STUDY: Missed opportunities | Page 27

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Finding 3
Existence of a global donation guideline

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21 %
23 %
56 %
Global donation guideline ( public )
Global donation guideline ( internal only )
No global donation guideline , or not known
Corporate foundations remain another important tool of Corporate Citizenship . Currently , 17 out of 40 DAX companies have one or more corporate foundations . In 2017 , it was 20 out of 30 DAX companies . While foundations are only partially considered in this analysis , in our practice we also see a trend towards aligning themselves more closely with corporate ESG strategy . However , not least because of German law governing foundations and charitable organisations , they must remain independent of their parent companies in terms of content and structure . IV A good example is the Munich RE Foundation , which has aligned itself closely with the areas of social activity and the core business of the group , focusing on issues such as climate change , inclusive insurance and disaster risk . The E . ON Foundation ( formerly associated with Innogy and RWE ) also focuses on the energy transition , a key issue for the group . In this way , foundations can benefit from the core competencies of the parent companies and acquire company-relevant expertise themselves . At the same time , their partial autonomy and non-profit legal form ensures a certain flexibility and continuity that is separate from the expectations of the day-to-day business . This enables corporate foundations to function as credible , substantively competent and legitimate social actors , especially from the perspective of civil society .
Digitisation
In our view , DAX companies still have some way to go in digitising Corporate Citizenship . There are now a large number of platforms from providers such as Alaya , Benevity , Blackbaud , Cybergrants and Optimy , via which corporate giving , corporate volunteering and other aspects of Corporate Citizenship can be organised centrally . They make it easier for managers to direct and monitor Corporate Citizenship activities and thus make many previously time-consuming processes significantly more efficient . In our interviews , only 14 companies reported that they already use such platforms or are currently in the process of setting them up . However , the platforms are often still limited to individual aspects of Corporate Citizenship , such as the handling of donations or volunteering . Holistic approaches are rare .
IV We look at corporate foundations in greater depth in our 2017 study .
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