Supporting our communities
We give back to the communities we serve by providing financial donations and resources to charities and educational initiatives that align to our mission. We also allow our people to seek ways in which they can personally support charitable initiatives through volunteering.
Almost
books
donated across Kenya, UK, Spain, US, Canada, Chile, Guatemala, Australia, Hong Kong, Turkey, Switzerland, Pakistan, South Africa, Mexico, Hong Kong, India, and Uruguay
Over
GBP
donated to various charitable initiatives across the world*
More than
hours
of volunteering logged by our colleagues
*As part of a charity ourselves, we are limited in the amount and type of donations we can give. In some of the regions in which we operate, supporting charities and educational initiatives is a legal requirement. For example, in India, businesses with annual revenues of more than 10bn rupees are required to give away 2% of their net profit to charity. The remainder of our charitable giving is discretionary.
Charitable giving
Each year, we undertake a range of charitable activities and donations to extend the impact we have on our communities worldwide. While most donations support educational initiatives, we also donate to disaster relief or humanitarian disasters to support regions in which we operate.
- We donated nearly 4,000 pieces of equipment to Computer Aid, including computing equipment and devices such as printers, mobile phones, and peripherals, with our donations spanning over six continents and 41 countries.
- OUP Southern Africa made a donation to Sight For Life, who offer eye care services to children of the rural community of KwaZulu-Nata and provide spectacles for them so that they can effectively continue their education.
- OUP Hong Kong donated 3,000 children's books to Ronald McDonald House Charities Hong Kong to support their Read for Love programme and share the power of reading with seriously ill or injured children.
- OUP USA donated copies of American Religions: A Documentary History to the Goucher Prison Education Partnership, which aims to provide those incarcerated with the opportunity to pursue a college education.
- We donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, in response to the ongoing conflict.
- OUP India continued to support Literacy India—who help to empower underprivileged women and children to become self-reliant and employable through education—by funding skills training and development projects in Noida and Kolkata.
- We made a financial donation to Picker Pals—an environmental charity who connect classroom learning with climate action to create a better environment for the future.
- Our ELT division runs its employee recognition programme, the Spark Awards. For every individual nominated, £40 is donated to the charity, Solar Aid, which provides solar light to communities without electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, so that children can continue learning after dark.
- Our Developing Countries Initiative ensures that non-profit institutions in developing nations have access to critical research.
Volunteering
All colleagues have two days’ volunteering leave each year (three in the US), which they can dedicate to supporting organizations that align to our mission.
Volunteering time can be taken in a variety of formats and can range from doing manual activities, to offering specific skills or tutoring on location, or even providing mentoring support and guidance remotely.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, colleagues across many of our markets found it harder to be able to volunteer, with in-person volunteering not an option. In response, we have taken steps to promote virtual volunteering:
- Colleagues reviewed submissions to the young people’s writing competition for The Orwell Youth Prize.
- We helped to transcribe interviews with teachers, students, and parents in Zambia for Book Aid’s 2021 Christmas appeal.
- Our Group Communications team offered its expertise to develop a business strategy to help Ireland-based Picker Pals break into different global markets and reach new audiences.
Case studies
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