Sustainability
Our Sustainability Charter
Our Sustainability Policies
Introduction
Fostering the culture of inclusivity and diversity is important to create a fair and welcoming workplace.
In 2021, we launched a new three year Strategic Plan focussing on strengthening the impact we create in the society whilst keeping our stakeholders especially children, donors and people at the centre of every decision we make. Our mission is to create a unique workplace that is free from discrimination, harassment and bullying and provide a platform for people from different backgrounds to unleash their potential.
Purpose
The policy articulates our commitment towards enhancing the diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the organization.
Scope
The policy applies to all our stakeholders- employees, partners, funders/donors, and children.
Our Commitment
Together we are committed to building an inclusive and diverse culture that celebrates and values all the voices and cultures of our children and our communities. We know that our wish children and the wishes we grant are unique and we promote our colleagues, volunteers and communities to embrace their own uniqueness so that they can be their authentic self empowering them to grant the wishes of every eligible child.
We have determined specific metrics to build a workplace that reflects diversity, inclusion and equity:
- Promoting accessibility to all eligible children
- Diversity among employees and volunteers
- Increase Geographical reach
To implement our commitments towards diverse and inclusive organisation, we shall be guided by the following steps:
- All decisions in the organisation are free from discrimination and focused on our DEI position
- Conduct awareness workshops in the organisation to enhance inclusivity, collaboration and mitigate unconscious bias
- Registering grievances if any stakeholder is subject to discrimination, harassment or bullying
Introduction
Our mission is to grant wishes to children who are living with life-threatening illnesses. We bring hope, joy and lasting memories to each wish child and their family. To execute the wishes, we rely entirely on external funding through corporate, private and individual donations. Accessing funds & donations through ethical sources is quite important to us and strengthens our long-term financial planning.
Purpose
The policy governs our commitment towards ethical and responsible sourcing of funds.
Scope
The policy applies to the Make-A-Wish® in Ireland
Our Commitment
As a charity we depend on fundraising for all of our income. Donations are generated from a variety of sources and Make-A-Wish® Ireland undertakes reasonable due diligence to verify that donors are not part of any activity that is in conflict with our values. We ensure that donations are or will be accepted if they will positively impact our organisation, our wish children and our reputation. We have determined specific metrics to monitor our access to ethical fund sources:
- Monetary value categorised into type of funders (government, private donors, corporates, individual contributions)
- Largest donors
To implement our commitments we shall be guided by the following:
- Code of ethics and conduct policy
- Exclusion list which provides types of fund sources/donors whose values does not align with Make-A-Wish® Ireland (Example: alcoholic beverage companies, gambling; corporates involved in human rights violation etc)
Donor Due Diligence
Due diligence is conducted on potential partnerships including review of audited accounts and research into past media news. The values of an organisation are important to Make-A-Wish® Ireland.
Introduction
Engaging with stakeholders is an integral part of an organisation’s value creation process. Understanding stakeholder’s needs, interests and expectations through regular interaction and collaboration is essential to develop strategic decisions and achieve agreed outcomes. In 2021, we launched a new three year Strategic Plan focussing on strengthening the impact we create in the society whilst keeping our stakeholders especially children, donors and people at the centre of every decision we make. Stakeholder’s perspective is not only important for business growth but also essential for building relationships and trust.
Purpose
The policy sets out our approach towards engaging with stakeholders and nurture stakeholder relationships.
Scope
The policy applies to our own operation including all departments, and business units.
Our Commitment
We seek to continuously improve our communication and collaboration with stakeholders to understand their concerns and provide opportunities to further align practices with societal needs and expectations, helping to drive long-term sustainability.
We identify stakeholders as those individuals, groups of individuals or organisations that affect us and/or could be affected by our activities, products or services. Our key stakeholders include:
- Employees
- Children and their families
- Volunteers
- Funders and donors
- Media
- Regulatory agencies
- Medical community
- Board
- Ambassadors
- Make-A-Wish International
- Suppliers
We promote a culture of continuous engagement through various communication channels ranging from one-to-one meetings, feedback, newsletters, awareness sessions, forums, joint projects, focus group discussions etc.
