17.12.2007, 14:25:42

There will be no diaries

There will be fewer corporate diaries, and more cured children

The budget for social programs and charity in Russia is about one and a half billion dollars a year, and this figure tends to increase. For comparison, the budget for similar purposes in the United States is 100 times larger.

It is quite difficult to analyze the motivations of companies participating in Russian charity, since there is practically no legislative framework in Russia to encourage good initiatives of market participants. And since in our country it is neither profitable nor honorable to engage in charity, all this activity is carried out solely at the behest of the soul, demanding to share and help.

Apparently, for this reason, many heads of Russian companies answer questions about charitable activities: “We have helped and will continue to help, but publicity in such matters is not needed, this is our personal choice, not related to market goals.” Western companies are open on this issue; their participation in charity programs is part of market culture and tradition.

For the fourth year now, the “Charity Instead of Business Souvenirs” program has been operating in Russia. As part of this program, companies that traditionally gift their clients and partners with diaries, business card holders and fountain pens with the company logo spend the budget planned for these gifts for charitable purposes. In the past year, the campaign is supported by more than 30 companies - international, foreign and Russian.

Ekaterina Levshina, head of the charity programs department at Independent Media Sanoma Magazines:

Instead of giving gifts to our clients, we are trying to give sick children who do not have wealthy parents the most important thing - health. Our donations have already been used to make expensive cardiac surgeries through the Life Line program. This is more than 30 operations in the past and the same number this year. Our company's clients supported this initiative; last year we received many letters indicating this. The company and our employees, who are very actively involved in charitable and volunteer activities, approve of this project.

The Troika-Dialog company agreed to comment on participation in the action, but asked to leave it impersonal.

Russian companies have come a certain way; they can no longer be pleased with corridors littered with boxes of business souvenirs on New Year’s Eve, or batteries of bottles, diaries, and calendars lined up in offices. It’s strange - when on the eve of the New Year, half of the company’s staff is keen on sending gifts to partners - lists are compiled and couriers are hired. At first we tried to put the gifts up for auction, but realized that the best solution would be to send a postcard to partners notifying them that $250,000 of corporate budget funds would be spent on charity, with a list of organizations where the money would go.

Laima Lankmane, vice-president of the New Life charity foundation:

I really like the campaign “Charity instead of corporate souvenirs” - it is sincere and relevant, and anyone who has experience working in a large corporation will understand me. Russian charity is beginning to acquire scale, and with it, systematicity. A large number of people and companies are already taking part in programs aimed at helping those who really need it. But everyone who works in the charitable sector today faces the most important tasks ahead - to build a system of interaction between beneficiaries and sponsors in such a way that it is developed, transparent and effective.

This is truly a great work, because, as survey results show, only a few people in Russia know about the activities of charitable organizations, literally only a few can remember the names of at least a few, and no one answers in the affirmative to the question “would you personally turn to a charitable organization for help?” organization if you or your loved ones need this help?

There are no charitable traditions in Russia yet (or, rather, they have long been lost). Therefore, it will take a long time until the understanding comes that a successful business is impossible in an unstable society, where children die who could be cured, where a pupil in an orphanage receives 3 pairs of socks for six months, and the state does not allocate a single ruble for On his birthday, this child received at least some gift. It’s good that market leaders are already taking action to ensure that the situation changes. I sincerely hope that their initiatives will be widely developed throughout Russia and will be understood and supported by many, many companies and people.

Charitable Foundation "New Life"

Legal address: 115114, Moscow, Letnikovskaya St., 10, str.1.

Maria Konstantinova, Oksana Popova

There will be no diaries

Related sites

Lenta.ru: Economics: Diaries