Plenty of people like to volunteer and give back to the community around the holidays. In particular, small business owners often take the opportunity to indulge in a little bit of philanthropy. It’s rarer for big businesses to embrace corporate social responsibility and do the same, but it does happen. A few corporations in particular have gone above and beyond this year, and it’s worth taking a minute to think about their contributions.
Disney Shares the Joy
Disney is choosing to embrace the holiday spirit by working with a variety of charitable foundations. The company’s “Share the Joy” program starts with a donation of one million dollars to Feeding America, a charity that fights against malnutrition by providing healthy food to families in need. Disney is also sponsoring Family Volunteer Day, which sees entire families coming together to work for the betterment of their community.
Disney has a long history of working with toy companies and embracing corporate social responsibility, so it’s not surprising that the company is continuing its support for Toys For Tots. Disney has been working with the foundation for decades, starting when Walt Disney personally designed the foundation’s logo in 1948. That was the start of a long tradition of philanthropy that has lasted to this day.
Walmart Supports Toy Drives
Walmart is always busy during the holidays, but the company is still finding time to support the community. The company does most of its giving through the Walmart Foundation, which provides funding for community projects through grants. It also supports toy drives and other festive efforts by allowing them to operate in and around stores, which makes it easy for customers to donate as they shop.
The Telegraph Calls for Support
There’s more to charity than simply writing a big number of a check. Media companies can use their assets to bring attention to worthy causes, and that can raise far more money than any company could afford to donate. The Telegraph is launching its 27th Christmas charity appeal to raise money for Blue Cross, Heads Together, and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Christmas Charity. The telegraph’s efforts have a long history of success, so this program is likely to fund these charities for a long time to come.
The Thomas Smith Group Swims for Charity
The Thomas Smith Group is one of the world’s largest shipping companies, so it’s understandable that they’d find a way to raise money on the water. The company is holdings its annual charity swim, a tradition which usually involves several hundred swimmers with multiple sponsors each. It’s a fun way to raise money and draw attention to the need for philanthropy at the same time, and the spectacle of the swim encourages people to donate money to the cause. The event has found so much success that the Thomas Smith Group has been running it for almost twenty years, and the campaign is showing no signs of slowing down.