Walgreens Corporate Giving Program
Through charitable partnerships, Walgreens Boots Alliance works to achieve its CSR goals of enabling young people to reach their potential. In the U.S., Walgreens focuses on four partnerships grouped under the Every One Counts brand cause strategy: Red Nose Day, Get a Shot. Give a Shot., Vitamin Angels and ME to WE. In the UK, one of Boots UK’s and Boots Opticians’ main charitable causes is BBC Children in Need.
As a global company inheriting the significant historical CSR contributions of our legacy companies, we are in a position to make a profound impact. For the first time during the year that ended 31 August 2016, Walgreens Boots Alliance collected data from all our global operations, on community contributions, carbon.
We are committed to long-term collaboration with our brand cause partners to maximize the impact of these initiatives. Through ongoing support, we have helped to improve the health and wellbeing of millions of children.
These initiatives are designed to generate enthusiasm and create shared value. Through these campaigns, our businesses differentiate their commercial offer, generate customer loyalty, energize employees and support vital healthcare and educational programs.
Walgreens Corporate Giving Program
Red Nose Day
During fiscal 2018 Walgreens raised more than $25 million for Red Nose Day in the USA, an annual event aimed at ending child poverty by raising money for and awareness of children in need. Walgreens raised funds through sales of red noses and related merchandise, supplier contributions, cash register donations and employee fundraising.
Since 2015 Walgreens has sold close to 40 million red noses and raised more than $71 million.
Get a Shot. Give a Shot.
The Walgreens Get a Shot. Give a Shot. program, a partnership with the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, continued to grow in its fifth year in fiscal 2018. For every immunization administered at a Walgreens, Healthcare Clinic or Duane Reade pharmacy, Walgreens donates the value of a vaccine for a child in a developing country through the UN Foundation.
As of August 2018, Get a Shot. Give a Shot. has helped to provide more than 34 million lifesaving polio and measles vaccines to children around the world.
Vitamin Angels
Through its partnership with Vitamin Angels, as of August 31, 2018, Walgreens has helped to provide 160 million children and women in at-risk populations in more than 74 countries, including the U.S., with life-changing vitamins and minerals to combat malnutrition.
Walgreens donates 1 percent of sales of participating vitamin products to Vitamin Angels, and the organization generates engagement around the program by encouraging Walgreens employees to send messages to children.
WE Charity and ME to WE
Walgreens supports international organization WE Charity, which works with communities to help them lift themselves out of poverty. Walgreens stores sold more than 1.6 million ME to WE products, such as rafiki bracelets and back-to-school items in fiscal 2018, generating some $741,103 in donations to support WE programs.
Walgreens Corporate Giving Program
BBC Children in Need
Boots UK has proudly supported BBC Children in Need for 14 years. BBC Children in Need is the BBC’s corporate charity that exists to change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. BBC Children in Need provides grants to projects in the UK that focus on children and young people who face a range of disadvantages such as poverty, neglect, trauma, abuse or disabilities and supports over 2,700 projects across the UK.
From the efforts and generosity of employees and customers, Boots UK and Boots Opticians raised approximately £1.6 million ($2.1 million) during the November 2017 campaign, bringing the cumulative total of support to £11.5 million ($18.6 million). It was the first time Boots UK and Boots Opticians supported an integrated campaign across the two businesses for BBC Children in Need. The Boots UK call center, with 200 telephone lines, was the largest call center supporting the appeal.
Fundraising and volunteering by Boots UK employees has helped numerous young people with disabilities, including Louis (pictured at left), a boy whose life has been changed by an assistance dog. Funding from a BBC Children in Need grant covers the salary of a Support Dogs instructor and associated costs.
Louis’ mother, Kelly, said their support dog has made an enormous difference in his life.