Since the beginning of Tyto, we have supported non-profit causes on a pro bono basis. The first example of this was the work we did with Dr Sue Black’s #techmums, which promotes digital inclusion. We’re very proud of the work we did supporting this cause.
The reason we do this kind of work is because one of our core values as a business is “Perfect Partnership”, which means that we make decisions with the best interests of all our stakeholders in mind and play an active role within the communities in which we operate. These include the tech sector, PR & comms, and the media industry.
We recognise that the work we do for clients has a wider impact on these communities. We want to ensure that our impact is positive, and so we want to help non-profit causes that support these stakeholders.
On top of that, our team at Tyto is full of passionate and hardworking people who love to bring their skills and experience to bear on not-for-profit causes for organisations that wouldn’t ordinarily have the funds to pay an agency. We want to give our team the opportunity to do that kind of work.
In order to formalise our commitment to good causes, we’ve launched the Tyto Foundation, which will encapsulate our pro bono and charity work across the agency. Through the Tyto Foundation, we pledge to commit resources equivalent to 20% of our annual profit to pro bono projects that seek to promote equality of opportunity, address injustice or support inclusion within the tech, media or communications industries.
By committing a percentage of our profits, the scope of this pro bono work can grow as our business grows. And the Tyto Foundation will have set guidelines so that our team can nominate causes they care about and suggest ideas for projects that they think will support one of our stakeholder communities. These could be one-off projects or ongoing partnerships with non-profit, charity or NGO partners whose work we believe will make a positive difference in the communities of which we are part.
At the launch of this programme, we have already agreed to work with two partners.
The first is the Tech Talent Charter (TTC), a non-profit that seeks to drive inclusion and diversity in the UK tech sector that we have represented since 2019. We supported the TTC with the launch of its annual Diversity in Tech report last month.
The TTC is an amazing organisation that is driving real change in technology by raising awareness of the practical steps companies can take to drive diversity and inclusion.
The second is Reporters sans frontières (Reporters Without Borders — RSF), an international NGO which promotes and defends the freedom of the press around the world.
The media industry is coping with a lot of pressure at the moment due to the financial impact of the pandemic, the attacks on press freedoms and the accusations of fake news. As a PR agency, our work is dependent on journalism. We have a responsibility to support journalists, so we are excited to be working with the RSF.
This is just the start for the Tyto Foundation. I am excited to see it expand and hear about the causes our team nominates. Through the Tyto Foundation, we can truly support our communities and help make these industries a better place to work.
Image (c) RSF, rsf.org