RBC and Free The Children

One partnership between a charity and a corporation launched in 2013 was the partnership between Free The Children and RBC (http://www.rbc.com/freethechildren/).

RBC (2014) is one of Canada’s largest banks and services 15 million clients in 46 countries globally (Corporate Profile, para. 3). In regard to community initiatives, RBC partners with dozens of different nonprofits aimed at solving very diverse social issues. RBC sponsors organizations such as the Canadian Art Foundation and Kids Help Phone in addition to their own campaigns. The RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year commitment of $50 million to provide clean water internationally. These are all examples of how RBC is truly committed to giving back to communities, and philanthropy is a principle ingrained within the organizational culture.

Free The Children (2014) is an international charity that empowers youth to become agents of change and act as global citizens. The organization removes barriers to education in impoverished nations, and help communities break the cycle of poverty (About Us, para. 1).

RBC and Free The Children have partnered to provide Canadian youth with resources to inspire social change. RBC partnered on four separate national campaigns within the past year including We Day, We Create Change, We Act, and We 365. We Create Change was one of the largest campaigns and raised $1.4 million to provide 56,000 people with clean water for life (RBC, 2013, para. 1).

The most compelling aspect of this campaign is that RBC has pledged that this partnership will be a long-term commitment. The high level of commitment provides more legitimacy and more sincerity than a one-time donation campaign. Additionally, the credibility of both organizations makes the partnership even more compelling. Both are very high-profile Canadian organizations and are extremely established in the market. There is a real possibility that these two large organizations can actually accomplish social change together, and their past success record is high. These factors make this partnership appealing to donors and supporters.

It is a mutually beneficial relationship because RBC can provide the capital to fund initiatives for Free The Children. On the other hand, Free The Children provides opportunity for RBC to advertise and connect with youth who will soon need financial services. It is a great way for RBC to attract future clientele early. Additionally, products such as the Free The Children RBC Virtual Visa Debit Card has been introduced, which donates a portion of all purchases to Free The Children programming initiatives. As Gord Nixon, president and CEO of RBC states in regard to We Create Change, “Our long-term commitment with Free the Children supports two very important issues - financial literacy and access to clean water.” (RBC, 2013, para. 3). This partnership is the very definition of a mutually beneficial relationship, and also provides opportunities for social activism goals to be achieved.

References

Free The Children. (2014). About Us. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.freethechildren.com/about-us/

Free The Children/RBC “We Create Change” Penny Drive Raises $1.4 Million, Providing 56,000 People With Clean Water For Life. (2013, June 27). CNW. Retrieved from http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1191449/free-the-children-rbc-we-create-change-penny-drive-raises-1-4-million-providing-56-000-people-with-clean-water-for-life

RBC. (2014). Corporate Profile. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.rbc.com/aboutus/index.html