Ecclesiastical Insurance and Benefact Group set ambition to become the UK's biggest corporate donor

Owned by a registered charity, Benefact Trust, Benefact Group is already the fourth-largest corporate donor to charity in the UK1 and gives all its available profits to good causes.

Benefact Group, formerly named Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, has given over £100 million to good causes since 2016 through various programmes such as the Movement for Good awards, which accepts charitable nominations from both its customers and the wider public. It also gives a proportion of its profits to its charitable owner, the Benefact Trust, who help transform lives and communities in this country and abroad.

The Group’s giving has supported a wide range of causes across different sectors and will continue to positively impact those in need. In Ireland, charities including Children Books Ireland, Kid’s Own, Focus Ireland and Citywise Education have all benefitted from Ecclesiastical’s charitable donations. 

Benefact Group’s giving supports people and charities across a wide range of causes and sectors. Charities supported by these donations range from those providing humanitarian support to refugees from Ukraine, through to charitable sectors including education and skills, rural, heritage, arts, faith, climate change, animal and wildlife charities. 

More than 10,000 charitable donations have been given across the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia from the £100 million. 

David Lane, Managing Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “This is a huge milestone for the company to reach. The charities who have received donations through our initiatives have been enabled to successfully change the lives of people and communities all across Ireland. We are extremely proud to be part of the wider Benefact Group family to enable us to take part in such fantastic giving initiatives like the Movement for Good which has seen many charities in Ireland receive donations over the past 40 years. We look forward to continuing to contribute to the greater good of society as charitable giving is at the heart of everything we do.”     

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive at Benefact Group, said: “We’re incredibly proud to reach our £100 million giving milestone thanks to the support of our family of specialist businesses, customers, brokers and everyone who has taken part in our giving initiatives over the past few years. We believe business should be a force for good and charitable causes need sustained support.

“I’m hugely grateful for the loyal support of our customers from our family of specialist businesses, each of whom pass their available profits for onwards distribution to charity.

“Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the group grows, the more the group can give. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do.” 

Benefact Group first set a fundraising target in 2014 giving £50 million to good causes. In 2016 the Group set a target to raise a further £100million. 

Mark Hews added: “Benefact Group is unlike many other companies, the Group is not driven by the amount of money it makes, but by the amount it gives away. We hope that this ethos, coupled with outstanding customer service for which all our brands are known, will attract more customers to the Group, help us grow, and help us give.”

To learn more about Benefact Group’s unique purpose and the causes it helps visit: www.benefactgroup.com