Corporate Giving : Two Case studies

One of the most effective ways of demonstrating best practice is through the experiences of others.

Below are two case studies from companies who have responded to emergencies using practical and successful methods.

BSkyB Case Study

In response to the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010, Sky staff worked with DEC to launch a rapid response :  the Red Button Appeal.

Sky 'Red Button' enabled Sky customers to make a donation by pressing the red button on their televion's remote control. The process was quick, easy, secure and effective.

Within the first 3 weeks of launching the campaign customers had donated a staggering £93,000 via Sky Red Button.

Internal Communications

Sky staff donated £28,000 (still rising at the time of writing) of which Sky gave another 50p for every £1 donated – to a total of £42,000.

Sky News supported the appeal with wall-to-wall coverage, presenter calls-to-action, an onscreen Red Button trigger graphic and a rolling news ticker which prompted users to donate to DEC.

Harnessing our Technical know-how

Sky’s Red Button is a powerful technology which can empower Sky customers to support the charities and causes they care about. Sky viewers don’t want to just sit back and watch TV - they want to join in, and in the case of DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal they want to take immediate action and make a difference by making a donation and pledging their support.

Previous Appeals

To date, Sky has supported a number of appeals:

• Sky launches DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal in January 2010
• Sky launches Sky Rainforest Rescue appeal in partnership with WWF in October 2009
• Sky launches DEC appeal for Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam in October 2009
• Sky launches Malaria No More UK Red Button Campaign in May 2009
• Sky launches Earth Day Red Button Appeal for charity partner Global Action Plan in April 2009
• Sky and colleagues at the Media Trust and The Community Channel launch DEC Tsunami Appeal in December 2004

For more information on what Sky is doing to take action visit the Bigger Picture website: www.sky.com/thebiggerpicture

GlaxoSmithKline Case Study

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has a well-established programme of donating medicines for community healthcare and disaster relief. The company works with charity partners that operate across the globe, who provide specialist expertise delivering appropriate medicines when disaster occurs. GSK’s planned donations enable these non-profit organisations to hold a range of medicines in their warehouses so they can establish strategic plans and respond promptly to emergency situations.

When the Tsunami happened in December 2004 GSK’s response was led by a standing emergency team, led by a senior manager from the corporate executive team, who kept the Chief Executive fully briefed and included representatives from across the company. The response was also influenced by advice from the area director.

In the first few days more than two million doses of antibiotics were shipped to all the affected areas. GSK believes that companies should focus on what they do best and what is most practical for them. The Company also believes that donations should only be made when people with local expertise have confirmed that they will be useful. The supply of medicine, especially antibiotics, is one of the most critical components in disaster response because they can directly help save lives and support the recovery effort.

Employees were keen to help and they were fully briefed about the GSK’s actions via the intranet and a dedicated web-page was created. This system worked well and more than 80,000 hits were recorded on the site. Not only did this help to reassure employees and make them aware of GSK’s significant contribution, it also meant that the Community Partnerships team was able to focus on managing the ongoing response.

GSK is a member of the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD) an alliance of donating pharmaceutical companies and humanitarian agencies who work together to encourage the timely delivery of medicines to people in need and ensure best practice