What are Community Credits?

Whenever you use the site to donate money, give an item to a good cause, or volunteer yourself, then you will gain Community Credit. These act as a counter, or a measurement of the good work that you have achieved.

Can they be spent or converted to real money?

No, Community Credits have no exchange value in the shops. They act to show you, your friends, your employers and others just what amount of selfless giving you have done.

Can I give them to someone else?

No, the credits you earn belong to you and cannot be transferred, given or sold to anyone else

SO why bother?

Community Credits allow you to show just who you are. It is a measurement of the good deeds you have done in the community. Without them you only have your own word, maybe some photos or at best a statement from the good cause. This way you can prove the good work, and by having Community Credits™ you can compare yourselves to others.

What would I use them for?

If you are ever looking for a new job; include them on your CV as it shows your “get up and go” attitude and supports your character statement in job-seeking.

If you are applying to become a University student, include them in your personal statement and show your efforts in a standard comparable way – stand out from the crowd!

If you are a business, take out an annual membership to amalgamate your staff community credits to show how you as a business support your community. This can be used to attract new staff or showcase your company to potential and existing customers. They can also provide a standard measure to compare to your competitors or others across sectors.

If you are unemployed, you can do something to plug the CV gap by volunteering to earn Community Credits and use this to help to get that next great job.

Do they ever expire?

Nope, they stay with you for life – as a testimony to all of the community work you have ever done.

I did some volunteering and donated money recently, can I count that please?

Sorry, we only count work that is done through the IIC site, as this is verified and visible. So well done for what you have done in the past, now bring your good work onto the platform and start earning Community Credits.

Where else can I earn Community Credits?

Community Credits are owned and administered ONLY on the IIC site.

What is business membership?

This is the ability to join the IIC platform on an annual / monthly subscription basis to enjoy the considerable benefits from a business membership in our social value management tool.

What benefits do I get?

Being a business member allows you to see the total giving your staff in work as well as the giving of your business, and provide you with an increasing tally of the good work you have helped make happen by allowing your staff to volunteer or raise money for a good cause.

The dashboard of your company shows what you have helped make happen, provides a real time report of activity by person, by good cause, by donations or volunteering, all on one simple screen.

It allows you to showcase your Community Credit total as a means to promote your business, improve employee engagement and attract and retain great and talented people.

You are also be invited to the annual celebration dinner and maybe win an award!

I’m only a very small business – does this work for me too?

Yes it does! It is a platform for EVERYONE in our business community. You don’t have be a big company to make a huge difference. Our members already range from a major FTSE bank to a small business of a few staff.

So does this do all the reporting legwork for me?

Yes it does, saving your business time and money. You may already have internal counting processes that probably output to your accounts or your marketing department. IIC Platform not only provides you with details of all donations and volunteering done, by person, project and outcome, but you get Community Credits as well.

Is it expensive?

No, we have priced this platform to be accessible to everyone. We charge just £10 per year for each person you employ, so a small business of say 6 people costs only £60 per year. There are no annoying divisions using “employee banding” that causes a couple of extra people to push you into a higher price band – we think that’s unfair. So a simple and fair tariff of £10/year/person is our model.

Even better news if you employ over 2,000 staff, as every person above this level is not charged at just £1 per person per annum. We think that’s a fair and easy to understand

How do I join?

Simply go to the registration form on the website. Complete the form, disclose the number of employees and use our payment gateway to complete the subscription. Really easy

Making giving part of your organisational culture

Apart from the satisfaction of giving (donations or volunteering) there are secondary benefits too. Your staff engagement can be enhanced by this approach, and the Government has recently announced that it will provide small and medium-sized companies with a cash incentive for setting up a Payroll Giving scheme for employees.

Furthermore you can deduct any costs as normal business expenses if:

• your company temporarily transfers an employee to work for a charity (known as a ‘secondment’)

• an employee volunteers for a charity in work time

Your company must continue to pay the employee and run Pay As You Earn (PAYE) on their salary. You can set the costs (including wages and business expenses) against your taxable profits as if they were still working for you.

Step up to Investors In Community today and make your business stand out from the crowd. Don’t delay though, the sooner you register, the sooner you start collecting Community Credits

What is volunteering?

As an individual, this is about you giving up your time to help others. On the IIC site you will see a growing number of community projects (not just charities) that have been set up to help people or a community where there is no other source of help.

You can make a difference with just a few hours of your time, and whilst doing so, earn Community Credits and gain the satisfaction of having made a difference real people and their lives.

If you volunteer with the support of your employer or your affiliate organisation, then you are able to select them to receive 50% of the Credits you earn, as a thank you for releasing you to help out. The credits you earn are always in your account; it’s just that it fairly recognises the organisation that helps you help others.

What is skilled and general volunteering?

Skilled volunteering is the term we use to describe you doing your day job. If you are an accountant, a bricklayer, an engineer, a solicitor, teacher, medically trained, then volunteering for something that asks for your core skills is described as skilled volunteering.

What is general volunteering?

This relates to activity that is something you don’t do in your day job. People often assume that this is just manual work, but it doesn’t have to be. In painting a community asset for example, a qualified painter could be classified as a skilled volunteer, and the other as general volunteers.

We use this analysis to create reports that add value to our stakeholders and create real opportunities for people to help in the best way they can

How can I earn Community Credits if I already volunteer for an organisation?

Ask your organisation to register to the Investors In Community platform and put your shifts on the platform for you to volunteer too – the organisation you help can then accept you and you will earn community credits for your activity.

It is a win win for charities and good causes when they register as their organisation can reach a wider audience of donors.

What about my age – does that matter?

Yes it does. In volunteering your time, select an activity that suits your ability as you think fit. Some environments are best suited to adults and the good cause will usually stipulate this. If you are under 18 there are other considerations to do with your safety… read on.

Safeguarding yourself

If you are part of an organisation or company, ask them to explain their policies and protection for you, as you volunteer for something. Check insurances and make sure you are covered in the event of any injury or accident on site. Check with the good cause to see if they have insurances and polices that protect your wellbeing, especially if you are going to be using any kind of machinery. If you are driving as part of the volunteering ensure your insurance company provides cover for you, and don’t get caught out by small print. Finally ask the question who is liable for you as you volunteer for anything, and be aware of risks at all times.

If you are under 18, then we recommend an adult is in supervision at all times, and that your parents or guardians are fully aware of your volunteering intentions.

But don’t let this put your off, go out there and do great things, earn Community Credits and add value to lives - but act responsibly for your own safety and wellbeing.