The collaboration between business and the charity sector is a key element in building lasting success. It strengthens the company’s image and creates strong bonds with customers, employees, and the community.
For the charity sector, such cooperation is not just financial support but also an opportunity to increase its social impact and more effective, continuous action.
We have been joining forces with businesses since the beginning of the Foundation. The founders of the zrzutka.pl portal recognized the huge charitable potential of crowdfunding, but also the need for education in good charitable practices, cooperation with business, and project accounting. Hence the decision to establish an organization that, on one hand, focuses on realistically helping those in need and operational support for individuals and organizations, and on the other hand, ensures education and promotes good practices.
The collaboration between the Foundation and the Portal is an excellent example of how business can transparently and effectively support charitable goals. In addition to the To się uda Foundation raising funds through the portal, Zrzutka.pl covers the Foundation’s administrative and operational costs. As a result, all funds raised by the Foundation are allocated to the realization of charitable goals.
How Can Business Support the Charity Sector?
This can be done as part of a company’s CSR and ESG strategy, specific social, educational, or environmental actions, activities that activate local communities, or employee volunteer engagement.
In 2015, Harvard Business Review conducted a study among 142 managers who participated in a CSR management training program at Harvard Business School. The results were exceptionally consistent. In each of the three areas of CSR projects: philanthropy, operational development, and business model transformation, there was an increase in profits, improvement in the company’s social position, long-term gains, or significant solutions to problems. These benefits are particularly visible in philanthropy, which is inherently not profit-oriented.
McKinsey’s 2019 research showed that “customers are willing to pay for ‘going green’. (…) over 70% of consumers surveyed on purchases across multiple industries, including automotive, construction, electronics, and packaging, claim they would pay an additional 5% for an eco-friendly product if it met the same standards as its non-eco-friendly alternative.”
According to a 2019 Morgan Stanley report, “84% of US investors (90% among the Millennial generation) want to tailor their investments to their values. Similarly, 86% believe that companies practicing ESG practices can be more profitable.”
How to Align CSR Goals with Your Company’s Organizational Culture?
CSR Matchmaking
CSR goals should align with the company’s mission and values to ensure authenticity and effectiveness. Employee involvement in selecting goals is crucial. Our cooperation with businesses is always based on a win-win principle. It’s key for relationships to be partnership-based and for both sides to be satisfied.
The “To Się Uda” Foundation, thanks to its extensive network of contacts and the personal involvement of the Foundation’s President – Mateusz Szymakowski, can assist in CSR matchmaking.
We organize our own charitable actions, such as Podaruj Wakacje, Razem dla Ukrainy, and Charity Relay. Moreover, as a patron, substantive, organizational, or institutional partner, we are involved in numerous actions and projects of other organizations and individuals.
The Role of CSR in Employer Branding
CSR plays a crucial role in building a positive employer image. A company that actively supports social and environmental values attracts more engaged and loyal employees.
According to the 2015 Cone Communications report on the Millennial generation at work:
- 64% consider a company’s commitments to social and environmental issues when deciding on a place of employment.
- 64% would not take a job if the company does not have strong values in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
- 83% would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to social and environmental issues (compared to the U.S. average of 70%).
- 88% say their job is more satisfying when they are given opportunities to make a positive impact on social and environmental issues.
Korzyści współpracy z branżą charytatywną:
- Improved Integration with the Local Community.
- Increased Pride and Satisfaction Among Employees.
- Positive Impact on the Natural Environment.
- Supporting Social and Economic Development.
- Building Positive Relationships with Business Partners.
- Enhancement of Positive Image.
- Increased Attractiveness to Customers, Investors, and Employees.
- Improved Relationships with Stakeholders.
- Increased Operational Efficiency through Sustainable Development.
- Minimization of Risk Associated with Image Crisis.
Case Studies
Mahle
Financial support is one of the simplest to implement yet hardest to achieve forms of partnership. Whether we like it or not, money is essential in carrying out charitable actions. It provides not only the possibility of smooth operations but also a sense of security and the chance to plan. In the field of charity work, this is key to success.
The commitment of Mahle is backed not only by financial contributions but also by a well-thought-out strategy of our collaboration, carefully aligning the culture of the organization with charitable goals. The Mahle team has a reason to be proud! The company gave children from orphanages something that will stay with them for a long time – wonderful memories, friendships, inspiration, and new passions.
The collaboration between the To się uda! Foundation and MAHLE is also an example of how great results can be achieved when a charitable action and a benefactor are well-matched.
SKS
One of the ways to support the campaign is through non-financial assistance, although its monetized value is often huge. It is this kind of help that our friends from the Surfing Sports Club and Chałupy 6 have provided. Without them, the seaside camp of the 4th edition of the #PodarujWakacje campaign simply wouldn’t have happened. They provided 24 children from foster care with an extraordinary summer, including:
- holiday resort and free accommodation
- meals
- activities in surfing, kitesurfing, skateboarding
They also helped organizationally. After days spent on the water, the kids had the opportunity to meet sports champions – Wojtek Pawlusiak, Katarzyna Lange, Kuba Zalejski, Maciek Rutkowski, and the eminent lawyer Tomasz Palak, who talked about internet safety, among other things.
The SKS Surfing Sports Club and Chałupy 6 are examples of how good things can be done without a CSR budget. We thank you wholeheartedly for being with us!
Corporate Volunteering with the To Się Uda Foundation!
One of the ways of cooperation is corporate volunteering, tailored based on the company’s organizational culture. We are open to implementing our partner’s ideas. With extensive experience in carrying out such actions, we are eager to share our knowledge and offer our organizational support. If a company does not yet have an idea for engagement, we can prepare a dedicated action or suggest joining an already existing one.
Example 1 — We can organize a dedicated action, such as: supporting animals in a shelter/shelters, utilizing the time, skills, and experience of the company’s employees.
Example 2 — Company employees can create their own collection box on zrzutka.pl and collect funds for specific children in foster care (Gift a Holiday) or for specific rehabilitation equipment for children with disabilities (ZOL Jaszkotle). Employees/departments can compete during team-building events to see who can raise more.
Example 3 — The company’s team can participate in the foundation’s stationary activities, such as recording a video to promote a fundraiser for children with disabilities, organizing a Christmas Eve dinner for those in need, or creating a Smile Festival for children in foster care.