The Power of 1%: Philanthropy in 2024

According to the Sunday Times Giving List 2024, Sir Chris Hohn remains the UK’s most generous philanthropist. Over the past year, the hedge fund manager donated £600.9 million, a staggering contribution that underscores the potential of wealth when used for good. Hohn, who founded the Children’s Investment Fund (TCI) in 2003, directs a portion of the fund’s profits to the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

Speaking about the responsibilities of the wealthy, Hohn doesn’t mince words: “If they could understand, even on a simple level, the joy they could have by sharing their wealth, I think they might all be happier people. Even for those who are into philanthropy, they’re only giving away a half percent of their wealth. They’re not really doing more than tokenism.”

His suggestion? A minimum of 1% of wealth committed to good causes.

The Growing Appeal of 1% Giving

The concept of committing 1% to philanthropy is gaining momentum. It’s a simple but powerful idea that’s inspiring individuals and organisations to integrate giving into their financial practices. Movements like Pledge 1% and 1% for the Planet are global examples of how this model can drive significant impact.

Since its inception, Pledge 1% has encouraged more than 18,000 companies worldwide to donate 1% of equity, product, profit, or employee time to charitable causes. Meanwhile, 1% for the Planet, founded by Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia and Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies, focuses on environmental sustainability. Businesses across the globe, from outdoor brands to record labels, have pledged 1% of sales, resulting in over $500 million donated to environmental causes.

How Is the UK Faring?

While much of this activity has historically been led overseas, the tide is turning in the UK. According to the Directory of Social Change (DSC), 70 UK companies have pledged or donated at least 1% of their pre-tax profits to charity, amounting to £230 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

Examples of Impact

British businesses are increasingly demonstrating the value of structured philanthropy. Alpkit, the outdoor equipment brand, donates 1% of its sales to grassroots projects through the Alpkit Foundation, which has funded over 1,800 projects since 2015. Nationwide Building Society allocates 1% of its pre-tax profits to tackle housing issues and financial education, awarding millions annually to community projects. Similarly, the Central England Co-operative reinvests 1% of its trading profit in local communities, funding everything from schools to small businesses.

A Call to Action

The DSC is urging more UK companies to join the 1% club, noting the profound impact even small contributions can have when pooled together. As Debra Allcock Tyler, CEO of DSC, aptly puts it, “When we’re talking about companies who make huge pre-tax profits each year, 1% can have a large cumulative effect. The 1% Club is a great example of corporate organisations supporting charities and helping those who are facing the most challenging of times.”

Are you ready to make an impact?

On the hunt for a fundraiser or want to explore how your organisation can give back? Give us a call on 020 3880 6655 or email contactus@ferntalent.com to get the conversation started.According to 2023’s Sunday Times Giving List, the UK’s most generous philanthropist is Sir Chris Hohn.

The hedge fund manager set up the Children's Investment (TCI) Fund in 2003, structuring it so that 15% of the profits would go directly to Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Hohn urged more wealthy individuals to give a significant proportion of their income to good causes.

He said: “If they could understand, even on a simple level, the joy they could have by sharing their wealth, I think they might all be happier people. Even for those who are into philanthropy, they’re only giving away a half percent of their wealth. They’re not really doing more than tokenism.”

He suggests that corporates and wealthy individuals can give effectively to charities by committing to donate a minimum of 1% of their wealth to good causes.

Gaining traction

The 1% concept is gaining traction. A growing number of campaigns are encouraging wealthy entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and corporates to share their wealth.

For example:

Pledge 1%

In 2014, Pledge 1% founding partners, Salesforce, Atlassian, and Rally, came together with the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado to accelerate a shared vision of every business around the globe integrating philanthropy into its corporate DNA.

They came up with Pledge 1%: a global movement that aims to inspire, educate, and empower businesses and entrepreneurs to be a force for good.

They help companies of every size and stage leverage their unique assets and pledge 1% of equity, product, profit, and/or employee time to a charity of their choice. 

To date, over 18,000 businesses in 100 countries have used Pledge 1%’s flexible framework to ignite half a billion dollars in new philanthropy.

