We give money and time, and share our expertise with charities working nationally and in the communities near our sites. Much of our funding is given through The Vodafone Foundation. We want our social investment to make a long-term difference to the charities we support. We aim to help charities develop their capabilities, and reach more people through the use of technology.
The Vodafone Foundation focuses its funding in three areas:
- National charities working to prevent social exclusion amongst young people between the ages of 16 and 25;
- Local charities that work in the communities close to our sites;
- Charities supported by our employees through volunteering or fundraising.
Vodafone has committed £5 million over three years to Life Choices, a programme which provides on-the-ground and online services for young people. The programme is led by Youthnet and delivered by the Foyer Federation, Rathbone and Skill.
Our approach is one of partnership, working closely with the charities and sharing our skills, expertise and learning. For example, helping them to develop services using mobile and internet technology which enable young people to get help online, by email or via their mobile phone. We have also encouraged the charities to work together, and to measure the impact of their programmes, using the London Benchmarking Group Model.
More information is available on www.vodafonefoundation.org.
Involvement
We encourage our employees to volunteer in the local community, organise fundraising events and donate to charity.
Every employee can take 24 hours paid time off each year to volunteer. Volunteering can help employees improve their skills and increase job satisfaction - especially if it requires employees to use their job-related expertise.
The Vodafone Foundation matches employee fundraising (up to £350) for their chosen charity, and every penny raised for its flagship charities.