Vodafone gives away over £36m

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 17 Sep 2008

More than £36m has been invested in charitable causes by the Vodafone Group Foundation and its network of local foundations over the last financial year.

Of the total £36.6m, around £24m was directed to the Vodafone Group Foundation, which in turn distributed it to local foundations, its disasters and relief programme, a flagship youth sport and music scheme and their World of Difference paid volunteering project. The remaining money was directed by Vodafone Group Plc directly to local foundations themselves.

According to the organisation’s trustees’ report and financial statement for the year ending March 31 2008, the Foundation has invested over £130m since its inception in 2002.

“Our mission is ambitious: to be the world’s most innovative and successful corporate foundation,” Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the Vodafone Group Foundation, said in the report.

This year’s total unrestricted income was down, at just over £25m from £32.62m the year previous on the back of a one-off grant directed to a specific project. The foundation expects that next year unrestricted income will be back up to 2006-2007 levels.

Group Foundation director Andrew Dunnett said that the UN Millennium Development Goals impact on their grant making decisions. He also highlighted the Foundation’s expansion of their partnership with the United Nations Foundation World Food Programme as one of the major achievements of the last year.

However, Dunnett also stressed, the Foundation is keen to spread its support. “We take pride not only in supporting some of the world’s largest NGOs, but also in working with smaller or start-up charities where individuals have seen a need and want to make a difference,” he said.

Pictured is an Australian participating in the Vodafone-funded Red Dust Role Model project.

Who's Who: Celina Ribeiro

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