Support from High Street Shops and Retail Stores

 

Stores often support community projects through giving cash, services or goods, allowing collections in store, encouraging staff support.
If you cannot find information ask at your local store. The manager is often the best first contact. Use the web links and directions to find full details on their websites.

 

Who are they?

Many high street shops and retail stores support the voluntary sector. How they do this varies.

Who can apply?

This varies. Some stores have organised and structured application procedures however most are less formal. Most like to fund things of local interest. If in doubt ask at your local store.  Some support chosen national charities. Information on their policy is usually found on websites under corporate/company information or community pages.

What do they fund?

Many stores don't have published donation policies.  Mostly they cover a wide range of good causes, or attempt to deal with each appeal on its own merits. There may be informal ways they can help or small pots of money to support the community that they hold that are not widely advertised.

How do you apply?

Personal contact can help.  Find out about the store and what they offer either through looking at their website or by phone.  Applications are usually made in writing. Use a personal letter. Find out who you need to write to by name.

How much?

Stores vary considerably in the amount they will give. Some provide core funding of hundreds of thousands of pounds to national high profile charities and so avoid helping locally. Others only give small donations to projects in the communities they where they have a presence. It is useful to know their giving patterns so you avoid asking for an inappropriate amount.  If it is not clear ask.

 

Pros:

Cons:

Little bureaucracy

May depend on personal contacts

Can often respond quite quickly

Usually small amounts

Minimal monitoring required

Some causes more popular than others, e.g. children's toy appeals do better than work with offenders

 

 

Why do stores give to voluntary and community organisations?

 

Giving is just part of what they now term ‘Corporate Responsibility’. This also covers their impact on the environment and on the communities where they operate, their terms and conditions for suppliers and the working conditions for their workers.

 

The give for a variety of reasons:

·         philanthropy

·         to generate goodwill in the communities where they have a presence

·         to develop a particular image for the company – association with helping schools or hospitals, funding sport and activity, sponsoring opera or theatre

·         to help market their services – computers for schools tokens, low price or free software for charities, 2p for sport when you buy a chocolate bar

·         to support their staff and develop their relationship with them – time off for charity activity, encouraging their collections for charity

·         to take advantage of tax concessions – payroll giving, matching employee donations

·         to pass on unsold goods or recycle - supermarkets donating perishable foods to those working with the poor or homeless, passing replaced office equipment to charities

 

Many stores are becoming pro-active in their support for good causes - setting their priorities well in advance and pro-actively choosing the causes they will support, rather than simply responding to requests.

How do stores give?

 

As you see stores do not just give money, they give support in a variety of other ways. They also support their employees and their community interests.

 

Apart from organised funding, companies may offer help such as:

·         Donations

·         Regular giving from staff salary

·         Gifts in kind - Do-it-Yourself stores may give materials for repairing a community centre.

·         Support for volunteers – community clean up events, painting the village hall

·         Staff involvement - paid time for staff to give to voluntary work/projects

·         Secondment of skilled staff offering skills and company expertise – accountancy, lawyers time, fundraising

·         Sponsorship of local events

·         Providing premises for collections

·         Giving surplus stock

 

Why stores may not give?

 

Corporate image is very important.  Companies do not like to court controversy.  They like to be associated with causes that are simple to understand and universally popular. Sport for children is more likely to be supported than drug rehabilitation. They will probably avoid giving to animal rights organisations or for political ends. It is worth considering where you fit in the popularity stakes before you start. Unpopular causes may be better placed when applying to trusts and foundations.

 

Key:

·         % Members of the UK percent club giving 1% of UK pre tax profit for community activity

·         I  International interest

·         C In store collections, in-store advertising, customer support schemes

·         S Sponsorship, Arts, Sport, Events, etc

·         N Supporting and/or sponsoring a national charity(ies)

·         P  Supporting staff participation, community interests and/or matching donations, payroll giving

·         T Discounts on purchases for supported charities and community groups

·         L  Supporting local charities in the communities they operate – ask at local branch, outlet, factory, etc.

·         D Donations for community groups

·         F Foundation or trust requiring formal application

·         V Provide expertise, paid volunteers from staff, or secondment

·         K Gifts in kind, prizes for raffles

·         A Awards and prizes, sponsorship or funding through partner voluntary organisations  

 

Supermarkets

 

 

Asda

Website:                http://asdacares.gpalm.co.uk/community/community_load.html

Interests:               safety, health, community

Key:                    C,N,P,L,D,F

 

Booths

Website:                http://www.booths-supermarkets.co.uk/sponsorship_requests.html

Interests:               not stated

Key:                  L

 

Budgens – now a franchise network

No information available. Try asking in store.

 

Co-operative

Website:                http://asdacares.gpalm.co.uk/community/community_load.html

Interests:               anti-social behaviour, crime, education, health, community

Key:                    C,P,T,L,D,K

 

Cost Cutter - franchise network

No information available. Try asking in store.

 

Farmfoods

No information on website. Try asking in store.

Interests:               community, donations as vouchers

Key:                    C,D,K

 

Iceland – now part of Marks & Spencer Group (see below)

Website:                http://www.iceland.co.uk

 

John Lewis Partnership – Waitrose

Website:               

http://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/Display.aspx?&MasterId=1dd2227d-9e14-40ff-9b3d-e80e9c80d6c5&NavigationId=621

Interests:               youth, learning, environment, music, community

Key:                        N,P,L,D

 

Lidl

No information available. Try asking in store.

