Christmas is a time for giving, so what better opportunity to announce that entry to the Philanthropic 30 2018 is now open for entry!

In 2017, Real Business launched the Philanthropic 30 listing. So much of running a growth business is about scale, which is crucial for success, but increasingly companies are eager to speak about corporate social responsibility and philanthropic efforts too.

We felt that it was important to look beyond the financial details that take precedence in many a business to see how they’re giving back, and the Philanthropic 30 2018 will continue that theme.

To determine the winners in this year’s ranking, Real Business sat down alongside guest judges Grant Cornwell, the CEO of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Ellie Hale, associate at CAST (Centre for Acceleration of Social Technology).

“It was brilliant to see that so many of the companies who entered now see CSR as a core part of their business,” said Cornwell.

Hale added: “It is encouraging to see so many UK organisations that have made a genuine and sustainable commitment to serving a social or environmental cause.”

We’re expecting the Philanthropic 30 2018 to be just as diverse as this year’s edition, which featured companies from an array of sectors, demonstrating that giving is not industry-specific or something that only the big corporates can focus on.

Indeed, the sharing economy, tech, grooming, food and drink and education were a handful of sectors found in the rundown. Elsewhere, we saw staff count vary from under ten to up to 1,000.

The Charities Aid Foundation’s (CAF) Giving 2017 report revealed how Brits feel about the idea of charity and giving – some 61 per cent of respondents said they had engaged with charities throughout 2016.

John Low, chief executive, CAF, said: “We know that people increasingly feel they want to make a difference and many see charities as a way to achieve that. Charities already play an integral role in the lives of so many. At this critical time in our nation’s history, their importance is only likely to increase.”

Outside of charity though, other companies in the Philanthropic 30 had an ethical outlook laced throughout, while others had ambitions such as helping to foster youngsters and champion the community as an active participant.

For example, St Austell is a “fiercely proud” Cornwall-based business supporting local initiatives and businesses, while Piccolo educates adults on child nutrition, something complemented by donating ten per cent of profits to an education foundation.

Catherine Gazzoli, Piccolo’s founder, said: “I don’t believe that you can start a brand now without thinking about what you want to give back and leave behind.”

Do these motivations sit in line with the culture and thought process at your business?

Companies entering the Philanthropic 30 2018 must have under 1,000 staff to apply and have a clear business model in place. Sound good? Please enter below by Wednesday 28 February 2018.

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