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    Case StudiesCase Studies

    Payroll Giving - Sydney Water

    Name of Entity Sydney Water
    Background
    • Sydney Water provides essential water and wastewater services from Pittwater in the north of Sydney, to Gerroa in the south, and west to Mt Victoria in the western Blue Mountains.
    • Sydney Water and its employees are committed to working with and supporting the community and wanted to boost their existing ten-year old employee donor program.
    • The key benefit for Sydney Water was that Payroll Giving offers complete donor preference. This meant that their 3,800 staff could support any tax-deductible not-for-profit organisation in Australia, without creating any additional work for their payroll.
    • An important secondary benefit was the ease of the program administration.
    • Allan Andrews, Project Manager for the program says: "Sydney Water decided to sign up and promote the program as it makes giving so easy for employees. When implemented through CAF, it is simple for a company of any size to run a Payroll Giving program."
    Objective

    The main objective was to revitalise the program and to encourage more employees to give regularly to their favourite not-for-profit organisation(s).
    Strategy
    • To encourage participation, Sydney Water decided to match - dollar for dollar - all new donations for the first six months of the program.
    • CAF's representative helped Sydney Water set up the administration of the program, and plan the promotion; the program launched at a city event with the help of Sydney Water senior management, existing staff donors and representatives from various not-for-profit groups - attendance was overwhelming;
      the CEO wrote to all employees urging them to support the program and take advantage of Sydney Water's matching component;
    • Payroll Giving information was provided to all area managers and the program was raised at various staff and business meetings;
    • Sydney Water recruited staff advocates to personally encourage participation with their colleagues;
    • donor joining forms (electronic & hard copy) were distributed to all employees and a process was established for collection of completed forms;
    • information and donor joining forms are part of employee induction kits;
    • posters were displayed throughout their offices; articles and updates were published in Sydney Water's internal newsletter 'Splash' and on their Intranet;
    • for ongoing assistance to employees, Sydney Water's Intranet includes information about Payroll Giving and many of the not-for-profit organisations within the local community, and
      various internal promotional strategies are planned for the future to continue to look after those employees currently involved in the program and to encourage new participation.
    Results
    • during the first month after promotion of the program, 148 employees had signed up;
    • 5 months on, 179 employees were choosing to support their preferred not-for-profit organisations;
    • over the first 6 months, thanks to Sydney Water and their employees an average of $9,100 each month went through to the not-for-profit sector, supporting over 55 different causes;
    • Sydney Water employees' survey results indicated the main driver for them getting involved in the program was the ease and flexibility that the program offered, allowing them to provide ongoing support to their preferred not-for-profit organisation/s and have their contribution matched by their employer;
    • with ongoing promotion of Payroll Giving at Sydney Water, these results continue to increase, making a real and lasting impact on the work of their chosen not-for-profit organisations in the community;
    • Managing Director, Alex Walker says: "Many of our staff are actively involved in their communities. Payroll Giving enables them to support these community based not-for-profit organisations in other ways. Sydney Water is proud to be supporting our employees, while also assisting those in need in the community."
    Further News
    • It has been officially announced that Sydney Water's matching contribution will continue as part of its corporate sponsorship program.
    • "We feel Payroll Giving offers a valuable and important program because it support's staff commitment to the community we serve," said Angela Tsoukatos, General Manager Corporate Affairs.
    • There will be various promotions initiated by Sydney Water in the future to entice more of their staff to join in Payroll Giving.
    Copyright 2005 CAF