COB’s corporate matching gift initiative doubles philanthropy
From Bahama islands info
NASSAU, Bahamas — The Matching Gift Initiative, a new programme implemented through The College’s Alumni Relations and Development Office, now enables top Bahamian companies to match its employee’s donation dollars from alumni of The College of The Bahamas. RBC Royal Bank, (RBC) known for its long-standing commitment to education was the first to join the matching initiative with forty-one proud COB alumni employed throughout its various branches.
“RBC is pleased to be the first corporate entity to partner with The College of The Bahamas in this new programme. We have scores of employees who are alumni of The College, many of whom occupy some of our most senior management positions. We saw this as another opportunity to deepen the strong partnership that we have with COB while supporting the philanthropic efforts of our team. This was yet another way for us to show appreciation for their outstanding contributions to RBC,” says Ms. Jan Knowles, RBC Manager, Public Relations and Communications. RBC has provided COB’s largest corporate grant to date, $1 million towards the construction of the Graduate Business Centre.
The Matching Gift Initiative not only doubles the dollar impact of donations from participating companies, it also entices donors to increase their own contribution. Over the past three years, thirty-five private and public entities with more than 15 known COB graduates employed have given over $71,000 to The College. Director of Alumni Relations and Development, Ms. Davinia Blair is appreciative of the generous support as The College seeks new measures to help reduce cost while increasing revenue.
“Nationally and at The College, we are required to do more with less. Every dollar given back to The College is vitally important to sustaining the high standard of education required as we transition to university status. Corporate donors like RBC and Deloitte understand the benefits philanthropy and investing in Bahamians and we are truly grateful,” explains Ms. Blair.
Managing partner at Deloitte, Mr. Raymond Winder’s passion for giving back to The College began nearly 30 years ago; he sees investment as cyclical and critical to meeting the country’s demand for a highly skilled workforce.
“Supporting COB has always been an important part of Deloitte’s vision and my personal endeavor. In 1986, I played a major role in starting the COB co-op programme and encouraged other companies to participate. Since then, Deloitte has assisted hundreds of students to graduate with a degree from COB and currently employs over 20 COB alumni,” say Mr. Winder. “The success of COB is an integral part of the success of Deloitte because we count on COB for our human capital. We are delighted to participate in the Matching Gift Programme as a means to promote the culture among alumni to invest in the future of The Bahamas by investing in COB.”
The College of The Bahamas’ Annual Fund supports the education of future leaders and the national development of The Bahamas. A minimum annual gift donation of $25 dollars from friends, parents, staff, faculty and alumni supports numerous projects helping The College and students. The Annual Fund provides financial aid to keep students in the classroom, research and study resources for students and faculty, along with infrastructure and equipment improving the overall COB experience. Donations of every size are needed and make a difference for so many. Support through the Matching Gift Initiative doubles the amount of gifts for education in The Bahamas. For more information, call 302-4594.
For more on this story go to:
