Charitable Giving Statement
Charitable giving, whether in the form of money, products or time are an important part of Opus 2’s commitment to social responsibility. We are proud of our work in supporting important causes and giving back to communities through charitable giving and volunteering.
This Statement sets out Opus 2’s policy and commitment to charitable giving. This Statement outlines the scope, processes, and controls applied to charitable donations made by the the Opus 2 group of companies, to ensure they are carried out fairly, consistently and are aligned to our charitable giving strategy. In this Statement “charitable donations” refers to both monetary and product donations.
Personal fundraising for charities that are not formally supported or endorsed by Opus 2 falls outside the scope of this Statement. If Opus 2 is requested to match any amounts raised personally or if charitable activities are to be endorsed by or affiliated with Opus 2 this Statement applies and the required approvals must be obtained.
We encourage everyone across the business to contribute ideas and suggestions for ways in which Opus 2 can support and contribute to charitable causes and initiatives aligned with our Charitable Giving Strategy, and to actively participate in charitable projects and initiatives. Opus 2’s Charitable Giving Committee will review requests for Opus 2 support for a charity or requests for a charitable donation on a quarterly basis and will provide a decision within 2 weeks of the review.
Charitable Giving Committee: CEO, CFO, COO, GC, Head of HR
Opus 2’s charitable giving strategy
Over the years, we have supported a wide variety of causes and initiatives, from local charities to global organisations. This has been primarily driven by employees across the business proactively spearheading charitable activities, supported through the fantastic work done by our CSR and Staff Engagement teams. We continue to encourage this and hugely value the important work our teams do to support charitable contributions and community projects.
We are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities and causes we support. To enhance the impact of our efforts, we are adopting a new Charitable Giving Strategy which concentrates Opus 2’s contributions and donations to a select number of areas aligned with our objectives and areas of focus. By focusing on a few select areas, and ensuring we review all requests for charitable donations, in line with a clear set of criteria, we can allocate company resources more effectively and consistently, ensuring that our contributions are impactful.
Opus 2 will:
- Prioritise charitable donations and community investments which are aligned to our areas of focus and preferred organisational attributes, as set out below.
- Promote and encourage participation in the Opus 2 volunteering scheme which grants every employee one paid volunteer day a year.
- Support the efforts our CSR and Staff Engagement teams to promote charitable and community initiatives across the business.
- Recognise and celebrate individual and team charitable contributions and community impact achievements.
- Report on our charitable contributions and initiatives internally and externally.
Selected areas of focus and preferred organisational attributes
Opus’s Charitable Giving Strategy prioritises charitable donations and community investments in the below three key areas:
Education and Technology: initiatives that promote access to education and technological advancement.
Education has the power to transform lives and technology plays a crucial role in driving this progress. Over the years, Opus 2 has partnered with both local and international schools and organisations, donating IT equipment to help students and teachers enhance their educational experiences. Our aim is to support initiatives that improve access to education and equip individuals with the necessary skills and tools for success. By making technology more accessible to underserved communities, our goal is to help close the educational gap and create a more equitable society.
Social Inclusion: initiatives that aim to reduce inequality and promote opportunities and inclusion within communities.
We want to promote social inclusion to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to thrive. By supporting initiatives that reduce inequality and enhance community engagement, our goal is to contribute to building stronger, more inclusive communities.
Health: initiatives that promote health and well-being within our communities and providing assistance to individuals facing medical challenges
By prioritising initiatives that promote health and well-being, we aim to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families. We believe that a community thrives when its members are healthy and supported.
For charitable organisations, we will give preference to organisations which:
- Operate in a region where Opus 2 also operates, as this will help enable us to be more directly involved in our contribution, strengthen community relationships, and have better oversight on the level of our impact and the contribution we make through our efforts;
- Have long-term goals and objectives that are publicly communicated;
- Are legitimate registered charities and have a strong reputation in the area for which the charitable contribution is made; and
- Are transparent about their activities and report on those publicly.
To help maximise the impact of the Opus 2’s charitable contributions, we will prioritise requests that engage multiple individuals and teams, especially those seeking contributions or matching for ongoing fundraising initiatives.
Requests for charitable donations outside of these areas will continue to be reviewed and considered, but priority will be given to initiatives and projects aligned with the above areas of focus and preferred organisational attributes.
Opus 2 will not make charitable donations to:
- Organisations that discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, disability, or political affiliation;
- Religious, political or legislative organisations or to public officials;
- Causes or initiatives which incite division, to ensure our efforts prioritise initiatives that foster solidarity and understanding rather than being used to make individual or political statements.
- Projects or initiatives which constitute or create the appearance of a bribe, kickback, other corrupt practice; or
- Projects which require any confidentiality about Opus 2’s support or contribution.
Volunteering
Employees are encouraged to volunteer their time and skills to charitable causes and organisations. All employees are granted one day of volunteering leave per year to take part in voluntary activities. This day is not taken out of an employee’s holiday allowance. Employees can select a charity of their choice. While we encourage volunteering activities aligned with Opus 2’s Charitable Giving areas of focus, this is not essential. Please review Opus 2’s Volunteering Scheme Policy or speak to HR to learn more about how to use your volunteering day.
Reporting
We will capture and report on our Charitable Giving initiatives and charitable contributions periodically through the year and provide a complete report at the end of each Financial Year.
Review
This Statement will be reviewed annually and will be updated to incorporate new developments and feedback.
Published: May 2024