Leading businesses and charities unite to support One Million Donors

New online reporting tool allows employers to track the success of their workplace giving programs

MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 1 June 2016

An innovative online reporting tool which allows employers to get more from their Workplace Giving programs and benchmark their success has launched today. Part of the One Million Donors campaign to see one million Australians giving through the workplace by 2020, the tool is an important advancement for corporate philanthropy.

The availability of the new reporting tool marks the start of the June Workplace Giving Month and was launched by Richard Murray, CEO of JB Hi-Fi, Dr Lisa O’Brien CEO of The Smith Family and Jenny Geddes, CEO of The Australian Charities Fund (ACF); the leading Workplace Giving organisation spearheading the One Million Donors campaign.

Mr Murray said: “For the first time, this new online platform allows employers to benchmark the progress of their Workplace Giving program against other employers across the nation.

This is a huge step forward for employers who want to immediately see how staff are contributing and to measure the collective social impact effort of employee giving.

Richard Murray, CEO, JB Hi-Fi

“June is also significant for JB Hi-Fi reaching $10 million in donations through its Workplace Giving program, Helping Hands,” Mr Murray said.

Dr Lisa O’Brien, CEO, The Smith Family said: “Donations from workplace givers are a great source of funding. Small regular gifts have a cumulative effect. It is this type of regular giving that helps to build a sustainable funding base for charities.

I urge business leaders to get behind One Million Donors and help their employees donate to charity in in the most cost effective and efficient way.

Dr Lisa O’Brien, CEO, The Smith Family

Mr Murray added: “Workplace Giving is the right thing to do. Not only does it provide much needed cash to our charity partners, but it has also done great things for the JB Hi-Fi culture. I want our staff to feel part of JB Hi-Fi, and workplace giving ticks so many boxes around engagement, morale and culture. It really anchors how we communicate with our employees.

“By registering on the site, employers can learn everything there is to know about Workplace Giving. The free reporting tool is an excellent way to understand how your business is tracking in this area against others,” he said.

Australian Charities Fund CEO Jenny Geddes said: “Workplace Giving is a win-win for businesses, employees and charities alike with working Australians able to make small, regular donations to charity from their pay.

For employers, Workplace Giving is a great way to not only contribute to charity, but also meet the expectation of their staff in terms of what they are looking for in a leading employer. This is a unique opportunity for all businesses, both big and small.

Jenny Geddes, CEO, Australian Charities Fund

“Since 2002, workplace giving has raised over a quarter of a billion dollars of new funding for charities. Our next milestone is to see donations from one million working Australians by 2020; which would create an additional donation flow of $250 million each year for community1,” said Ms Geddes.

This year’s Workplace Giving Month follows recent research by SEEK, ACF and Social Impact Hub, which uncovered that young Australians are motivated by a genuine desire to make a difference and are seeking employers who enable their passion for the community.

Now in its third year, the One Million Donors campaign is supported by a group of high profile Australian businesses and charities, as well as these leading community organisations:

media release industry partners

Resources Available on One Million Donors

www.1Mdonors.org.au

Reporting Tool – Track Progress

For the first time employers are able to benchmark the progress of their Workplace Giving program against other employers across the nation.

Supporter Mark – Create Awareness

Employers with a Workplace Giving program and charities who support Workplace Giving will be issued with a ‘Workplace Giving Supporter Mark’ for use throughout their communications.

Awards – Drive Excellence

The One Million Donors site encourages participation in the following industry awards:

  • Best Program Overall
  • Best Launch or Refresh (small & large employer categories)
  • Best Public Sector Program
  • Most Inspiring Business Leader (individual) – as nominated by a charity
  • Most Innovative Employer / Charity Partnership

1. Calculated by applying ACF modelling to FY2014 Australian Taxation Office data where, on average, each of Australia’s 156,000 workplace giving donors gave $202 through pre-tax salary donations plus employer donation matching.