INTERNATIONAL philanthropy expert José Pedro Ferrão says employees need avenues to be actively involved in company social and charity pursuits to truly make a difference. This goes for major cities like Boston to regional cities like Ballarat.
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The United Way Worldwide executive vice president has been focused on generating ideas for ‘democratic philanthropy’ and the importance of corporate social responsibility, speaking with community groups and businesses, for a two-day stop in Ballarat.
Mr Ferrão said the emphasis should be on engaging all workers, rather than companies just making a big charity cash splash.
“Companies bring a couple of things (in philanthropic work) – they have influence in their communities,” Mr Ferrão said. “People listen to them. Employees can be engaged to volunteer and represent the company a bit...(employees) want to see the community they work in to succeed. United Way can align and help inform.”
A key feature of United Way’s philanthropic work is based on corporate partnerships with 280 of Fortune 500 companies involved in programs. Mr Ferrão said a company like Gillette, for example, works with United Way in multiple nations but the projects and focus is different in each location.
Mr Ferrão said the benefits for a city like Ballarat is to tap in to ideas and learnings from social projects where United Way was based in about 1800 locations across the globe. But, whether associated with United Way or not, he emphasised social and welfare agencies and corporations must work together on solutions.
He cited an example in Wooloomooloo were about 90 people were sleeping rough in one area and about 40 agencies were working to supply food and blankets.
“Effectively the group of homeless people was growing when really we should be looking at how to help them off the street using the services around them,” Mr Ferrão said. “How can we do more work together and collaborate more effectively rather than just treating the problem.”
United Way works in 41 countries but Mr Ferrão said the key was in empowering local leaders, those who best understood their cities best.
Mr Ferrão’s visit is part of a broader Australian tour, visiting United Way bases before presenting as a key note speaker at a Philanthropy Australia conference in Sydney later this month.
