About Workplace Giving

There are a lot of problems in the world. Global warming, homelessness, obesity, heart disease, deforestation, whaling, bullying, cancer and the list goes on and on... So what can we do about it? It’s time to get to work!

Get to work with workplace giving

Workplace giving is the process of making regular donations to charities through your employer's payroll system. Employers may choose to match employee donations. Together, you and your employer can make a real difference.

How does it work?

Workplace giving is a simple, tax efficient and cost efficient way to donate. Donations are made pre-tax, meaning that the tax deduction is immediate and guaranteed. So a $20 donation pre tax costs the donor only $13.70 after the automatic tax deduction, but charity receives the full $20 (assuming a marginal tax rate of 32.5%). Add matched giving by the employer and suddenly that $13.70 generates $40 for charity!

Why choose Karma Currency?

Karma Currency has created Workplace Giving – Minus the Work ™. It’s easy to establish, simple to administer and enjoyable to use. Our interactive, engaging and empowering online workplace giving environment lets your employees support over 150 charities with 1000’s of directed projects from finding cures to cancer, to rescuing a rainforest.

Benefits of a Karma Currency Workplace Giving Platform:
Choice: Rather than the old “chairman’s choice” model where his/her 2 or 3 favourite charities are chosen, staff can choose from over 200 charities and over 1000 specific charitable projects.
Accessibility: An online platform which staff can access anywhere, anytime.
Engagement: Each month, staff are empowered to:
  - SET the give to one charity,
  - SPLIT the gives amongst several charities or
  - SELECT the ethical projects they wish to support.
Transparency: Staff can access their give history 24/7 to see the positive impacts they are making.
Communication: Staff receive monthly branded emails which can promote specific causes, events or volunteering opportunities.
Empowerment: Staff can also: Give and receive Charity Gift Vouchers, create Charitable Gift Registries and coming soon...create Fundraising Pages for their favourite charity and event.
Flexibility: Staff can choose to give one off or regular donations.
Company can choose to make one off or regular Matched Donations.

Workplace charity donations and Workplace Giving through Karma Currency are a fantastic way to improve the standing of your business in the local community, all whilst improving the way of life of millions around the world.

Staff benefits

By charging the employer a small administration fee, staff get to give knowing that 100% of the donation reaches the charity.

Plus, staff are empowered to “set”, “split” or “select” the way they donate. “Set” means to set my $10 a month to go to charity X, “split” means to give say 33% to charity X, 33% to charity Y and 33% to Charity Z and “select” creates a charity gift voucher that the employee (and their family) can direct to the charity projects of their choice.

Employer benefits

Research we have undertaken with Harvard University shows a positive relationship between happiness and giving. And we all know that happy staff are productive staff.

Speaking of happy staff… our system is a breeze for payroll as there is only one invoice, one payment, one transaction and one receipt each pay cycle. Plus, Matched Giving can be turned off and on depending on the needs and budgets of the organization.

Plus our quarterly positive outcome report will put a smile on the face of every HR manager as they receive a report that drills down to which organizations and directed projects are supported by their staff. At months end they can report to staff and stakeholders how many miles of landmines they helped clear, how many midwives they helped train and how many wells they helped dig.

Case study - Origin

Karma Currency has been working in partnership with the Origin Foundation to facilitate Origin’s employee giving program, Give2 since 2008.

Through Give2 the Origin Foundation matches donations made by Origin employees to any registered charity. The program is linked to Origin’s payroll system and is completely facilitated by Karma. It offers Origin employees with flexible giving options including the ability to:

* Make a one off donation

* Give regularly to the same charities

* Give regularly, choosing different charities using Karma Currency vouchers

Since 2004, Origin employees have given over $800,000 through the program, which the Foundation has matched dollar for dollar.

The Origin Foundation is a philanthropic Foundation, founded by Origin Energy. The Foundation’s focus, chosen by the people of Origin, is to support programs that use education in its widest definition, as a pathway to a brighter future for individuals and their communities.

The Origin Foundation offers support in three forms. Through a Grant Program, the Foundation provides funding to groups that share a belief in the power of education to change lives. The Foundation also provides partners with access to the time and skills of Origin people and matches donations by Origin employees to their favourite charities.