2007 - SME Community Business Partnerships
From PhilanthropyWiki
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In 2006 Western Australian Community Foundation and Western Australian Council for Social Service commissioned Synovate to undertake both focus group and quantitative survey research with small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to explore their understanding of, and interest in, the concept of community business partnerships. The research, funded by Lotterywest, explored how SMEs in WA currently engage in partnerships with community organisations, and identified barriers and opportunities to foster further relationships between the community sector and small business.
The research has found that community support by small to medium enterprises in WA is high, with 74% of businessses claiming to currently support community-based organisations in some form. The level of support is higher in regional centres than in the metropolitan area, where there appears to be a strong focus on contributing to the local community.
The social areas that currently attract the highest levels of support in WA from SMEs include the areas of children or youth, disability and education causes, where businesses feel that they are contributing to "socially healthy" communities. Support that SMEs provide in these areas usually comes in the form of a financial donation, with a typical donation being approximately 1% of annual turnover.
Further information can be found via the press release of the findings, or you can download the entire document on WACF's website.
Sources
- Western Australian Community Foundation (correspondence)
- SMEs a Vital Link (30th June, 2008)