 

Marks & Spencer

Website:               

http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/node/n/43436031?ie=UTF8&mnSBrand=core

Interests:               emergency aid, community self help

Key:                        S,N,P,L,K

 

Morrisons - Safeway

Website:                http://www.morrisons.co.uk/Corporate/

Interests:               emergency aid, community

Key:                        I,C,N,P,L,D

 

Netto

No information available. Try asking in store.

Address:                Netto Foodstores Ltd, Elmsall Way, South Elmsall, Nr Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF9 2XX

 

Sainsburys

Website:                http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/cr/index.asp?pageid=13

Interests:               food, family, health, sport, children, schools, partnership with Comic Relief

Key:                        N,L,D,K,A

 

Somerfield – Kwik Save

Website:                http://www.somerfield.co.uk/ourcommunity/index.asp

Interests:               health, partners with Comic Relief, BBC Children in Need

Key:                        I,N,P

 

Tesco

Website: http://www.tescocorporate.com/page.aspx?pointerid=A0E1C75E640440C3B3B3E6F4E945C786

Interests:               children

Key:                        %,C,N,P,F

 

High Street Shops and Retail Stores

 

Argos

Website:                http://www.argos.co.uk/static/StaticDisplay/includeName/AboutArgos.jsp.htm

Interests:               hospices, children at risk, community in partnership, no donations or gifts in kind

Key:                        N,L

 

B&Q

Website: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/templates/content_lookup.jsp?content=/aboutbandq/2004/social_responsibility/store_neighbourhoods.jsp&menu=aboutbandq

Interests:               own schemes, Better Neighbour Grant Scheme, 'You Can Do It' Awards, waste donation scheme

Key:                        L,D,K,A

 

Body Shop

Website:

http://www.thebodyshopinternational.com/Values+and+Campaigns/Our+Values/

Interests:               international, human rights, environment, also through Body Shop Foundation

Key:                        I,N,P,L,V

 

Boots

Website:                http://www.boots-plc.com/main.asp?pid=1470

Interests:               health, community and through Boots Charitable Trust

Key:                        N,L,D,F

 

Clarks

Website:                http://www.clarks.co.uk/

Interests:               Aids/HIV through Soul of Africa

Key:                        I

 

Comet

Website: http://www.kesaelectricals.com/default.aspx?m=8&mi=134&title=Social%20Responsibility

Interests:               employment, training through Envie, medical research

Key:                        N,S,A

 

Debenhams

Website:                Try asking in store.

Interests:               national partner

Key:                        N

 

Dixons Group – Dixons, PC World, Currys, The Link

Website: http://dsgportal01.dixons.co.uk/wps/portal/!ut/p/.cmd/cs/.ce/7_0_A/.s/7_0_ID/_s.7_0_A/7_0_ID

Interests:               community, education through DSG international Foundation

Key:                        N,D,F,K

 

Dorothy Perkins

Website:                http://www.dorothyperkins.co.uk/promostores/dp/2006/

Interests:               breast cancer, national partner

Key:                        N

 

Gap

Website:                http://www.gapinc.com/public/SocialResponsibility/sr_community.shtml

Interests:               community, children, youth through Gap Foundation

Key:                        P,L,D,F,K

 

HMV

Try asking in store.

Interests:               national partners.

Key:                        N

 

H Samuel

Website:                http://www.hsamuel.co.uk/webstore/static/about/charity.do

Interests:               carers, national partner

Key:                        N

 

Jessops

Website:                http://www.jessops.com/corporate/clic.cfm

Interests:               children’s cancer care through CLIC

Key:                        N

 

McDonalds

Website:                http://www.rmhc.org/content/rmhc/index/programs.html

UK                      http://www.rmhc.org/app_controller_rmhc.rmhcchapter_intl.rmhcchapter_intl.html

Interests: children, health & wellbeing through Ronald McDonald House Charities

Key:                        I,N,L

 

Next

Website:                http://www.next.co.uk/pdfs/CSRR.pdf

Interests:               health, youth, fashion

Key:                        L,N,V,K

 

Richer Sounds

Website:                http://www.persula.org/

Interests:               all funding through Persula Foundation, research using own expertise

Key:                        F,V

 

Superdrug

Website:                http://www.aswatson.com/eng/corp_community_europe.htm#superdrug

Interests:               national partner, health

Key:                        I,N

 

Thomas Cook

Website:

http://www.thomascookgroup.com/AniteNextPage.asp?p=TCGHOME&s=701852193

Interests:               national partner, ethical travel

Key:                        N

 

Thorntons

Try asking in store.

Interests: national partner

Key: N

 

Virgin

No information available. Try asking in store.

 

WH Smith

Website:                http://www.whsmithplc.com/grp/WHSPLC-CR6.htm

Interests:               education, human potential though WH Smith Trust

Key:                        P,L,F

 

Key:

·         % Members of the UK percent club giving 1% of UK pre tax profit for community activity

·         I  International interest

·         C In store collections, in-store advertising, customer support schemes

·         S Sponsorship, Arts, Sport, Events, etc

·         N Supporting and/or sponsoring a national charity(ies)

·         P  Supporting staff participation, community interests and/or matching donations, payroll giving

·         T Discounts on purchases for supported charities and community groups

·         L  Supporting local charities in the communities they operate – ask at local branch, outlet, factory, etc.

·         D Donations for community groups

·         F Foundation or trust requiring formal application

·         V Provide expertise, paid volunteers from staff, or secondment

·         K Gifts in kind, prizes for raffles

·         A Awards and prizes, sponsorship or funding through partner voluntary organisations  

 

Information supplied by www.fit4funding.org.uk from The Charities Information Bureau. Further help and information about funding is available on the fit4funding website.