1% for the Planet

The brainchild of Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, the ethos behind 1% for the Planet is simple: companies profit from the resources they take from the earth, so they should protect those resources.

The duo pledged to donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental organisations and invited others to do the same.

The idea resonated with Brushfire Records, Klean Kanteen, and the movement was born.

To date, 1% for the Planet has certified over $500 million in donations to environmental causes.

Are UK businesses getting in on the act?

To date, much of the 1% activity has taken place overseas. But change is afoot in the UK.

In 2022, the Directory of Social Change (DSC) conducted a survey to find out how much money UK businesses are injecting into the charity sector.  

Of the 223 companies they received data for, 70 either gave or pledged at least 1% of their pre-tax profits to charitable causes in the UK. 

How much does this equate to? According to the DSC, it amounts to £230 million in cash and in-kind donations.

Case studies

Businesses are donating in various ways. Let’s look at a few examples.

Alpkit Ltd

Formed in 2004, Alpkit is an outdoor equipment manufacturer and retailer.

The brand donates 1% of sales and at least 10% of its annual profits to support grassroots projects through its foundation.

The Alpkit Foundation makes grants of £50 to £500 for outdoor projects focussed on diversity and inclusion, health, education, the environment and increasing participation in outdoor activities.

Since launching in 2015, the foundation has donated over £500,000 to 1,800 projects.

Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide is committed to tackling the housing crisis and educating young people in numeracy and developing money skills.

Each year, the building society donates 1% of its pre-tax profits to causes that work in those areas.

Through its Community Grants programme, it awards grants of up to £60,000 to charities, community land trusts and housing co-operatives that are looking to make positive changes in their local areas.

In 2021/22, a combined £4 million was awarded to 94 housing projects across the UK.

Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative, or the Co-op, as its more commonly known, reinvests 1% of its trading profit in local communities each year.

Via its Community Dividend Fund, the retailer makes charitable donations of between £100 and £5,000 to local schools, parks, small businesses, and charity groups in the areas it operates.

As of September 2023, the brand has donated more than £173,000 to community projects across its trading area.

DSC plea

The DSC is urging more UK based companies to join the 1% club.

Debra Allcock Tyler, CEO of DSC says of the initiative, “when we’re talking about companies who make huge pre-tax profits each year, 1% can have a large cumulative effect.

The 1% Club is a great example of corporate organisations supporting charities and helping those who are facing the most challenging of times.”

On the hunt for a fundraiser? We can help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email us at info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.

Purpose over profit: three businesses using their products as a force for good

For decades, the primary goal of business was to maximize value for shareholders.

However, social consciousness has taken a seat in the boardroom in recent years. As a result, companies are prioritising sustainability and purpose over profit.

Here are three inspiring examples.

Bare Kind

Bare Kind is a B Corp on a mission: to make a difference for animals, one pair of socks at a time.

Launched in 2018, the UK-based apparel brand sells a range of colourful animal-themed bamboo socks.

But these sustainable footwarmers do more than keep people’s tootsies warm. They make a difference to the lives of endangered species.

How?

10% of the profits from each sale are donated to 30+ animal conservation charities across the globe that work to protect the animals on the socks.

And, as these stats from Bre Kind’s 2022 impact report show, it’s making a difference.

In 2022 …

• their panda socks funded the planting of 310 square feet of bamboo (with Pandas International)

• sales of their pangolin socks funded the protection of 58 acres of pangolin habitat (in conjunction with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation)

• turtle sock sales enabled the Turtle Foundation to construct a hatchery to home endangered turtle nests

SEO Travel

SEO Travel is a Leeds-based digital marketing agency that specialises in SEO, PR, and web design for travel brands.

The company launched in 2011 but, after the pandemic hit, Tom McLoughlin (Founder) decided he wanted to use the brand as a vehicle to make a difference.

So, in 2021, he switched up the business model and announced that SEO Travel would donate 100% of its profit to good causes, with the aim of donating £1million by 2030.

