Our Business of Giving
Our philosophy around giving is summed up in this simple yet powerful quote from a really smart guy somewhere back in history:
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”
After some research and discussion around what form our giving could take we decided we would contribute in a few key ways that align with our Blacksmith purpose and values:
- Pro-bono work with community, charitable and non-profit organisations that are doing their bit to make the world a better workplace in their own special way;
- The B1G1 program (principally education, skill development, social entrepreneurship and financial literacy); and
- Y for Youth (educating, motivating, and mentoring youth to fulfill their potential).
Rather than assigning a set budget each year for ‘corporate social responsibility’, the B1G1 transactional giving program allows us to give effortlessly throughout the year based on our business success.
B1G1 links our services directly to the charitable projects we choose from the 600+ initiatives in 22 countries around the world. And better still, the program gives us the flexibility to choose a cause that we believe aligns specifically with each of our clients organisational purpose, values and what matters to them.
Every time we generate an invoice to a client, a portion of the $ amount goes directly to a charity of our choice and we get to share that ‘giving story’ with our client. They in turn can share the story with their people and demonstrate the positive impact that’s being be made not only to their business but in the lives of others.
Simply by doing business, we’re making a difference!
B1G1 might be just the way you could make a difference. Find out more about the B1G1 giving program by clicking on the banner below.
We are proud to be on the Advisory Board for Y for Youth as well as being Founding Angel 001! Y for YOUTH is an innovative new model of cause-marketing and philanthropy, a ‘unifying resource engine’ to provide sustainable funding flow for Youth development organizations and programs. Y for YOUTH is dedicated to advancing organizations that serve the purpose of educating, motivating, and mentoring youth to fulfill their potential.
Y for YOUTH – OBJECTIVES
1. To create ongoing revenue that is not dependent on large one off donations, campaigns and events to provide sustained funding for youth development programs.
2. To provide a philanthropic system that results in a measurable increase in sales, public perception and profitability for all participating Y for YOUTH companies and brands.
3. To provide a system that empowers consumers to make a positive difference and support youth programs through the products and services they purchase.
4. To create a well-known and publicized organization and brand supported by the entire community that fosters long-term relationships that benefit all stakeholders.
5. To provide a documented template of systems and methodology with the intention of being duplicated and scaled internationally.
“We cannot build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 – 1945)
If educating, enabling and empowering youth to build a better future for themselves is in line with your personal and organisational purpose and values, then Y for Youth might be just the way you could make a difference.