While donations from individuals are always welcomed, the charitable giving of major companies has the biggest impact. Massive efforts become suddenly achievable when big corporations reach deep to offer millions of dollars in support to worthy causes. The following five generous companies are contributing to philanthropy on a variety of global fronts.
Image via Flickr by Neon Tommy
Google funds several charitable programs that incorporate technology and education. Since 2011, Google has provided $3 million to Code for America and more than $850,000 to the Bletchley Park Trust. The search engine giant donated 5,000 compact Raspberry Pi computers to children in Japan and offered a grant to the Roberta robot initiative. Google’s efforts span the globe, encouraging innovation on many fronts.
Bath & Body Works
As part of the L Brands group, Bath & Body Works operates in a sustainable and responsible way on many fronts. The brand commits itself to using vendors that meet ethical labor standards and follow sustainable environmental practices. L Brands supports community programs that mentor children and empower women. The corporation’s giving programs include Think Pink for Breast Cancer, Pelotonia for Cancer Research, and United Way.
You can extend the reach of your own charitable giving. Use coupons for Bath & Body Works products. When you make your Bath & Body Works purchases using Goodshop, 1 percent of your total purchase will go to your desired charity.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo is regularly credited for its charitable giving efforts. The company works with several community organizations and nonprofits. It donated more than $68.5 million between 2012 and 2015 in support of military personnel and veterans. In 2015 alone, Wells Fargo gave $80.1 million to support more than 7,000 educational programs.
The Wells Fargo Housing Foundation provides sustainable and affordable housing to low-to-moderate income families, while its Hands on Banking workshops provide important financial education to people and families.
Sephora
Sephora’s charitable giving program supports female entrepreneurs. The Sephora Accelerate program offers mentorships, boot camps, and business loans to enterprising women. Its Classes for Confidence program provides beauty classes to women re-entering the workforce.
Your Sephora dollars can also go toward your desired charity when you take advantage of Sephora coupons and deals through Goodshop. When you shop through this site, 2.5 percent of your Sephora purchase goes to charity. You can also find Sephora coupons and offers through Coupons For Good. You can support any cause that’s close to your heart while buying the same high quality makeup you would ordinarily use.
Apple
At Apple, the company doesn’t determine where charitable dollars go; the employees do. Apple has a matching gift program that matches employee donations up to a maximum of $10,000 annually for each of its 80,000 full-time employees. To date, this program has provided $78 million to charitable organizations. Apple also operates a volunteer grant program, donating $25 for every hour that an employee spends working with a nonprofit.
You can make sure your own spending supports these major causes simply by shopping in the right places. Adjust your buying habits and put your dollars into the hands of companies that will do the most good with them.
