Alaina Luxmoore: Charity begins at home...

Companies like the BNZ are choosing corporate social responsibility projects that employees can become engaged in.

Many companies are switching to employee-led philanthropy programmes, writes Alaina Luxmoore

An increasing number of companies are moving their corporate social responsibility focus from pet project of the executive board to something that each employee gets a stake in.

It's called employee-led philanthropy and it's on the rise.

Many businesses are seeking a deeper connection to their charity - one that is being linked through a shared value or experience.

Recognising the passions and concerns of individual employees within a large organisation is important to the world's leading inspection, testing and certification company, SGS.

The managing director of SGS New Zealand, Peter Hart, is bridging the gap between large-scale charity and community fundraising with the new CSR allocation method.

"Any permanent employee of SGS New Zealand can apply for funding to help their community. Our community funding committee assesses these applications and judges them against various criteria aimed at supporting the creation of prosperous, educated, sustainable and healthy communities."

In 2014 alone, SGS New Zealand approved funding for 12 community projects nationwide, to a total donation pool of $25,000 - this year it's planning to double the support it gives.

One of the smallest awards was a $150 spot prize for the Buller Women's Triathlon, nominated by laboratory administrator Shayne Barry, from Westport.

"This fund is used to support women and families that are affected by chronic or terminal illness. The fund is not large, but it is used to alleviate pressure on families and individuals who are suffering."

Through investment in local communities and the pursuits of its employees, SGS is seeing an outpouring of support and admiration from its staff.

"I appreciate the fact that SGS is prepared to support small communities and I respect them for acknowledging their responsibility to the areas where their businesses are based," says Shayne.

BNZ's Closed for Good, the bank's flagship corporate volunteering day, will be running for its sixth year in 2015. The bank closes down for the day and all staff are given the opportunity to contribute to their communities in a way that is meaningful to them.

It seems obvious that the warm glow of giving back to your local community is more richly enhanced when your employer has both recognised your cause but also donated from the company timeand money to help you to giveback.

But, what's in it for the business?

Forward-thinking companies are comfortable with supporting projects that make a difference as well as deliver a profit or feed back into business goals.

Bonar Vossen-Chong, senior sustainability and community manager at BNZ, recognises this: "We want our projects to align with our shared value of helping New Zealanders be good with money. Last year 24 of our projects were specifically tasked with helping people be good with money and ranged from presentations at local schools, to running workshops at corrections facilities."

This is the second reason we're seeing a change in donating. There is a positive flow back to business that is brought about only through a well-aligned and meaningful charitable relationship.

This close alignment is something that the New Zealand office of multinational software corporation SAP endeavoured to accomplish when it put its $50,000 annual charitable donation up for discussion in 2014.

The company's global goal is to align the majority of its CSR with STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and its donations would be made up not only of money, but also technology and expertise.

Perry Manross, head of global corporate affairs for SAP in Australia and New Zealand, says, "At its essence the real value we can add to the not-for-profit arena is to offer them the same unique ability that we offer our customers."

From an employee-suggested long list of 60 organisations, the deciding staff vote was cast for the Foundation for Youth Development, focusing on its Career Navigator programme.

Perry says, "From an engagement standpoint it is huge. Involve employees along the entire cycle of the selection process and give them opportunities to be involved as much or as little as they want to."

When your employer steps up and enables you to give back in a way that is quantifiable and meaningful, it's the philanthropic lottery.

Peter Hart says; "It's a win-win for us and the local community. We understand that many of the smaller communities we operate in find it hard to attract resources or funding. I'm pleased that we can give something back in these areas, be it a monetary contribution or time."

I encourage any employer or employee to look through a new lens at how their company's social responsibility is managed. With input from engaged staff, and a strategic look at how business and charity might work together, some really significant new relationships could be formed.

• Alaina Luxmoore is is a consultant with Noodle Creative Marketing.