The group donates a portion of its commission and has raised over $47,000 since mid-2017
Finding that the best way to become a socially responsible business, Nectar Mortgages looked for a charity that closely aligns to their values and partnered with Children’s Cancer Institute (CCIA) in mid-2017.
Since then, the mortgage franchise has raised $47,828 for Australia’s lone independent medical research institute that’s wholly dedicated to ending childhood cancer.
Nectar Mortgages general manager Stephen Harris said that Nectar understands how charities can be highly stressful to run, and it wants to ease the burden CCIA carries by promoting its cause and doing direct fundraising events.
"Already in 2019, we have raised nearly $10,000 more than our total in 2018, showing we are on an upward trajectory with our support for CCIA. All funds are extremely important towards supporting their goal of ending childhood cancer," Harris added.
"Our brand promise is to take care of clients for the life of their loan, and CCIA aligns with this value by taking care of their patients from initial diagnosis to treatment, post-treatment and future research.”
“Finding a cure for cancer is about stamina and CCIA are in it for the long haul, just as we are with our clients.”
Front of mind
To keep CCIA front of mind with customers, Nectar includes CCIA updates and information on its digital newsletters and placed tiles on its company website that go directly to CCIA’s homepage.
The mortgage franchise employs social media channels to target a wider audience or a specific demographic.
“Members of CCIA are present on the Nectar Facebook group page and can share updates with the team. This keeps the team engaged with the charity, forging a closer relationship with it,” Harris said.
CCIA members have also been invited to several Nectar events to discuss developments in their research, while Nectar NSW brokers have been allowed to visit CCIA’s laboratory in Sydney to better understand the charity’s research work and become better advocates of it.
Future-proofed income
Nectar’s regional offices host fundraising events throughout the year to reach communities and raise funds for CCIA. These events include two movie nights by its Western Australian team and a golf tournament by the team in Queensland. Franchisees also participate in CCIA-organised fundraisers such as the pay-per-table Diamond Ball and the 12-hour cycling fundraising event Endure for a Cure.
Nectar’s head office contributes 15% of its upfront and trail commission payment generated from loans directly attributed to Nectar and CCIA advertising. In addition, the head office team retains a further 5% of their upfront and trail for the exclusive promotion of the Nectar-CCIA proposition.
“By donating a percentage of our upfront and trail commission to CCIA, we ensure that the charity has some ability to future-proof their income. For example, if the economy worsens or the government reduces funding, CCIA would still have a constant source of income,” Harris said.
“Nectar takes its role in the community seriously and believes that with CCIA, we are on the right track to making a significant difference in the lives of children with cancer.”
