Volunteering | Columbia Threadneedle Foundation | Columbia Threadneedle Investments

In addition to financial support, the Foundation provides volunteering and pro bono opportunities for employees to encourage meaningful two-way engagement with our charity partners.

Columbia Threadneedle offers all permanent employees the opportunity to carry out volunteer work during normal working hours, as individuals or as teams. Not only does volunteering enhance our wider support for charities, it gives our employees the chance to develop new skills and network within the business, and for teams to collaborate more effectively across departments.

Our Volunteering Committee includes representatives from across the company and support the growth of our employee volunteering programme. We held an annual ‘Volunteering Week’ to coincide with an International Day of Service held by our global organisation, Ameriprise Financial. Throughout the week we host several volunteering activities per day, organised food and clothing collections and host lunchtime presentations by charities partners to raise awareness of the work they do.

The Foundation embarked on a partnership with Hatch Enterprise in 2021, a charity working with female and Black, Asian, and minority ethnic entrepreneurs to help them grow smart ideas into successful, sustainable businesses with a positive impact on their communities. Hatch provides a four-month skills training course that helps founders develop and launch their businesses.

Our employees volunteered as mentors and “Friendly Dragons” for graduates of the Hatch course. On ‘pitch days’ they heard sales, investment or elevator pitches, offering feedback on business ideas and presentations, and sharing knowledge, experience and networks to help the entrepreneurs overcome challenges and achieve business goals.

Columbia Threadneedle volunteers are also providing an hour of 1-2-1 support on a specific business challenge for Hatch graduates, from how to attract funding to social media strategy and more.

Learn more about Hatch Enterprise.

Latest Columbia Threadneedle Foundation News

19 December 2023

Supporting our communities in 2023

In 2023 Columbia Threadneedle Foundation’s ongoing support for its long-term charity partners enabled them to deliver vital work to improve individual lives, whilst also driving fundamental social change.

19 December 2022

Columbia Threadneedle Foundation – 2022 review

With our support, our charity partners continued to deliver their vital work to transform lives for the better.

1 December 2022

New partnership targets financial vulnerability

A £60,000 grant from Columbia Threadneedle Foundation to Fair By Design to fund a research project looking at how the poorest in society can secure more and better access to affordable insurance.