Business for Good – How companies’ fundraising benefits Temple Street Children’s Hospital

Techies 4 Temple Street 2018.

Bringing companies and charities together has been a winner for the Temple Street Foundation’s fundraising for Temple Street Children’s Hospital via the annual Techies 4 Temple Street.

The Temple Street Foundation have been fortunate enough to partner with a large variety of companies across all sectors with the common theme being that their organisation and employees want to make a difference, to make a real and meaningful impact on the lives of people who are close to their hearts and less fortunate than them.

With over 150,000 patients who walk through Temple Street doors each year, The Temple Street Foundation was set up in 2000 with the sole purpose of raising funds to make Temple Street Children’s Hospital a more comfortable and friendly environment for patients and their families. Since we were established we have raised €94m for the hospital, ensuring this and future generations of sick children get the treatment they deserve when they need it. We are very aware that what we have achieved in funding life-saving equipment, ward redevelopment, medical research and patient services could not have been done without the support of thousands of employees and the companies who employ them. Their support has been invaluable and is simply saving lives.

Partnering with corporates

A partnership with a company commonly begins when the employees vote to choose a particular charity and a time-line is set for the partnership varying from 1 year to an indefinite partnership. The company then engages with the charity to set out objectives for the partnership which would include; setting fundraising targets, agree how the funds raised will be used and the impact it will have on the charity beneficiaries, what activities staff can get involved with whether that be fundraising campaigns and events and or volunteering opportunities.

A calendar of events for the year is then developed for employees to get involved with and the charity will work closely with the company to provide them with the tools to raise funds, like providing merchandise such as buckets, t-shirts, posters and balloons. It is also important for companies to communicate with their staff about the work of the charity and the impact their fundraising will have on the beneficiaries, in our case the patients and their families. This can be done through, sharing patient’s stories and general information on the hospital e.g. number of patients admitted to the hospital each year and it is very beneficial for a charity representative to address the employees at company run events and or fundraisers. All of which is to motivate the employees to engage with the charities activities for the year.

Techies4TempleStreet

Our annual corporate fundraiser Techies4TempleStreet is an example of how a fundraising event can bring nearly 200 companies together from all different sizes and sectors to make a real and lasting difference. Since 2015, this event has grown year on year and has so far raised €850,000 for the hospital, the funds raised have been used for the development of the new Renal and Neurology Outpatients Unit at Temple Street, donations have purchased vital life-saving equipment and paid for the redevelopment of the outpatients unit, which is one of the busiest areas in the hospital.

This event now in its 5^th year demonstrates the good will that is out there from the corporate sector and their employees in supporting Temple Street and we could have not raised this amount of funds without their involvement.

As a company, by partnering with Temple Street they are supporting communities across Ireland and every time a sick child comes to Temple Street a new story begins, by fundraising and supporting the hospital, employees and their companies become part of their story.

Put simply, their support has ensured that can we continue to provide the world-class care that every little patient deserves and is saving lives.