October 1st: Celebration of Foundations and Donors

On October 1st, we will celebrate the European Day of Foundations and Donors.

Launched by the Donors And Foundations Network in Europe in 2013, this day aims at underlining the significant works and projects that foundations do in Europe and their good, valuable impact on societies.

Many events exist to celebrate people, anniversaries, or progress that have left a significant mark on our society, right?Just like others, we think this one is worth the communication.

These past few months, especially these past two years, we have noticed how the world has changed. The sudden interest in philanthropic activities linked to the covid19 pandemic has also given visibility to many concerns for social injustices and climate urgency. Many foundations, charities, corporate purposes communities have taken the stand once again and made their voices heard even louder than before. This past summer, we witnessed disasters: floods spreading globally (not only in Belgium and Germany), wildfires, and other environmental disasters. Many people have become more conscious of how their actions affect the world. It is what foundations and charities, among others, strive to broadcast.

"We can do more. We can do better. And here's why."

We learn that social impact activities help generate employees' better well-being from many different sources and reports. Many corporations are now aware of the importance of donations and sponsorships projects. They know what a great benefit it is, both for themselves and their business. 

Ten years ago, not many companies invested in CSR or published reports on the topic in their company: reports showed that only 20% funded these initiatives. By 2016, the number of companies had increased to reach 82%. What has changed since then? Most probably the new generations of workers and their needs and expectations. Is it generational? We often mention Millennials as being more concerned by climate issues and social injustices. Is it linked to the significant number of tools that enable customers to know quickly what a brand stands for? Investing time and money in CSR and social impact causes sure is an essential signal of a company's values and culture.

CSR activities, donations projects, and social impact activities are not launched anymore by charities and foundations. But their work is always worth mentioning as they're the ones launching more and more initiatives.

The purpose of October 1st is to showcase the many efforts and initiatives that foundations, charities, volunteering and donations communities, and philanthropists do. 
We thought it was equally important to present how our customers do good for society and the environmental causes that matter to their employees and communities.

Novo Nordisk and its Haemophilia Foundation

The NNHF aims at improving the quality of life of people struggling with hemophilia and allied bleeding disorders, especially in developing and emerging countries. It represents more than 300 programs launched in 79 countries. In 2020, the Foundation celebrated its 15th anniversary and took this opportunity to highlight 15 inspiring stories about their valuable work, values, and actions. Haemophilia is a rare condition affecting the blood's ability to clot; the needs of this community are essential. As more than 80% of people touched by this condition live in developed countries, many cannot have adequate healthcare. The NNHF aims at providing them the care they deserve and the proper treatment, no matter where they live. 

In 2021, the Foundation approved seven new projects in various places: Honduras, Laos, South Africa, etc. Moreover, as the covid19 situation has caused even more struggle for these populations, with even more complex access to healthcare, the Foundations had to work twice as hard to protect the hemophilia communities. With these values of social equality in the care system and access to treatments and the numerous projects developed with the help of experts, the Foundation launched by Novo Nordisk manages a lot of various projects worth discovering. 

Veolia Environmental Trust

Born in 1997, the Veolia Environmental Trust constantly supports community and environmental projects in England. 

Climate change and environmental issues are ongoing topics. The Foundation funds various projects linked to community building or preserving Nature, supporting biodiversity, etc. 

Tree Planting and Habitation restoration, for instance, represent the kind of projects that the Foundation supports. But not only. Lately, the Veolia Environmental Trust has brought support to the species reintroduction project led by WildwoodTrust. Since its creation, Veolia has represented more than 2,400 projects, all linked to environmental issues led by associations that strive for a better place. These projects are worth supporting and looking at, especially in this period of climate instability and the COP26 approaching. ‍

And all the others

At Optimy, we're all passionate and motivated by social impact and CSR topics. With our all-in-one platform, we aim at making it possible for companies, foundations, charities, philanthropists, etc., to manage their grants, volunteering, donations, and other projects. All our customers are developing exciting and motivating projects that we always follow closely. You can found out more about them here.