One of the Hunter’s biggest private employers, Tomago Aluminium, is proving to be one of the region’s biggest charity donors.
Believing that community is at the heart of everything, Tomago management and employees have shown their love of community is as deep as their pockets, this year giving some $40,000 from their Out-of-Pay Donation Scheme.
Tomago’s Out-of-Pay Donation Scheme was established twenty-three years ago.
Participating employees nominate a regular pay deduction amount and each year employees nominate local charities, popular vote deciding which ones will be supported by the scheme.
The total amount raised each year by employees is then matched dollar-for-dollar by the company – and the level of support has grown each year.
What started as a $2000 donation in 1986 has grown incrementally year-on-year, the total last year climbing past the magic $1 million-dollar mark, an amount that has been shared among more than four hundred charities in that time.
“At Tomago Aluminium we believe generosity knows no bounds. We know there are a lot of people in the Hunter doing it tough for a variety of reasons and we take great pleasure in helping-out those who need support,” Tomago Aluminium’s Communications Advisor, Katie Burns said.
This year’s charity recipients are The John Hunter Children’s Hospital and Soldier On and earlier this month they hosted a special morning tea to hear how the donations will directly support the local community.
In addition to this scheme, Tomago Aluminium also supports the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service through another voluntary payroll deduction scheme.
The company has donated, on average, $50,000 each year for the last fifteen years to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter from employee deductions and this year is no exception, donating almost $60,000 and bringing the total employee donation in that time to $710,000.
Last year employees also came together to support struggling farmers and donated from their own pay, the amount once again matched by the company, raising a total of $50,000 for The Buy a Bale campaign.
An additional $50,000 from the business is also distributed to another twenty-plus local charities and community events through donations and sponsorships each year.
Last year the company donated $91,000 to local charities and employees donated $96,000 out of their own pay, bringing the total to $187,000, which was spread across local charities and community events.
“We are part of a great community and we like adding to that community spirit,” Katie said.
“Employees are hoping to raise a similar amount this year.”
IMAGE | Tomago Aluminium show their generosity with their Out-of-Pay Donation Scheme
