Employee Fundraising 2003

TNT employees raised € 1,033,668 in Moving the World's first year.

One of the most valuable benefits of our partnership with TNT is the involvement of company employees in the fight against hunger. From China to Spain and France to Australia, TNT staff are actively raising money for WFP's work, and highlighting the plight of the hungry. -(former) Executive Director James Morris

The number of employee fund-raising activities and the amounts they generated for the WFP School Feeding projects both accelerated during 2003, ensuring that all the corporate funds that had been earmarked for matching amounts raised by staff were fully utilised.

In the third quarter alone, employees managed to raise €200,000 - double the amount raised in the first half of the year. Matched by corporate funds, this resulted in another €400,000 donation. Through a tremendous final effort in the closing months of 2003, the total amount raised by employees had exceeded €1 million - excluding the €500,000 corporate matching funds which had been made available in Moving the World's first year!

By late summer, TNT employees had already raised €100,000 in fund-raising activities to support the WFP school feeding initiatives. The corporate matching scheme enabled TNT to make a €200,000 donation. The WFP announced it will use the donation to support urgent needs in the field and continue construction activities that were initiated by the pilot group of TNT volunteers. €146,000 will be used for the construction of close to 200 kitchens in Rwanda school feeding operations. "Rwanda is launching its first school feeding programme," WFP's Arlene Mitchell explains, "and we've been unable to start distributing food because of a lack of on-site cooking facilities. The funds raised by TNT employees will benefit approximately 120,000 students once the kitchens are constructed and the distribution process begins." The remaining €54,000 will help finance upcoming volunteer construction activities in Nicaragua, Tanzania and the Gambia, including the installation of rainwater collection systems and fuel-efficient stoves.

TNT Express head office staff took the opportunity of their conference on 4 June to contribute to Moving the World. A quiz running throughout the day, the sale of raffle tickets for prizes donated by customers and suppliers, and some innovative departmental fund-raising ideas brought their total contribution to the WFP that day to over €10,000.

Meanwhile TNT Post's talent hunt got underway in September with 125 hopefuls competing for the 25 places at the two semi-finals in Theater Carré in October. Ticket sales from the first round in Prinsenbeek alone raised €2,000 for Moving the World.

The nature of their work means that many TNT Post employees are expert walkers. Their expertise will be put to the test in July's ‘Four Day March' in Nijmegen, a famous event in the Netherlands. Employees will be raising money for the WFP from their colleagues, family and friends for each kilometre they complete during the four-day event. As the official routes range from thirty to fifty kilometres, it is hoped that a great number of needy children will be receiving their WFP school meals as a result. Increasing the tempo somewhat, three TNT Post employees ran the Rotterdam Marathon in April and raised €1,075 for school feeding. Matched by corporate cash, it is expected that thanks to their efforts over fifty children will be fed until next year's Marathon.