COMMUNITY PROGRAM APPLICATIONS

Charlie’s Sponsorship and Charitable Donations Policy

Charlie’s Fine Food Co. (Charlie’s) is a family-owned and operated business located in East Bentleigh Victoria. Each year, we receive many requests for donations and support from a wide variety of worthy organisations and individuals. Although we would love to support every organisation that makes a request, sadly this is not possible.

This policy has been established to address all requests on a case-by-case basis, based on the assessment criteria contained in this document.

Each request will be carefully assessed to determine if it meets Charlie’s sponsorship, marketing, and community objectives. Consequently, we are unable to proceed with requests for support that do not fit within these objectives. In addition, budgetary constraints limit the number of opportunities that we can undertake.

Charlie’s seeks to act as a good corporate citizen at all times and in this spirit has undertaken many contributions and sponsorships over the recent years valued at almost $100,000. However as requests have increased in number, it has become necessary to apply a more thorough and efficient process to those requests.

We recognise the important role we play as a member of the community and support selected activities and organisations that benefit the community in which we operate. Activities and organisations are supported through working in partnership with the broader community for the long-term benefit of the baking and food manufacturing industry.

All sponsorship applications will be evaluated according to the criteria set out below and must be submitted via our application form.

Scope of this policy

In the context of this policy, ‘sponsorship’ is defined as the provision of goods or services in exchange for advertising, marketing, and promotional opportunities. ‘Donation’ is defined as the provision of goods to a registered charity where a receipt for the value of goods can be provided for taxation purposes.

Sponsorship:

  • may only take the form of provision of material goods or other;
  • consists of resources in exchange for agreed acknowledgment;
  • may be between one or more organizations; and
  • does not generally include unencumbered donations of goods and services or materials.

Donations:

  • may only take the form of provision of material goods or other;
  • consist of resources provided free of charge and unencumbered
  • will be provided to registered charities where a receipt for the value of the goods can be provided for taxation purposes.

Policy and Rules of Engagement

Responsibility for the co-ordination of sponsorship lies with the owners of Charlie’s. Each proposal will be assessed on a merit basis according to the criteria set. Each year at our business planning session, all staff of Charlie’s nominate their preferred and most aligned charities and we will assess other opportunities at this time. This means that if a proposal for sponsorship is to be considered, submission is to be prepared to address the criteria set out in this policy document and submitted with a six-week lead time to assess the application.

Sponsorship Criteria

Charlie’s will only agree to sponsorship opportunities that:

  • Are consistent with our vision, reputation, and objectives
  • Addresses our target audience
  • Helps achieve our objective to increase awareness of Charlie’s
  • Adds value to business activities

Key areas of potential support by Charlie’s include:

  • initiatives that support the future growth of the baking and food manufacturing industry in Australia.
  • Initiatives that are directed at increasing the profile of Charlie’s
  • Community events in an area where Charlie’s is already affiliated

Preference will be given to organisations that are related to:

  • Education
  • Feeding those in need
  • Supporting woman and families
  • Are credible, with a proven track record in managing community initiatives,
  • Can provide satisfactory information on its management and financial status; and
  • Allow adequate time for applications to be assessed

Donations Criteria

Charlie’s will assess all requests for donations based on the following criteria:

  • Donations will only be provided to registered charities who can produce a receipt for tax purposes to the value of goods supplied
  • Individual donation requests will require a submission detailing the merits of the organisation and to what purpose donation of goods will be used

Exceptions

Organisations/activities which will not be considered for sponsorship by Charlie’s include those that:

  • May be construed as discriminatory
  • Could be detrimental to public health or safety
  • Promote or encourage smoking or substance abuse
  • Individuals seeking support for overseas travel or academic study
  • Religious or political organisations or campaigns
  • Programs that may present a hazard to the community or the environment
  • Programs that contribute to the financial gain of an individual or business
  • Activities which are the direct responsibility of the Government
  • Non-specific fundraising projects or appeals
  • An organisation with which sponsorship involvement could be misinterpreted as a bribe or kickback (for example, to influence a bidding or tender process).

Charlie’s does not make political donations or sponsor political organisations or candidates. Any departure from this aspect of the policy requires the approval of the business.

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