Sage commits almost R500k to local charities

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, 14 December 2020 – Sage, the market leader in cloud business management solutions, has announced that it will contribute almost R500 000 to help small business customers support local charities.

In a first of its kind collaboration, Sage and its philanthropic arm Sage Foundation, have made it easy for customers to make a difference by supporting its Black Friday initiative, which encouraged customers to purchase Sage Business Cloud Accounting or Sage Business Cloud Payroll between 23 and 30 November 2020.

By donating a portion of the total sales, Sage and Sage Foundation will contribute almost R500 000 to three non-profit charity partners, including Girl Code, Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development (YLED) and Tomorrow Trust.

“Despite this being a challenging period to run an initiative of this kind, we are incredibly proud to report that we have committed to donating a percentage of sales to our charity partners. We believe that through shared value, we can use our core business to drive societal change and fulfil our purpose of transforming the way people think and work so their organisations can thrive. When we win, so too does society – our success is the community’s progress and success,” says Viresh Harduth, Vice President, Small Business, Sage Africa & Middle East.

“At Sage, our core value is always to do the right thing. The pandemic has spelt the end for many small charities, with some estimating global job losses within the sector at over 60,000. Now more than ever, the non-profit sector needs our help. Giving back and doing the right thing s also within the DNA of our culture and a shared belief that guides our behaviour in every interaction we have with our customers, colleagues and the communities in which we operate,” says Joanne van der Walt, Global Director at Sage Foundation.

This initiative showcases Sage and Sage Foundation’s commitment to doing things differently and to helping customers give back to communities. Being reciprocal as a business reflects Sage’s vision to become a great SaaS company.

Charity partners benefitting

• Girl Code aims to transfer knowledge and skills and develop a professional attitude in learners, while empowering women who come from different backgrounds to work collaboratively and create new innovative and sustainable solutions.
• YLED is an award-winning NPO that invests in and develops young people with the goal of positioning and equipping them for future success in their communities and in academia, business and the workplace.
• Tomorrow Trust supports orphaned and vulnerable children through their journey by providing holistic education and life skills, thereby empowering them to reach their full potential as self-sufficient and proactive members of society.

Thinking ahead to the holiday season when more people are in need of help, Sage has arranged volunteering activities, including Sage Foundation’s Feed-a-Family which encourages Sage colleagues, partners and customers to donate money to raise funds for food-related charities.