Summary
BNY Mellon is an investments company. They provide investment management, investment services and wealth management that help institutions and individuals succeed in markets all over the world. Smile Foundation and the Indian branch of BNY Mellon together developed an employee engagement activity, through which the employees of the corporate participated in an activity with the children in one of the programmes of Smile Foundation. The activities included pottery painting, making a straw or a newspaper tower, a caterpillar race. The employees also did a role play with the children about: how to use a bank account, how to write a cheque, the habit of saving. Smile received corporate and individual donations towards their work with children.
Tips and lessons learned
1. An employee engagement activity involves lots of back end work with lots of planning, which is time consuming, but if all goes well it is also a very rewarding activity for everyone involved.
2. If both the children and the employees enjoy themselves and have some real learning and fun, the chances of continued support increase.
3. Employee engagement very often also leads to individual donations by the employees.
4. Try to organise activities that are new, innovative and simple at the same time.
5. Prepare a time line for all the back work which needs to be done in time; you cannot compromise on that.
Review by Wilde Ganzen Foundation
This is a good example of an employee engagement activity, resulting in financial support for one of Smile´s programmes for children. If the activities are enjoyable for both parties involved, the chances of continuation of the engagement and support are very high. The time investment to develop a programme like this and keep it going is not to be underestimated.
Details
Objectives
1. To build a relationship with a new donor.
2. To raise funds for one of Smile´s programmes for children.
3. To receive more funds from the corporate in future by involving them in other ways of fundraising as well.
4. To add credibility to Smile Foundation by associating with a renowned corporate brand and using the same in future to showcase the good work Smile is doing to other prospective donors.
Targeted donors
BNY Mellon and its employees.
Results
| Cost/benefit |
National currency (INR |
Euro |
| Total amount raised |
185,000 |
3,053 |
| (-) Total amount invested |
70,000 |
1,155 |
| Net amount raised |
115,000 |
1,898 |
Accounting details
The costs were reimbursed by the corporate.
Result comments
Smile Foundation not only uses employee engagement to involve a corporate and its employees in their work, but also asks that corporate to refer them to other corporates and give references. At every event pictures are taken that later on can be used as a marketing tool to tap new corporates.
Description of preparatory work
1. Proposal and presentation making.
2. Coordination with the corporate for proposal approval and signing the deal.
3. Keeping in touch with everyone involved in arranging the event with the children.
4. Booking a venue, ordering lunch, purchasing the necessary materials and gifts.
5. Coordinating with programme team for kids´ availability and participation.
6. Preparing the event flow with the corporate.
Description of implementation
1. Ensuring the presence of the children and participating volunteers of the corporate.
2. Ensuring the event flow going smooth and on time.
3. Post event settling of accounts with all the vendors.
4. Sharing event report and thank you mail to all participating employees and the corporate.
5. Maintaining donor relationship through good donor nurturing by paying a visit to the donor once every two months and sending regular updates.
