SMEs join forces to raise $120,000 for hospice

Small and medium business owners continue to do their bit for social causes even in tough times, as demonstrated by the over 2,500 business owners who combined their efforts in 2011/12 to raise more than $120,000 for their local hospices.

BNI New Zealand National Director, Graham Southwell, says the fact that BNI is a structured business referral networking organisation for small and medium business, makes it the ideal vehicle for harnessing the collaborative efforts of SMEs to benefit a worthy cause.

Since 2005 BNI members have held auctions of their services and products, raffled handmade playhouses, organised golf days and even cabarets to donate a combined total of more than $519,875.00 to hospices around the country – not counting donations of services and goods like groceries and computers.

“The $94,000 raised during 2011 is lower than previous years, but this is because we also worked with our members to make some significant contributions to the Red Cross for Christchurch earthquake relief, totalling $52,794.

“A further $9,500.00 was raised by BNI members for BNI members in Christchurch.

“It is important to bear in mind that these funds are raised by small businesses in some difficult economic times, but we and our members believethat strong communities make strong businesses – by building up our communities, we build up our businesses too; it’s a perfect fit with BNI’s Givers Gain philosophy.

“This great effort is possibly a very good case study for how various social causes can harness the power of SMEs to help them raise money and resources. We think that BNI acts like an aggregator, a focus and motivator, for business owners to come together and work for their local community,” Southwell said.