United Way New Zealand

Known as the charity that helps the helpers, United Way supports small to medium-sized human welfare charities that lack the name recognition or size to attract significant funding.

Some of the charities under United Way’s wing, such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Kidney Kids, have already been supported by Bayer in the past.

However, under the United Way system, Bayer supports a much broader scope of community charities in four priority areas:

• Helping children and youth succeed
• Strengthening and supporting families
• Supporting the vulnerable and elderly
• Promoting health, independence and self sufficiency.

As part of Bayer’s sponsorship, United Way also organises volunteering opportunities for Bayer employees throughout New Zealand.

United Way has several other initiatives that Bayer employees can get involved with.

A key initiative is The $2 Plus Club - a payroll programme that enables New Zealanders to donate to a wide range of charities through their payroll.

The club is based on the premise that if a third of earning New Zealanders gave only $2 a week, together they would make more than $65 million a year for local community charities.

Other services include directing old office equipment to grateful charities; helping with generating ideas for fundraising; planning corporate social responsibility programmes and organising business leaders’ lunches with guest speakers.