Workplace Giving is a small regular donation that comes out of your pay (usually pre-tax) and is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make your community a better place.
For more than 60 years Workplace Giving has formed the backbone of The Give Where You Live Foundation’s fundraising efforts, and we are incredibly grateful for the amazing support of the thousands of workplace givers right across the region that continue to donate so generously.
But why should you become a Workplace Giver?
Here are the top 5 reasons why our amazing Workplace Givers have chosen to take part in the Workplace Giving Program.
Reason 1: You’ll be helping the community
Ok, this one is kind of obvious, but it’s worth pointing out just how much of a difference Workplace Giving is making in the Geelong Community.
Over the past financial year our 4000+ donors, giving just a small amount each week from their pay, raised just over $758,500 for the Geelong Community.
Over the past 12 months these donations have helped:
- 8,280 Men, Women and Children in need through accessing the Foundation’s Direct Assistance Voucher Program
- Fund community grants that have in turn assisted:
- 2,286 Children improve educational prospects.
- 2,208 seniors dealing with social isolation.
- 1,385 Young people better engage with their school.
- 262 people living with a disability to feel included in their community.
- 147 People avoid homelessness
These donations have also helped fund the Feed Geelong program to address food insecurity in the Geelong region and the G21 Regional Opportunities for Work (GROW) program.
Reason 2: You’ll feel great for doing it.
As well as providing invaluable support to your local community, Workplace Giving will make you feel good. How? A 2008 Harvard Business school study found that giving money to someone else “lifted participants happiness more than spending it on themselves” despite predictions from the participants otherwise.
Similarly, a 2006 study conducted by the University of California found a big increase in wellbeing in participants who participated in acts of kindness over six weeks.
Imagine how good you’ll feel giving every week of the year.
Belinda, a workplace giver from Gforce Employment Solutions, summed it up nicely, saying “It feels good to be part of a workplace that gives back – it gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling. It’s such an easy and nice thing to be involved in.”
Reason 3: You make a bigger difference through Workplace Giving.
Say that you and nine of your colleagues decide to donate $10 from your weekly pay (less than a coffee per day). Across the course of a week, you’re probably not going to miss that $10 dollars.
But by the end of the year, you’ll have collectively raised about $5,200 for organisations battling the effects of disadvantage.
Some organisations will even match the amount that their employees generate through Workplace Giving – so your $5,200 could become $10,400!
Reason 4: All of your donations stay in Geelong
All the funds raised in the Give Where You Live Foundation’s Workplace Giving Program stay right here in our region. So when you sign up for Workplace Giving you can rest assured that all of your contributions are going towards making your community a better place.
Since April of this year, The Give Where You Live Foundation has provided 8 emergency grants and 37 community grants totalling $1.15 million providing funding for programs and services right here in your community.
Reason 5: It’s really easy.
If your organisation already facilitates Workplace Giving for the Give Where You Live Foundation signing up is the easiest thing in the world.
If your organisation already facilitates Workplace Giving, signing up is as easy as getting a form from your payroll department and you can choose to donate as much (or as little) as you want. It’s that easy!
A better community is in your hands
To the Workplace Givers that give so generously and the organisations that facilitate Workplace Giving across our region, thank you for giving so much back to your community.
For those looking to start the Workplace Giving conversation, you can access all the resources you need on the Workplace Giving page on our Website.
If you have any questions about getting Workplace Giving set up, you can call our Partnerships manager Kirsty on (03) 5229 4364 or via email at Kirsty@givewhereyoulive.com.au.