For more than 10 years, IKEA has been a key partner, contributing to UNICEF’s work through strategic social investments, cause-related marketing promotions, sales of UNICEF Greeting Cards, in-kind assistance and national-level fundraising and promotional activities by IKEA customers and employees around the world.
But what makes IKEA Social Initiative a true partner, is the company’s deep commitment to social responsibility and their direct engagement with issues affecting children.
They have truly joined with UNICEF to tackle issues like child labour at their root causes.
The largest corporate cash donor to UNICEF, IKEA Social Initiative has committed more than €180 million in cash and in-kind donations to UNICEF’s programmes to save and improve the lives of children and their families.
The Soft Toy Campaign
Leveraging a global network: ‘€1 is a fortune!’
Adding yet another layer to the partnership, IKEA Social Initiative also uses its global reach to engage consumers with children’s issues through advocacy campaigns in their stores and to conduct cause-related marketing campaigns in support of UNICEF.
Since 2003, IKEA Social Initiative stores around the world have joined together to make a donation for each soft toy sold during the holiday season.
Over the past five years, this program has generated $14 million in support of UNICEF education programs, thereby helping to provide a better future for countless children around the world.
In-Kind Assistance
In addition to its global and national contributions, IKEA Social Initiative supports UNICEF programs through in-kind assistance.
IKEA Social Initiative donated
- 18,000 tables for use in schools and health centres in Liberia and Burundi
- Thousands of much-needed quilts to tsunami survivors in Indonesia and Sri Lanka
- 45,000 baby blankets for survivors of the Pakistan earthquake
- 5,000 bedsheets, 20,000 bath towels, 10,242 sleeping bags, 7,000 school bags and 30,000 bowls to survivors of the China earthquake.
Emergency Response and Rehabilitation
IKEA Social Initiative support to UNICEF emergency programmes has exceeded $10 million since 2005, which included donations of:
- 344,000 quilts to the 2005 Pakistan earthquake in Kashmir
- Early childhood development kits for Iraq
- Cash and in-kind support to the 2004 Tsunami-affected countries of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Maldives.
Long-Term Investment: UNICEF India & IKEA Social Initiative
A further demonstration of their commitment to social responsibility is IKEA Social Initiative’s long-term and integrated investment strategy in UNICEF programs in India. The partnership between the IKEA Social Initiative and UNICEF India Country Office started in 2000, with a strategy focusing on the promotion of the economic and social empowerment of women and children’s rights to education, survival, development, protection and participation in the carpet belt region of India.
Building on the work that has already been done IKEA Social Initiative and UNICEF in India recently signed an additional 5-year agreement to support Child Survival and Protection programs with a pledge of more than €100 million.