By April 2023, the brand was 7% of the way to achieving its goal, having donated £74,590 to  Moving Mountains (an international development charity), and Zarach (a Yorkshire-based charity that supports children living in poverty). 

To date, the funding has:

• provided 247 underprivileged children in Yorkshire with a bed

• rebuilt a school in Bupsa, Nepal, providing 135 children with access to education

• funded the operation of a children’s rescue centre in Embyu, Kenya for 12 months

As well as donating money, the folk at SEO Travel use their marketing skills to promote the charities they work with to attract funding from other investors.

Y.O.U Underwear

The ethos behind ethical clothing brand Y.O.U is that underwear should be ‘universally available to people in all communities’.

In an attempt to make this a reality, the brand sells its undies on a buy-one-give-two model: For every pair of Y.O.U underwear sold, two pairs are donated to Smalls For All (a charity that collects and distributes underwear to people in need across Africa and the UK).

And that’s not the only cause it supports.

£1 from the sale of every item in its light pink range goes to the UK-based breast cancer charity, Future Dreams.

Impact

When the business launched in 2017, the aim was to donate 23,000 pairs of underwear to Smalls for All by 2023. But the team smashed that goal, donating 36,042 pairs to vulnerable men, women, and children by the end of last year.

Inspiring stuff.

Looking for an ethically minded fundraiser? That’s our specialty. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email us at info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the ball rolling.

Level up your social media fundraising with TikTok’s Charity Academy

According to the latest Charity Digital Skills Report, 4 out of 5 charities lack social media skills, and 79% say improving their digital presence is a key priority for 2024.

Are your digital skills up to scratch? If not, sign up for TikTok’s Charity Academy.

Touted as the platform’s ‘biggest charity sector training initiative to date’, the short-form video hosting service has partnered with Media Trust to offer 100 charities three weeks of complementary training to help them use the platform to reach new audiences and drive positive change.

That’s right. the training is free. No dancing or random pointing is required.

Before we dive into what the Academy offers, let’s look at the benefits of TikTok for charities.

• TikTok has just over 1.5 billion monthly active users. That’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your cause.

• With an average engagement rate of 2.65%, TikTok has the highest engagement rate of all the social media platforms.

• Research has shown that people retain 95% of the information contained in a video compared to 10% of the same information in text format. TikTok is video-led format, making it an ideal way to share your message.

• You can put a 'donate sticker' on your videos and live streams to encourage viewers to donate. And they can do so while remaining in the app.

• A large majority of TikTokers are between the ages of 18 - 34 (the demographic most likely to give to charity, according to Third Sector)

What’s the Academy offering?

That’s a quick primer on TikTok. But how will you benefit from joining the Academy?

First off, Media Trust will be host weekly live, practical training sessions every Tuesday and Thursday (10-11.30 am) between July 1-19.

In addition to content creation strategies, engagement techniques, and best practice advice for maximising your presence on the app, the sessions will teach you how to:

• optimise your TikTok profile 

• identify your target audience

• create a successful TikTok strategy 

• use platform features such as LIVE, TikTok sounds, filters, duets and stitch 

• edit content with CapCut

• reach new audiences with digital storytelling

• utilise analytics 

• integrate TikTok into your wider digital comms strategy

You’ll also get:

• access to pre-training support, helping you set up your TikTok account.

• expert led TikTok exercises and content activities to embed your learning.

• personalised feedback on the content you create from trainers who know how to use TikTok as a tool for social good.  

Sound good?

If you meet the following criteria, apply here.

• are you a registered charity in the UK?

• do you have buy-in from senior management to be active on TikTok?

• Does your charity have resources to implement the training?

As places are limited, TikTok is offering one place per charity. And to get the most from the training, they require the same participant to attend all the sessions.

Looking for a digital fundraiser to supercharge your TikTok activity? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the ball rolling.

Funding Opportunities: May

Grants are a vital source of income for charities large and small, but trawling through databases for relevant opportunities is a time-consuming task.

Enter Bamboo.

Each month, we scour the internet and highlight a range of funding opportunities from trusts, corporates and the public sector.

Let’s get into it.

