5 Reasons Why We Support Charitable Causes
There are seemingly hundreds of charitable organisations stepping up to fill the gap in funding or advocacy in practically every area of daily life here. Our company, while relatively new, is strongly rooted in community service. One challenge we have is that we are a small, new, but growing organisation. This means that we can’t simply write a check or be directly involved by giving of our time within the charity. So, what do we do?
We give from our skill-set.
In the 10 months since we expanded our agency we have worked behind the scenes with several charities, and have been very publicly working with two.
The first, Six4Hospice, aims to raise $1,000,000 to fund a purpose built hospice facility in Grand Cayman. This is being achieved through financial and in-kind support of Derek Haines as he runs six marathons in 2014. As of writing this Six4Hospice is over $700,000 and we fully expect that Derek will achieve his funding goal. We designed the logo and custom website over a 10 day period from first passing mention of the project to officially launching.
The second, Chicken Foundation, raised awareness and funds for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. The National Trust is charged with protecting the history and biodiversity of the Cayman Islands as well as working to protect environmentally sensitive and historically significant sites across all three Cayman Islands. The Chicken Foundation is a faux-foundation drawing on the plight of the feral chickens prevalent in Grand Cayman, allowing visitors to “adopt” a chicken. We created the concept, directed the video, custom designed the website, and launched the ‘foundation’ to local media. The campaign was featured on every media outlet in Cayman and funds were raised for the National Trust through adoptions and sharing of the site and video on social media. The project wrapped up with a $1,000 donation to the National Trust.
Why do we put so much into doing projects such as these? Five reasons come immediately to mind.
1. It’s good business.
We do not operate in a vacuum here. We are part of the community. All around us are needs that are unmet and specialist NGO’s or concerned individuals working to bridge the gaps. We want to be a part of that as a practical participation in the community that we do business in. Cayman is good to so many, and our business has grown significantly in less than a year. It is only right that we give back in a meaningful way.
2. It allows us to demonstrate skills.
We call ourselves a ‘digital agency’. It is often challenging to illustrate to potential clients the range of our capabilities. The bespoke sites we have created for Six4Hospice and Chicken Foundation deploy the latest in web design best practice, are fully mobile responsive, and incorporate a range of custom features that we want clients to see in action. In short, they are great reference sites for our capabilities.
3. It pushes our comfort zone.
To do great work you sometimes have to push the envelope a bit, punch above your weight. This is scary, risky, and at the same time rewarding. Embarking on a project with a crazy short time line for deployment tests the limits of rapidly developing creative and prototyping a site. Incorporating a video concept into a campaign brings practical challenges, to say nothing of the physical challenge of rounding up and safely returning several wild chickens and rather unpleasant roosters.
4. It is good for the community in which we operate.
The impact of what these two organisations do is incalculable. The National Trust serves as a guarantor of or islands natural heritage into the future. In 100 years there will be areas of the island and historically significant buildings or pathways under protection due to their efforts. Often not appreciated in the days of rapid development, this historical anchor will prove our islands greatest asset in the future. We were pleased to raise their profile in an innovative way.
Derek Haines will hit his target of one million dollars, and we will be so happy to have played a part in the public face of this. Cayman HospiceCare does such incredible work, yet it does so in challenging accommodation. Derek is working to help them establish a permanent, multi-bed facility, allowing for greater access to the compassionate palliative care that many ultimately rely on. Through the Six4Hospice website and other ongoing support we give Derek, we are pleased to help in our community realize this long held goal of a permanent purpose-built facility.
5. It is the right thing to do.
This is the thread that has been woven through the other four points above. We have the resources, the skills, and the means. It is right that we turn these to assisting where we can. Indeed, we encourage you to consider what part your business can play in giving of your time and talent to supporting those that support the community.