Kiwi companies continue their charitable streak
Sustainability-conscious Kiwis are still keen for their employers to help out in their local communities.
Friday, August 06 2010 || News || BY ROMY UDANGA
That's the finding of the second annual 2010 Fairfax Media-Shape NZ survey on sustainable business practices which shows 73 per cent of respondents – the same percentage as last year – want their organisations to continue social support.
The survey showed a 12 per cent rise in the number of large companies – those with more than 100 employees – forming long-term strategic partnerships with civil organisations.
Chief executive of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, Peter Neilson, said many organisations had fewer resources to contribute, but "it is encouraging how well business support for community and social activities has held up".
The 2009 Sustainable60 award winner, Urgent Couriers, is among those actively involved in the community.
The company, which has 20 staff and 67 contractors, donates $23,000 in cash annually to charities and offers a discounted courier service to needy organisations.
Urgent Couriers managing director Steve Bonnici said companies like his didn't have "wads of cash to give away". "But what we have a lot of is our ability to deliver things and our relationships with our clients.
"It's a matter of seeing what your strengths are as a business and how you can leverage them to provide support."
Survey results show 34 per cent of medium-sized organisations, those with 21 to 100 employees, donate employee time to volunteer and mentor in the community. That was a rise of 9 per cent on last year. Some 38 per cent – 5 per cent more than last year – are contributing financially to charities and community organisations while making fewer contributions in kind.
Fewer small companies, those with under 20 employees, are giving employee time (32 per cent, down 3 per cent) although more are giving financially (42 per cent, up 3 per cent).
But for Queenstown-based Nomad Safaris, with 18 fulltime equivalent employees, volunteering and giving in kind things like transport, is its best option. Director Amanda Gatward-Ferguson said as owner-operators they had "the flexibility to spend some of our own work time on these causes".
Nomad Safaris has been involved in EcoAction eradicating wilding pine – trees that are growing where they're not wanted – since its inception in 1995.
The nationwide ShapeNZ online poll commissioned by Fairfax Media and the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development opened on June 17 and is scheduled to close on September 30.
