to join them as an Ambassador. Raising awareness of Human Social Value and the positive impact this makes is a shared responsibility for us all, I am so glad to be part of the movement”.

About Jo – With a great passion for developing people, Jo is an EMCCEIA Life & business coach supporting people to find their inner superpowers to have their moment to shine. Alongside coaching, Jo provides a consultancy service to all Charities big or small.

Jo also presents the mid-morning show on Inspire Radio, bringing well-being and self-development tips to the airwaves. However, her most important job is that of mum to her 3 grown-up children. and Granny to her 2 new grandsons. She loves spending time with them and their growing families navigating all life’s many challenges along the way, along with her lovely partner, Alan, and his 2 girls too.

A Word from a Business On IIC, Liniar & Sue Davenport:

Group Marketing Director Sue Davenport commented: “We were attracted to the platform by its ease of use, and particularly the fact the charity receives 100% of the funds, which is as it should be. It was easy to set up our account and although it’s early days, we believe Investors in Community will help us to support more projects than ever, as well as tracking our progress and reporting on the outcomes.”

Liniar is one of the leading PVCu extrusion companies in the UK, designing eco-friendly and energy efficient products such as windows, bi-folding doors, conservatories, decking and fencing.

Formed in 1974, Liniar now employs in excess of 500 people, with a turnover forecast at £100m in 2021.

The company has always had a focus on helping good causes within its local community in Derbyshire, and this was solidified during the pandemic in 2020, with Liniar manufacturing protective visors and donating them to key workers and the NHS.

Liniar decided to partner with Investors in Community at the start of 2021 in order to get its whole workforce involved and make the process of giving and volunteering much easier.

IIC Platform Update:

This feature releases direct debit recurring monthly and single payments into wallets and directly to good causes. Projects have been excluded because of the transaction delay while a Direct Debit is processed.

Users Can Now: 

  • Setup single donations into business or individual’s wallet (3 to 5 days processing time)
  • Setup recurring monthly donations into business or individual wallet (3 to 5 days processing time)
  • Setup single donation directly to a good cause by individuals and businesses (3 to 5 days processing time)
  • Setup recurring monthly donation directly to a good cause by individuals and businesses (3 to 5 days processing time)
  • Recurring monthly payments and transaction history can be managed from the ‘wallet’ tab in individual and business user profile.

We thought we would share some amazing charities with you as well!

The Trauma Centre Ripon

An inclusive trauma centre for adults and children are looking for funds, volunteer guest speakers and gifts for their arts & crafts sessions. If you’re interested in helping this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.

Sense

Sense believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfill their potential. Sense also have their free BSL school, if you’re interested in signing up, please follow this link.

Rain Rescue

Rain Rescue believe every dog and cat deserves the right to a good life free from fear and pain. Just £10.00 will pay for an hour of care for an Animal Care Assistant to help many beautiful animals. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Street Paws

They provide relief from animal suffering by providing free accessible vet care via a team of veterinary volunteers, to support homeless people and rough sleepers to care for their pets. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Teenage Cancer Trust

#TeamScape are fundraising for Teenage Cancer Trust and they have raised £280 of their £1,000 goal!  If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Camphill Village Trust

They have officially reached their goal of £500 for their ‘A Life of Opportunity’ project! Your generous donations help them support adults with learning and other disabilities in their home life, work, social and cultural activities through our ten urban and rural communities and services in England. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Grimm & Co

They have raised £250 of their £2,000 goal to be able to decorate the space in a beautiful, imaginative way so if you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link

Freedom Community Project

Freedom offer free advice and support such as Listening Ear, Debt Advice, Mental Health Support and much more to people within the North East Midlands, South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire. If you’re interested in helping this brilliant organisation, please follow this link.

The Buddy Bag Foundation

The BBF Challenge Box is a unique opportunity for businesses to support a local cause. The challenge is split into two parts. Firstly, team members are tasked with procuring all of the items you’ll need to pack 30 Buddy Bags. Secondly, you’ll get together to pack the bags! If you’re interested in getting involved, please follow this link.

 

We’re so glad you could join us through 2020 and we’re looking forward to doing even more great things in 2021!