Comic Relief

Amount:  Up to £200,000
Deadline: May 7, 2024

Comic Relief’s ‘Safe & Supported Beyond Homelessness’ fund aims to support charities that help young people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness to access the support they need.

Funding Priorities

They’ll provide core funding to organisations that:

• Specialise in the provision of holistic support to people aged 16-25 in the UK, who are at immediate risk of, or experiencing homelessness. Support services should be tailored, inclusive and accessible, to meet the multiple and diverse needs of beneficiaries.

• Involve young people with lived experience of homelessness, or who have been at risk of homelessness, in the development of their work or the running of the organisation.

• Although not an essential requirement, they’re interested in hearing from organisations that work to change public attitudes towards youth homelessness and/or reduce the stigma and discrimination that young people face.

Find out more and apply here.

Peter Harrison Foundation

Amount: Between £5,000 - £30,000
Deadline: July 1, 2024

Under its ‘opportunities through sport and physical activity’ programme, the Foundation funds charities that enable people in the UK who are physically, mentally, socially, or economically disadvantaged to partake in sport and physical activity.

Applications for capital, revenue or project funding will be considered.

The Trustees will prioritise physical activity initiatives that:

• Focus on skills development and confidence building.

• Have a strong training and/or educational theme.

• Provide specialised sporting equipment or facilities required to open opportunities.

• Have a high degree of involvement from beneficiaries and those with lived experience.

• Have a plan for sustainability and seek to deliver a lasting legacy.

Applications will be accepted from charities and CASCs (Community Amateur Sports Clubs) throughout the United Kingdom.

Find out more and apply here.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation Arts Fund

Amount: £90,000 - £300,000 (for 3 years)
Deadline: May 31, 2024

The Arts Fund provides core funding to cultural organisations that work at the intersection of art and social change.

They prioritise applications from charities that:

• build capacity and resources for culture within historically underfunded communities.

• explore the role that artists can play in addressing issues of social justice.

• create the infrastructure for a more equitable cultural sector.

• centre the lived experience of people affected by injustice in their programmes, leadership, and governance.

• are exploring how values of care, equity, and justice can be embedded in their own organisational culture.

• have a clear sense of their own role in supporting change as part of a wider ecosystem.

• are generous with their learning and working with other organisations towards mutual aims.

• use their creative practice to challenge traditional cultural hierarchies of genre and art form.

Find out more and apply here.

Yapp Charitable Trust

Amount: £3,000 a year for up to three years
Deadline: Rolling

The Trust awards grants for core funding, which it defines as: ‘the costs associated with regular activities or services that have been ongoing for at least a year.’

Funding priorities

• Work that is unattractive to the public or unpopular with other funders.

• Services that improve the lives of marginalised, disadvantaged, or isolated people.

• Applicants that can demonstrate an effective use of volunteers.

• Applicants that can demonstrate (where feasible) an element of self-sustainability by charging subscriptions/fees to service users.

Applications that don't address at least two of the above are unlikely to receive a grant.

Priority groups

• Elderly people.

• Children and young people.

• People with physical impairments, learning difficulties or mental health challenges.

• People trying to overcome addiction, relationship difficulties, abuse, or offending.

• Adults or children who are educationally disadvantaged.

Applications will only be considered from charities with a total annual expenditure of less than £40,000.

Find out more and apply here.

The Morrisons Foundation

Amount: Up to £10,000
Deadline: Rolling

The Morrisons Foundation supports registered charities making a positive difference in local communities across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The Foundation prioritises applications from charities with an income of less than £1m that deliver on (at least) one of the following objectives:

• Tackling poverty and social deprivation

• Enhancing community spaces, facilities, and services

• Improving health and wellbeing.

Funding can be used for capital spend or direct project delivery.

Find out more and apply here.

Looking for a trust fundraiser to join your team? We can help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email us at info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

Social media stats to inform your digital strategy in 2024

According to Non-profit Tech for Good, 87% of charities across the world have a social media presence.

Considering there’s a global audience of over five billion users to tap into, it’s no surprise.

