Press Releases

Austrian business community takes social responsibility seriously

- 40% of all businesses regard social commitment as increasingly significant
- Donation volumes of individual companies remain constant

More than two thirds of Austrian companies with more than 50 employees make donations. Supporting charities ranks top. Donation volumes increase with company size.
Austrian companies consider social commitment highly important: 68% of all companies make donations, among big companies (more than 500 employees) as many as three fourths (73%). This was the result generated by a poll commissioned by ONE and carried out by the polling institute Integral. PR and marketing managers of 204 Austrian companies with 50+ employees were interviewed.

Donation volumes remain constant

Almost two thirds (61%) of companies that raise funds (donor companies) support charities, every fifth company (21%) supports educational institutions, 11% sports initiatives. In total companies raise donations amounting to ATS 206 million this year. Thus an average of ATS 55,000,- is donated per company. On an average, big players (starting from 500 employees) fork out ATS 90,000,- a year. Most companies’ donation volumes remain constant: 84% of donor companies spend as much this year as they contributed in 1999, almost as many (83%) want to keep the amount donated constant next year. Only big companies plan cuts: every tenth company (11%) plans to reduce donations in 2001.

Social commitment as main motivation

Almost 50% of donor companies consider it their social obligation to support charity campaigns and organisations. Only 19% believe to achieve a positive promotion or PR result this way.
40% of interviewees expect the significance of social commitment in the form of sponsoring, donations and similar activities to increase in the near future. Only one fourth (26%) believes its importance to subside.