Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation’s excellence in corporate partnerships was recognised at last night’s Corporate Engagement Awards, as it was named Best Foundation.
The awards programme is judged by a panel of in-house experts across sponsorship, partnerships, corporate responsibility and corporate communications and includes representatives from Paddy Power, National Grid, BAFTA and Jaguar Land Rover.
The judges commented: “The foundation’s unique global and local approach to community engagement reflects Aberdeen Asset Management’s role within the financial services sector. Its work makes a real impact in the areas that benefit the parent company.”
The work of the Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation is focused on two main areas - emerging markets and local communities. This reflects Aberdeen’s ambition to give back to those areas which are a key strategic focus of the business and to build on the historic pattern of giving to communities in which Aberdeen employees live and work.
The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact and we encourage employees to use their time and skills to support our charitable projects.
The Foundation is managed by a Board, chaired by Anne Richards, Aberdeen’s Chief Investment Officer, and comprised of a representative head from each region in addition to an independent director. Overseen by the regional directors, each of Aberdeen’s global offices has the autonomy to apply the Foundation’s strategy within strict guidelines, ensuring employee engagement, clear community benefit and long term support.
Antonia Lee, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Aberdeen Asset Management said: “We are delighted that the work of the Foundation has been recognised. We have achieved full global take up with local Foundation Committees actively making grants in 25 countries, while our substantial portfolio of Global Emerging Grants now includes innovative grants with carefully selected smaller charities in Brazil, Cambodia and Ghana.”
The Corporate Engagement Awards programme was established by Communicate magazine, the UK’s leading publication for corporate communications. The awards is the UK’s only dedicated celebration for CSR programmes and sponsorships and the communications around those collaborations. Winners at the awards demonstrate a true benefit to both the company’s brand and its partners’ values.
Brittany Golob, editor of Communicate magazine, said: “Tonight’s successes are achieved by business representing sectors as wide ranging as professional sports, supermarkets, consumer goods and financial services. They operate in Hackney and The Hague, Birmingham and Brazil. They support women, out of work youth, deprived children, community sport associations, young creatives, students, mothers, art, the environment and cancer research. They are truly exceptional.”