From raising awareness and recruiting volunteers to reaching new donors and raising funds, social media offers charities a plethora of benefits. And, with new features being rolled out all the time, it’s becoming quicker and easier to do it all.

The stats say it all. Social media is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a must have to succeed in the digital world.

But, to get the most out of it in 2024, you need to focus your fundraising efforts on the right platforms.

If you’re launching a legacy campaign, your efforts will be wasted on millennial TikTok users. Just like a gaming fundraiser will be lost on LinkedIn users.

To help you reach your target market and maximise your social media ROI, we’ve compiled some need-to-know stats and facts for each platform.

Let’s get into it.

Facebook

Number of monthly active users: 3.065 billion
Largest age group: 25-34 (29.9%)
Gender distribution: 43.7% female, 56.3% male 
Time spent per day: 30.9 minutes

Contrary to reports that ‘Facebook is dying’, it’s very much alive and kicking.

The world’s most popular social media platform, it topped three billion monthly active users last year, making it the first social media platform to do so.

18% of donors across the world have given through Facebook Fundraising tools and 88% say they’d give that way again.
The average peer-to-peer fundraising campaign sees 15–18% of donations come through Facebook.
Engagement on the platform increases by 18% on Thursdays and Fridays, making the end of the week a prime time to launch a fundraising campaign.

Instagram

Number of monthly active users: 2 billion
Largest age group: 18-24 (30.8%)
Gender distribution: 48.2% female, 51.8% male 
Time spent per day: 33.1 minutes

Nearly 85% of Instagram’s user base is under the age of 45. If you’re trying to reach Gen X or Boomers, you’re better off focusing your efforts on Facebook.

Time spent on the platform increased from 30.1 minutes in 2022 to 33.1 minutes in 2023, indicating that people are spending more time engaging with Instagram content.

Half a billion people watch Instagram Stories on a daily basis. That’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your video appeals.

X (formerly Twitter)

Number of monthly active users: 368 million
Largest age group: 25-34 (38.5%)
Gender distribution: 37% female, 63% male 
Time spent per day: 34.1 minutes

After rebranding to X, the platform saw a 13% decline in daily active users during the first year. Despite this, people spend much more time on X than Facebook and Instagram.

Across all platforms, X has the most male users, making it the ideal platform for men-centric campaigns. 55% of people who engage with charities on Twitter end up taking some sort of action.

YouTube

Number of monthly active users: 2.491 billion
Largest age group: 25-34 (21.2%)
Gender distribution: 45.6% female, 54.4% male 
Time spent per day: 48.7 minutes

With over 14 billion monthly visits, YouTube is the world’s second-most visited website. What better reason to include it in your digital fundraising strategy?

57% of people who watch charity videos on YouTube go on to donate.

YouTube Shorts (60-second clips) receive 15 billion daily views, demonstrating that viewers are craving short-and-sweet content.

LinkedIn

Number of users: 1 billion
Largest age group: 25-34 (60%)
Gender distribution: 43.7% female, 56.3% male 

69% of users access the platform daily and 15% use it several times a week.

Millennials dominate the platform, and adoption among Gen Z population is growing as they enter the workforce. 

53% of LinkedIn users come from high-income households, making LinkedIn a potential goldmine for major donor fundraising.

TikTok

Number of monthly active users: 1.7 billion
Largest age group: 18-24 (36.2%)
Gender distribution: 49.2% female, 50.8% male (no data on other genders)
Time spent per day: 53.8 minutes

TikTok boasts the highest average time spent per day of any network. Daily time spent on the platform grew by almost 10 minutes compared to the previous year’s 45.8 minutes. That’s a fair amount of time to win potential donors over with your content.

Considering 18–26-year-olds make up the largest chunk of its user base, if you want to engage with Gen Z, TikTok is the place to do it.

The advertising potential of TikTok is huge. According to Hootsuite, ads on the platform reach 18.6% of internet users worldwide. And, when ads are created in conjunction with TikTok creators, reach increases to 26%.

Looking for a fundraiser to supercharge your digital income? We can help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email us at info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.