Impact beyond Design: YC ranks #2 on GoodCompany’s 2024 Award List

As a small business and creative agency in Melbourne, Your Creative is incredibly proud to have moved up from last year’s top 20 into 2024’s top three. This recognition celebrates our commitment to social impact, community engagement, workplace giving, and employee-driven initiatives.

Over the past year, we have continued to strengthen this commitment to communities and the environment through employee volunteerism, supporting local, matched giving, and purpose-driven projects. We recently released our Sustainability Impact report for 2023-2024 about our core values and the significant impact we made in the following areas: Our People, Our Processes, Our Planet, Our Community and Our Culture.

Making a difference through key CSR initiatives

Our efforts reflect a belief that impactful work comes from within, with a significant focus on empowering our team. Here are some highlights of what Your Creative employees achieved this past year:

• Pro bono projects: We proudly dedicated 5% of our services to pro bono work, supporting nonprofits in impactful ways. This year, we collaborated with the Victorian Women’s Trust on gender-focused initiatives such as Rural Women Online and Rosie. 
• Environmental commitment: Our team, led by our sustainability committee, embraced a Go Neutral campaign, reducing our environmental footprint through a localised supply chain. The committee also helped set up a consistent recycling system in the office for otherwise hard-to-recycle materials. 
• UN Global Compact and B Corp: Reflecting on our commitment to global standards, we joined the UN Global Compact and worked toward B Corp certification. These efforts help align our day-to-day activities with our long-term sustainability goals.
• Employee volunteering and reconciliation initiatives: Our employees also actively engaged in community service and advocacy, dedicating time to initiatives that support First Nations communities. Our internal Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) committee, is currently working through their ‘Reflect’ stage.

Key insights from GoodCompany Awards 2024:

• Payroll Giving: 77% of companies now offer payroll giving, marking a 26% rise over last year, highlighting a growing commitment to regular employee-driven charitable support.
• Charity Choice: 64% of companies have adopted an “OPEN CHOICE” charity model, a 7.58% increase from two years ago, as companies move away from “CLOSED CHOICE” programs. 
• Matched Giving: 75% of companies provide matched donations, with 30% offering uncapped matching, reinforcing a strong commitment to supporting employee contributions.
• Volunteering: Nearly all companies (98%) now offer paid volunteer leave, with 79% allocating specific budgets for team volunteering, up from 69% in 2023.
• Sponsorships: Organisations increasingly support diverse programs, from education to climate resilience, partnering with groups like Smiling Mind, YMCA, and OzHarvest, and providing grants, scholarships, and disaster relief.

Lauren Crystal, Managing Director of Your Creative, emphasised the importance of these initiatives, “As an SME, we’re trying to show other businesses that you don’t have to be a big corporation to start making an impact. Engage your local community, talk to your employees, and build a culture that encourages diverse perspectives. We’re honoured to be recognised by GoodCompany and proud of the difference we make every day, through our creative agency. From volunteering to sustainable practices, we’re committed to strengthening the concept of a workplace where giving back is the norm, irrespective of your scale.”

We’re proud to have made big strides and be recognised for the same this year. We look forward to continuing to build brand trust, meeting sustainability goals, and shaping a new era of work that encourages impact and positive change.