BCBusiness

30 BCBusiness february 2016 Telus, has emerged as one of Canada's most generous and strategic-thinking corporate donors in the past decade— doling out $44 million in funding, services, products and employee time in 2014 alone. Its community- giving e„orts, combined with an omni- present advertising campaign, has helped make Telus B.C.'s second most inf luential brand, according to our Ipsos/BCBusiness survey. C or p or ate ph i l a nt h ropy h a s emerged in recent decades as a power- ful marketing tool for many of Canada's big- gest consumer-facing brands. According to Bruce McDonald, CEO of Imagine Canada— an organization that monitors charity activ- ity—corporate Canada began sta¨ng commu- nity investment depart- ments in the mid-'90s and aligning philan- thropy with strategic and business goals. In a 2008 survey conducted by Imagine, 72 per cent of respondents from a sampling of 25 Cana- dian executives said that giving helps build a strong and healthy community, which is good for business. Fifty-—ve per cent said that it is very important for their compa- ny's reputation, 45 per cent said that it is good for relationships with clients, while 28 per cent said that it is very important for recruiting and retaining employees. In recent years, there has also been a shift from hands-o„ donations to spon- sorships, as well as toward initiatives where companies provide resources and sta„ hours to support causes. In the case of Telus, of the $44.36 million the company donated in money or ser- vices in 2014, two-thirds of it went to partnerships: long-standing arrange- ments with charities like WWF or Tree Canada where Telus underwrites national programs. Sixteen per cent went to community boards, which con- sist of current and former Telus employ- ees and veterans of the not-for-pro¬it sector; in Vancouver, the board has donated $7 million to local organizations since 2005, while the board in Victoria has disbursed $2.55 million. Another eight per cent went to "cause market- ing" services that Telus o„ers its charity partners free of charge. "We try to work with partners who align with who we are as a brand," says Andrea Goetz, Telus's senior vice- president of strategic initiatives, which includes community-giving programs. "More and more, people are making decisions about which company to pur- chase products or services from based on a stance on social good and community involvement." Goet z adds that as the more socially conscious mil- lennial generation grows in importance, commu- nity partnerships will become key for Telus as it tries to inuence their decision-making. Since 2005, Telus has donated $950,000 in time and services to LGBTQ causes. In 2010, it also launched the retail brand Caya—Come As You Are—which is a series of Vancouver stores that speci—cally target LGBTQ consumers; a portion of Caya sales go to community causes like Out in Schools (which provides work- shops in schools to —ght homophobia) and QMUNITY. Stephanie Goodwin, Out in Schools' executive director, describes the relationship with Telus as deep and long-term, noting that their support has allowed her team to go into high schools outside of the Lower Mainland and train facilitators in communities like Hazelton. "It's a workshop that's fairly highly valued—and it isn't cheap, it isn't free," she says. In 2015, she estimates that her organization delivered over 100 presentations reaching 10,000 students, in 37 of B.C.'s 60 school districts. "It's important that whoever we're partnering with is willing to invest in our queer community, and that's what Telus has really done: they've made an actual investment as opposed to strictly view- ing it as a business transaction," she says. "Some companies dip in and out—Telus has been in it for the long haul." since 2005, telus has donated $950,000 in time and services to lgbtQ causes. in 2010, it also launched the retail brand caya–come as you are–which is a series of vancou- ver stores that specifically target lgbtQ consumers The BC Wildlife Federation works on behalf of all British Columbians to protect and enhance the environment for present and future generations. Your gift supports conservation and helps ensure a sustainable future for B.C.'s fish, wildlife, and habitat. Their Future is in your Hands Suzie MacMillan Development Coordinator 604-882-9988 ext 223 dev_coordinator@bcwf.bc.ca Contact us today to leave your legacy of conservation! www.bcwf.bc.ca Registered Charity # 118801315RR0001

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