Craigs donates record $194,000 to local charities this Christmas

Craigs Investment Partners and its employees have donated a record $194,000 to charities this Christmas, marking a significant milestone for their Workplace Giving initiative. The achievement underscores Craigs’ commitment to supporting the local communities in which it operates.

Growth of Workplace Giving

Workplace Giving allows Craigs’ employees to donate a portion of their monthly paycheque to support charities in their community. Craigs matches these donations, up to $500 per employee per year. Since 2019, $150,000 was donated each year to community groups across its nationwide branch locations at Christmas.

Craigs CEO, Simon Tong, explains the growth of the programme. “Our people are so supportive of the programme that employee contributions and Craigs’ matching means that this year we can distribute $194,000 to communities throughout New Zealand.”

Supporting charities nationwide

“Last year we collectively supported 88 charities during a difficult economic environment, and we saw first-hand the impact our contributions were having,” said Tong.

Nearly 300 employees across all 19 branches participate in Workplace Giving, with each branch distributing their funds to charities within their region. As a kiwi-grown business, Craigs places immense value on supporting the local communities in which it operates.

Now in its sixth year, Craigs Workplace Giving has collectively donated $944,000 to charities nationwide.

Local insight

Workplace Giving donations are held and distributed by the Acorn Foundation, one of 18 Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand of which Craigs is a founding partner.

Craigs’ Head of People and Performance, Angie Smith, explains the distribution process: “Our local Craigs’ branches work with the Community Foundation in their area to determine where our donations will have the greatest impact. Their community insight is invaluable in ensuring our donations benefit local charities effectively.”

Celebrating 40 Years of Community Support

Craigs celebrates its 40^th anniversary this year and Smith says supporting local communities has always been at the heart of the Craigs’ story. Recently the firm introduced a paid day of volunteer leave each year, the ‘Craigs Community Day’.

“Through our Workplace Giving initiative and partnership with the Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand, employees have been able to financially support causes alongside Craigs for several years. Now, with the Craigs Community Day, we are also supporting them to contribute their time,” said Smith.

A milestone achievement

Tong reflects, “Our staff are incredibly proud of the Workplace Giving milestone. It’s gratifying to see the collective efforts of employees and the business making such a positive impact on deserving charities throughout the country.”

See below for the full list of charities chosen by each Craigs branch.

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