Emirates Foundation focuses on building ‘a culture of giving’

FNC member, Dr Mona Al Bahar, hopes UAE charities will move away from traditional programmes towards helping people to stand on their own.

DUBAI // Five years ago, the confectionery giant Mars was faced with the prospect of doubling the price of its chocolate bars because of the cost of cocoa.

FSG, a non-profit consultancy working with Mars on the problem, found that productivity in the Ivory Coast was in decline and poverty was spreading.

“What we needed to do was not look at it as a philanthropic issue but as a business issue,” Kyle Peterson, managing director of FSG, on Monday told an Emirates Foundation conference on building a culture of giving.

Mars signed an agreement with the Ivory Coast government to help to increase the income of small farmers and decrease costs in the long run.

This “everyone is a winner” type of giving is an example of shared-value philanthropy, the forum heard.

Dr Mona Al Bahar, a Federal National Council member from Dubai, said she hoped to see similar programmes in the UAE.

Dr Al Bahar said charities should move away from traditional programmes and towards helping people to stand on their own.

“Not just giving someone money annually but seeing what abilities they have, helping to hone their skills to find a long-term solution for them and making them an active member of society,” she said.

Khuloud Al Nuwais, the foundation’s chief sustainability officer, said: “There has been a shift to try to focus on really making a difference and making an impact.”

Before that, Ms Al Nuwais said, more money was spent on catering and venues than on making a difference.

Clare Woodcraft-Scott, chief executive of the foundation, said it would use that model for long-term philanthropic solutions.

Mohammed Al Shamsi, a foundation board member, thanked business partners at the forum for their cooperation.

With their help, the charity was able to reach 32,000 young people in the UAE, Mr Al Shamsi said.

“This is just the beginning.”

In a pre-recorded opening speech, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, chairman of the foundation and Minister of Foreign Affairs, encouraged investors to continue to look for ways to promote a culture of giving that could have a real impact.

Mr Al Shamsi said the UAE donated US$2 billion (Dh7.3bn) overseas every year.