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6 companies giving back
to their community:
CSR Champions

Bronte Phillipps | 9 MAR 2021

The pandemic has proven that Australian people and businesses can overcome adversity and give back to their community even in the toughest of times, emerging as local heroes in their communities.

The for-profit sector is the backbone of the Australian economy, and when businesses take their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seriously, they can create lasting social change that benefits the whole society.

Despite the difficulties of recent times, we saw several of our corporate partners rise to the challenge and join forces with not just The Fred Hollows Foundation, but also other charities and community groups to support worthy causes. Here are six companies who are giving back to their community.
 
 
COVER PHOTO: The Fred Hollows Foundation

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 1. JB Hi-Fi

JB Hi-Fi won two awards during Workplace Giving Australia’s 2020 Workplace Giving Excellence Awards. This annual event recognises high performing workplace giving programs in Australia. JB Hi-Fi was awarded Best Overall Program and Best Innovation.  

JB Hi-Fi is not only Australia’s largest home entertainment retailer, but also has highly engaged employees who take part in their Helping Hands workplace giving program in large numbers. With 75% of the company participating in the program, JB Hi-Fi has raised more than $23 million for numerous charities since 2008. 

The staff at JB Hi-Fi have donated over $2 million towards The Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program since 2010. 

When COVID19 caused nationwide lockdowns in early 2020, JB Hi Fi sent a heartwarming video message, where the employees thanked charities for the work they were doing, while coping with the restrictions posed by the pandemic.
 


2. Specsavers

Specsavers and The Foundation have partnered since 2011, with a shared vision that everyone deserves access to high quality and affordable eye care and eyewear.

The Specsavers Community Program raises significant funds, supporting The Foundation’s sight-restoring work in some of the most remote and under-serviced communities in Australia.

Specsavers stores all around Australia donate a portion of their glasses sales, contributing to Closing the Gap in eye health that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples experience.

Despite a challenging year, Specsavers still committed to launching Limited Edition Frames in support of The Fred Hollows Foundation, showcasing the work of contemporary Aboriginal artist, Rheanna Lotter aka Ngandabaa.

Not only did these frames sell out in record time, they also raised $125,000 to help improve the eye health of Australia’s First Peoples.
 
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Photo: The Fred Hollows Foundation
 


3. Thick as Thieves

Thick as Thieves is a music event company that has been fundraising for The Fred Hollows Foundation since 2012. During this time it has raised $1,022,517 for The Foundation to help restore sight to some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

Thick as Thieves Founder and Director, Mike Toner, and his team have been leveraging their relationships with international music artists like Carl Cox, to host events with the profits from ticket sales going to The Foundation’s work to end avoidable blindness. 

With music events on hold because of COVID-19, Thick as Thieves decided to run their own marathon event in late 2020, called Quick as Thieves. Participants from the music community challenged themselves and improved their fitness, and raised $235,000 for The Foundation.

Mike Toner’s passion for our cause is incredibly inspiring: “When we think that we can change this [restore sight] for as little as $25, we not only have an opportunity, but an obligation to change this,” Mike says.
 
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Photo: The Fred Hollows Foundation
 


4. Sunny Money

Sunny Money is a residential solar company focused on reducing energy prices for all Australians through renewable energy.

Sunny Money cares deeply about our planet and its people. With climate change a real threat to our survival, Australia’s move to renewable energy is more important than ever. For each solar panel that is installed by Sunny Money, $1 is donated to The Fred Hollows Foundation to restore sight. 

Companies that are willing to invest in alternative sources of energy are vital not just to our economy, but to our way of life. Sunny Money believes that it is our responsibility to care for the natural environment for future generations, and solar energy is a way to do this.
 


5. EHPLabs

EHPlabs is a global sports supplement brand dedicated to researching and formulating the highest quality products in the fitness industry. ‘EHP’ stands for ‘Empowered Human Potential’ and they strive to live by their ethos ‘we rise by lifting others’.
 
In an effort to empower its community and create equal opportunity products, EHPlabs has introduced Braille to one of its most recent products, OxyWhey Lean Wellness Protein, with a portion of all sales of this product being donated to The Fred Hollows Foundation.
 


6. Be A Runner

Be A Runner is a coaching and training group that empowers all runners to be the best they can be. 

In 2020, Be A Runner provided pro-bono training guides for Fred’s Big Run, a virtual event where participants walked or ran 25km, 50km or 100km for the month of August. 

They helped train more than 7000 participants to prepare for The Foundation’s virtual fundraising event, which went on to raise over $1.8 million to restore sight, equip hospitals, and train eye health workers in 25 countries worldwide.

“Fred’s Big Run gave us the opportunity to share our passion and expertise about running, and we are delighted with the fundraising achieved through the event. We look forward to our continued partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation,” says Blayne Arnold, Be A Runner coach.
 
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Photo: Aurora Sice
 


How can my business make a difference?

A robust CSR approach is more valuable than ever to businesses. People are increasingly aware about the importance of ethical choices. Everyone expects more from their workplace, their politicians, the not-for-profits they support, and the businesses where they buy goods and services. 

As a business, you can fulfill your corporate social responsibility by joining forces with a charitable organisation, like The Fred Hollows Foundation. If you want to become a major corporate partner and support our sight-restoring work.
 
Want to partner with us? Fill in the form below and someone from our Partnerships team will be in touch soon with more information.
 


How can I ask the business I work for to make a difference?

If you are an employee who wants to encourage their company to support a worthy cause, you can look into Workplace giving, which allows you to make small donations to The Fred Hollows Foundation on a regular basis directly from your pre-tax pay. It is a simple, low cost and effective way to help people who need your support the most.
 

 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bronte Phillipps - The Fred Hollows Foundation

Bronte is a Partnerships professional working at The Fred Hollows Foundation. Since she was just 12 years old, Bronte aspired to work at The Foundation, and is now proud that she's a key member of The Foundation's partnerships team, supporting the work of ending avoidable blindness around the world.