Introduction
Proper waste management should be the prime responsibility of any organisation despite its size. We understand how a massive amount of waste generated ends up in landfill contributing to soil & groundwater contamination and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions leading to serious concerns of public health and environmental degradation.
As part of our three-year strategy plan, we are developing our sustainability plan to shape our long-term approach and monitor our performance, both within our own operations and the wider supply chain. We plan to identify, manage and avoid negative impacts on the environment by assessing our use of sustainable products and monitoring our waste management process.
Purpose
The policy sets down a waste management framework for handling and disposing the waste generated within the organisation and as a part of organisation’s activities.
Scope
The policy applies to our own operations and event (fundraising, community events) venues.
Our Commitment
At Make-a-Wish® Ireland, we are committed to reducing waste as a result of our operations by all possible means available. We commit to utilising sustainable products that can be recycled and reused as a part of a circular economy approach by assessing the waste generated and disposal practices in the offices, fundraising events and while making wishes come true. The donation and volunteering programmes are a powerful engine for sustainable reuse of resources driven by donated goods. The reuse and recycling of items will have a significant positive environmental impact, enabling lower greenhouse emissions, and conserving natural resources.
Due to the diverse nature of activities, we usually generate non-hazardous wastes ranging from general office wastes and recyclable materials. We ensure that the waste generated is disposed of responsibly. We have determined the following metrics to monitor the waste management process:
- Waste generated
- Waste disposed and disposal method
- To implement our commitment, we shall be guided by the following steps:
- Waste minimisation at source and follow 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) principles
- Ensure compliance in accordance to all applicable waste management rules
- Conduct awareness programs for employees on waste management practices
Introduction
We recognise that to build an empowered workforce, learning and development plays an integral role and it is necessary to invest in our employees and offer them continuous learning opportunities whilst being cognisant of limited budget. We therefore commit to seeking pro-bono training where possible.
Purpose
The policy ensures that employees have access to learn necessary skills to excel at their current roles and identify future training needs to grow skill sets and knowledge.
Scope
The policy applies to all our employees.
Our Commitment
At Make a Wish Ireland, we are committed to upskilling our employees and volunteers on an ongoing basis. We will organise training sessions on topics that will increase the personal skill level of employees and their competency benefiting Make-A-Wish® Ireland as whole.
Training will focus on topics such as finance and ethical sourcing; sustainability commitments, ethics, diversity and inclusion, code of conduct, awareness on sustainable development and climate change. To monitor our training and upskilling programme, we have determined the following metrics:
- Training topics/modules covered
- Employees trained
To implement our commitment, we shall be guided by the following steps:
- Develop a training plan in conjunction with performance management process
- Partner with a number of corporate or training platforms that can offer modules to our team at limited or no cost.
Introduction
Creating a positive work environment is essential for the physical and mental well-being of the employees. We believe in the importance of a healthy workforce in building a successful organisation.
In 2021, we launched a new three-year Strategic Plan focusing on strengthening the impact we create in society whilst keeping our stakeholders especially children, donors and people at the centre of every decision we make. We are dedicated to maintaining a productive workplace by minimizing the risk of injuries and exposure to health risks.
Purpose
The policy articulates our commitment towards excellence and creating a safe and healthy workplace.
Scope
The policy applies to our own operation including office premises and fundraising and community event venues.
Our Commitment
We are committed to demonstrating a positive work atmosphere for our employees that ensures a stress-free and well-balanced professional and personal life. We focus on eliminating accidents, occupational illnesses and injuries at work along with creating an inclusive workplace. We have developed an effective grievance mechanism to resolve any dispute that occurs at the workplace. We have determined specific metrics to maintaining a productive workplace:
- Health and safety incidents.
- Grievance redressal.
- Benefits offered to employees.
To implement our commitments towards safe and healthy work environment, we shall be guided by the following steps:
- Eliminate hazards and reduce health & safety risks.
- Comply with applicable health & safety legal regulations.
- Conduct awareness workshops for employees on safe working practices to reduce any potential incidents and injuries, e.g., when travelling to meet our wish children or when in the office.
