Diversity & Inclusion

LillyPad, Our Company Blog: Lilly Employees Help Contribute More Than $850,000 Through Global Giving

Jan 25, 2012 4:00 PM ET
Campaign: Lilly Strengthening Communities

Global Giving: Lilly Employees Help Contribute More Than $850,000

January 25th, 2012 | By: David Marbaugh

Last July, we launched a new global giving program for our employees. Through the program, Lilly employees across the world can contribute to a wide variety of global projects and have those donations matched dollar-for-dollar by the Lilly Foundation.

To get employees started, the Lilly Foundation gave each eligible Lilly employee the opportunity to direct a $50 credit toward a project of their choice through Global Giving.

Despite a rough economic environment, Lilly employees stepped up in a big way. 

Nearly 14,000 employees donated more than $850,000 in 2011 through Lilly Global Giving. These donations included application of the $50 credit from the Lilly Foundation, personal donations, and the foundation match.

More than 800 global projects received contributions. Some of the most popular programs supported by employees aim to help children in Guatemala and Haiti, address food insecurity and illness in Zambia, and provide disaster relief in Thailand, Turkey, and East Africa.

My choice of which project to support was easy. Having served in India as an ambassador through our Connecting Hearts Abroad program, I quickly found a project to help school children in New Delhi. 

Many of the Global Giving project leaders have shared what our employees’ contributions mean to their programs and the people served by them. Here are just a few:

  • “We are truly humbled by your thoughtfulness and willingness to join hands with us … thanks to your support we will be able to work with villagers to develop a replicable model to help the poorest of the poor break the cycle of poverty through the provision of clean water.” – Ina and Esu Anahata, BARKA Foundation

  • “You’re already in the business of changing lives. Please know that every donation is life-changing for the young beneficiaries that we serve.” – Nina Smith, GoodWeave USA

  • “I was amazed when I opened my email with the subject line: You have received 26 new donations on Global Giving. I could barely move let alone believe my eyes. It felt like a miracle, with an amazing feeling of gratitude and joy bubbling up in me. Thank you!” – Markus Faigle, Zahana

It’s interesting to note that in 2011, employees directed more than 1 of every 3 dollars the Lilly Foundation gave to charitable organizations. 

While the Lilly Global Giving program has been tailored for our employees, you can also give through the public GlobalGiving site. Take a few minutes to explore the many worthy programs and projects and I think you’ll be impressed by what you see … and what you can do to help.

About Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company, a leading innovation-driven corporation is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eli Lilly and Company provides answers — through medicines and information — for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.

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