Corporate giving is good for companies.
Any type of donation a company makes plays a strategic role and represents added value that is recognised by public opinion. The positive impact of corporate giving has various aspects: primarily, donations are made to put beneficial actions into effect, but at the basis of this ethical choice there is also an awareness that they will increase the reputation of a company and the relative brand value. Donating also gives value to the relationship with all its stakeholders, including employees, who are sometimes required to take action themselves to develop team spirit, organisation and the feeling of belonging.
Corporate social responsibility is synonymous with cultural and social growth and is an element that is deeply felt also in our segment. In this series of case histories we will see examples of how it has developed.
The foundations
Our analysis must start with those entities that are structured through actual foundations.
The oldest-running example comes from the Carl Zeiss Group and its Carl Zeiss Foundation, whose statute since 1896 states that corporate profits must benefit the University and the citizens of Jena in Germany (Editor’s note: the Group’s headquarters). Since 1891, the sole owner of Carl Zeiss AG is a foundation, Carl Zeiss Stiftung. It is one of the largest German foundations for the promotion of science. Still today, the Group’s activities are strongly focused on innovation and research: contributing to the technological progress of humanity is an aspect of strong social import for the Group. In fact its innovations always benefit people. At the international level, the Group continues to focus on this theme by enabling various initiatives in corporate social responsibility and other areas.
Another international entity with an actual foundation is the De RigoGroup. Set up in 2018, the De Rigo H.E.ART (Health Education and Art for Youth) supports young people so that they can enjoy the inalienable right to health and education, and also stimulates the development of their individual personalities by subsidising artistic and cultural activities.
Focusing on the extremely sensitive issue of drugs, the Sam Vance Foundation was set up in 1997 by Sheila Vance - founder and designer of Sama Eyewear - in memory of her son, Sam, who lost his life to heroin when he was a nineteen-year-old freshman at U.C.L.A.
Over the years, the Sam Vance Foundation has helped countless adolescents and young adults to overcome their addiction to drugs. Sheila Vance’s enthusiasm and tenacity are infectious and numerous celebrities, including Andy Garcia, William Shatner, and Lynda Obst, have been members of the Foundation’s board of directors.
In addition to its efforts against drug use, the Sam Vance Foundation also contributes to numerous humanitarian institutions and foundations.
The model that involves employees
Another virtuous example in the sector is the call to action of employees: a unique tool for promoting team spirit and increasing the company’s external image.
An example in this direction is the Safilo Group that for 18 years has collaborated with the Special Olympics (Editor’s note: the partnership was recently renewed for the next 3 years), the international non-profit organisation dedicated to transforming the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. The initiative focused not only on the donation of frames, but also on the personal commitment of the Group’s employees who took part as volunteers, and tangible initiatives linked to the organisation of the Opening Eyes events in aid of athletes affected by intellectual disabilities.
Moreover, Safilo recently signed an agreement with Save the Children, the international organisation that for over 100 years has been fighting to save young children at risk and guarantee a future for them. In Italy, the Group will support Save the Children’s Punti Luce network, high-intensity educational centres where children and teenagers between 6 and 16 can play and have free access to cultural, recreational and sporting activities every day.
Another interesting programme is Buy a Frame, Help a Child to See, the result of the collaboration between MODO and the Seva Foundation. Through the sale of eyeglasses, MODO supports Seva’s efforts in paediatric eye care for the benefit of children at schools in low-income countries. The programme’s core activities include vision screening at school provided by ophthalmic nurses, secondary checks at partner hospitals for children who need additional care, and education for teachers and families regarding conditions, treatments and the importance of wearing eyeglasses. The programme partners develop long-term relationships with the schools to enable the annual screening of students, early diagnosis and treatment, and monitoring the use of eyeglasses.
The hybrid model: Essilor-Luxottica
Essilor-Luxottica have also created an interesting project. In May 2019, following the merger of the two companies, OneSight, the non-profit organisation founded and supported by Luxottica, extended its partnership with Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) with the aim of fighting vision defects throughout the world and helping people to see the beauty of life. Thanks to this global collaboration, 50 Essilor employees joined forces with Luxottica colleagues as volunteers in 16 ophthalmic clinics in various parts of the world. In parallel, EVF will offer Luxottica employees over 300 positions for taking part in over 80 volunteer initiatives programmed throughout the world between now and the end of the year: in this way people can have a hands-on experience of Essilor’s philanthropic programme and the inclusive business activities of 2.5 NVG.
Unity is strength
There are structured models that envisage the inclusion of different types of products in charity projects. An example is the Vanni eyewear brand which, together with lens manufacturer BBGR Italia S.p.A. - Galileo prescription lenses, has recentlytaken part in the “Uniforyoureyes - The University for your eyes” project, the free vision analysis service and eye examinations promoted by Bicocca District, the network that encompasses entities operating in the territory, and Municipio 9, Milan. The initiative enables residents whose economic status is particularly fragile to undergo checks and obtain the eyeglasses they need at no cost.
In the light of this brief analysis, we can state with some pride that we are a virtuous sector also with regard to corporate giving and that despite this period of global problems, it has not stopped making ethical choices.