Small companies can achieve big results

Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) is an employment and training specialist with nearly 800 employees, and offices across the UK. It may not be the largest organisation CAF works with but certainly makes a big impact with its CAF Give As You Earn scheme.

After achieving a Platinum Payroll Giving Quality Mark in 2012 and 2013, Phil Pemble shares his insight into the philosophy behind the success of its CAF Give As You Earn scheme.

"Payroll Giving is the cornerstone of our charitable giving activity. We support many fundraising events and match fund individual employee fundraising challenges but for us our CAF Give As You Earn payroll giving scheme is definitely the focus of giving something back to our communities.

"57% of staff signed-up to give this way, and in less than 10 years our employees have donated £225,000 into a fund which has been distributed to no less than 650 different causes. For an organisation of our size we believe we have an incredibly generous workforce."

PPDG uses its CAF Give As You Earn scheme as its primary source of community support. Although there is no limitation to their choice our employees are encouraged to nominate those charities they believe will benefit most from the fund. Quite often these are small and local charities close to the employees hearts or aligned to the work of PPDG. By suggesting causes where access to funding streams is harder to come by, their donation can provide a lasting legacy.

"In order to get buy-in and maintain levels of involvement, our employees, who constitute the members of the scheme, are inevitably in control of where donations are made. You must empower those contributing by presenting the capability to decide where their charitable money is spent."

Given the high percentage of employees donating through PPDG’s CAF Give As You Earn scheme and the continual flow of nominations for donations, the organisation is clearly engaging its employees with the initiative and encouraging on-going sign up.

So what can other organisations learn from PPDG’s approach to payroll giving?

• Integrate payroll giving alongside other charitable activities to create a united approach
• Empower your employees - give them the ultimate choice of which charities your business supports and involve them in the giving process
• Consider smaller, local charities and look at ways to work with them beyond financial donations to help get your employees and your brand into your local community
• Positive PR is a natural by-product of giving. Your brand can definitely be enhanced through the exposure achieved and always through internal communication mechanisms
• Show your employees the difference their donations are making. PPDG invite participants to a ‘Seeing is Believing’ visit
• Congratulate your employees and celebrate your achievements with a Payroll Giving Quality Mark
• Never be complacent, always strive to achieve more with your charitable giving, even with 57% of their employee giving PPDG constantly promote their scheme with a target of two thirds of their employees giving through their CAF Give As You Earn.
• Encourage putting your charitable roots a mile deep for the perfect business platform

"Anecdotally we believe our low employee turnover rate and high levels of satisfaction are in part due to our charitable activities. Experience shows us that candidates at interview often cite our charitable activities as a reason for wishing to join the business. Our CAF Give As You Earn scheme has helped create a culture of successful charitable giving yet is simple and efficient to administer."

If your company would benefit from CAF Give As You Earn, please call us on 03000 123 000 or contact us.