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
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.