Forward Foundation
We're not just in the business of making money - we want to do some good along the way.
We think that this is so important that we’ve set up a foundation, the Forward Foundation, to help us give something back to the community.
The Forward Foundation supports young people with tough lives to secure a productive livelihood. The foundation helps young people in our home city of London and in some of the world’s poorest countries. Each year we give the Forward Foundation a percentage of our profit to do some good. So far we've committed £300,000. We’re currently talking to a number of charities and hope to fund some of their great projects that will improve the life chances of young people.
Our talented and committed people here at Forward get involved in supporting the work of the foundation and other good causes by providing their expertise, time and money. Current staff initiatives include:
Kiva
Kiva is a non-profit organisation that provides small loans to low-income entrepreneurs across the globe. The Forward Foundation gives $200 to every employee to loan through Kiva to any entrepreneur whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq. So far we've made nearly $40,000 in loans and you can view our lending team here.
Forward Foundation just helped Armine from Aygestan village, Armenia to buy pay for fertilizer and cover cultivation costs.
Peru, Clothes seller
Philippines, Fish seller
Pakistan, Jewellery
Volunteering Centre
We're working with the
Volunteer Centre Camden
and 3 other volunteer centres across London to encourage and facilitate volunteering. We’re using our expertise to develop an online brokerage service that connects people who are looking to volunteer with organisations with volunteering opportunities.
Rapid FTR
is a charity initiative focused on creating an application for tracing missing children in disaster situations such as earthquakes. We've hosted this event in our offices, providing plenty of pizza and our developer's precious time.
Last year at a charity auction we had the winning bid for an apprenticeship with Mercedes Petronas Formula One Team. We gave this amazing opportunity to James, a young man studying motor mechanics with a local charity,
Camden Jobtrain.
James worked at the Mercedes factory getting to know first-hand what goes on behind the scenes at a top F1 team. He even got to meet F1 legend Michael Schumacher! For James it was a transformative experience, giving him the confidence and conviction to go on and achieve his ambition of becoming a motor sports mechanic.
CodeJam FTR
Formula 1 Apprenticeship
Fundraisers
We encourage and support our staff to fundraise for good causes. Employees fundraising efforts are matched up to £1,000 per fundraiser, either by the Forward Foundation if it’s for a charity that supports its work with young people or by Forward if it’s for another great cause. Just recently 30 of our staff ran in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Battersea Park for Barnardos and Neil, Hemal and Stephen cycled to Paris for Scope.
Later this year Rob is running for Breakthrough Breast Cancer in the Great South Run and Silke is competing in a triathlon to help underprivileged children in India and the Philippines.
Last year Stephen ran in the Great North Run for Scope, Olu participated in the Walk For Life, Fariba raised money for Cancer Research UK in the Cycle for Life, Lance and Robert grew their mos for The Prostrate Cancer Charity.
Walk for Life
Pennies From Heaven
Pennies from heaven is the UK's fastest growing coins collection scheme. Everyone’s gross salaries are rounded down to the nearest pound and the total is then tripled by the Forward Foundation and donated to the following charities: Kids Company, Water Aid and Concern Worldwide.
Give As You Earn
Forward is part of the Charities Aid Foundation's Give As You Earn scheme. Forwardians can donate to charity straight out of their salaries, before the taxman touches them! This saves charities time and money claiming back the tax through Gift Aid. Better still, donations by our staff are matched up to £250 per year, either by the Forward Foundation if it’s for a charity that supports its work with young people or by Forward if it’s for another great cause.