Foundations for the Future

Why have we created a foundation?

The concept of commercial citizenship, specifically in the form of a corporate foundation, is a meaningful way to connect businesses to communities and contribute to causes which benefit society directly. But for us at Mako, this is a deliberate step towards a more structured and strategic approach to giving back. The establishment of the Mako Foundation creates an accountability structure which demands an articulation of our core purpose as an independent foundation. This will help us give better, connect more to those who want to join us in giving and support catalysts for change to shape a future which is better for all. The formation of the Mako Foundation stands for just this; our commitment to giving back with integrity and purpose. 

The Mako Foundation’s mission

Mako is a company with heart. It is a company which has a deep-rooted commitment to helping communities, people in need and a rich history of authentic engagement with various causes far and wide. Our aims as a foundation have been very much inspired by Mako’s unwavering legacy of giving as well as our culture’s focus on individuality, relationships and personal development. The core of what we are focusing on as a foundation is just that. People.

Aim 1: to support inclusive and educational initiatives within the financial services industry

Aim 2: to support positive change within vulnerable communities

In order to address these key themes and do our best to make a positive impact, the foundation will be making grants to non-profit organisations globally who are aligned with our beliefs and values. Each year the foundation will be running and supporting a number of fundraising events which will directly support our trusted partners.

So, on that note, let’s talk about Dealing for Donations Day!

Dealing for Donations Day

Over the past 19 years, Dealing for Donations Day (DfDD) has raised a total of £4m and supported over 30 charities. It has been a core event in the calendar, inviting Mako staff and other members of our network and financial community to join us in raising funds for our charity partners.

2020 has been a difficult year; amidst a world stricken by COVID where huge numbers of people have suffered unexpected challenges and losses, often whilst isolated from their support networks, the effect on the charity sector has been especially brutal. These organisations, which already operate in a challenging arena, have fought to endure despite great strain on their income streams and resources.

In spite of these challenges, optimism across the charity sector is still apparent, not least from our trusted partners, Selby Trust and WeSeeHope. As a new foundation, we were very keen to continue the annual tradition of DfDD, adapted to a virtual setting, and the reception was outstanding. From pub quizzes to kick up challenges, everyone immersed themselves in the fundraising activities. Our end of day auction run by our brilliant auctioneer, Quentin, raised more money than it has ever done before!  We also learnt more about the great work our partners have continued to do despite the extenuating circumstances.

There are a load of logistical tangles when hosting a virtual event for a company with offices across the globe, but the positives of a digital transformation for our events structure were clear. The power of virtual events is certainly something we are keen to harness going forward, so that we can connect with our global counterparts on a more meaningful level than we have been able to before.

Watch this space, there are some great tools at our disposal to really build an exciting suite of activities and events for next year.

The next steps

We have a great deal of work to do to achieve our ambitions and make a measurable impact on some of the worst hit and challenged communities. That being said, we are so fortunate to have such great people to work with and help us build something truly meaningful.

We have bold aims and are thinking big. We are just at the beginning, but so excited about navigating our path towards success. When the roots are deep there is no reason to fear the wind.

‍