Three-quarters of UK businesses give nothing to charity. Among those that do, most programmes fade quietly within a year — not from lack of intention, but from lack of structure. This guide covers what effective corporate giving actually looks like for finance firms, and how to build something that lasts.
The volunteering day had been planned for weeks. Emails went out. The charity was briefed. On the day itself, six people showed up. This is one of the most common things we hear from finance firms trying to build employee volunteering programmes. And it’s almost never an apathy problem.
Twelve interns. Two charities. One day to tackle challenges that small teams rarely get the time or outside thinking to address. This is what happened when we brought fresh skills and genuine problem-solving to Kidscape and StreetDoctors.
UK companies give away 11 million paid volunteering days a year — worth £2 billion. Average employee engagement sits at 14.3%. For finance firms with genuine appetite to make a difference, good intentions alone aren’t enough. Today, Raise Your Hands Partners launches to change that.
Not every corporate partner wants to write a cheque. One of ours wanted to do something concrete for young people facing barriers to education. The result: ninety-five tablets in the hands of children who needed them most.
Secret Santa: beloved office tradition or a fridge magnet from someone in marketing you’ve never met? A conversation with one of our charities got us thinking. What if we could harness it for good?
The best partnerships don’t just raise funds — they build capacity. As part of our work with Marshall Wace, we designed a hackathon to solve a real operational challenge for Dandelion Time. Here’s how it came together.
