charity partners in all 50 states across the US and in 15 countries around the world to help children living in poverty

Transcription

1 Annual Report 2015

2 Highlights of The first Red Nose Day in the US was held on May 21 and raised over $23 million 2. Monies from Red Nose Day 2015 are being put to work by our twelve preselected charity partners in all 50 states across the US and in 15 countries around the world to help children living in poverty 3. NBC produced the primetime Red Nose Day TV Special 4. Walgreens sold over 5 million Red Noses and collaborated with spectacular blue chip brand partners 5. Two new Trustees were appointed to the CR Inc. Board: Joe Cerrell from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Paul Telegdy from NBC Universal 6. Red Nose Day 2016 was confirmed and scheduled for May 26 with the support of major partners: Walgreens, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NBC and Mars Vision Mission a just world free from poverty positive change through the power of entertainment 1

3 Chairman s Report Comic Relief Inc. (CR Inc.) had an exceptional first year we have much to be proud of and many individuals and partners to thank for making it so successful. The CR Inc. organization launched in 2015 with three primary objectives: 1. Introduce Red Nose Day in America with a celebrity and comedy filled inaugural campaign leveraging the power of entertainment 2. Engage the nation in a new giving movement and corral public support for the fight against childhood poverty 3. Raise meaningful funds to create real and lasting change in the lives of children who are most in need in the US and the poorest communities of the world through effective grant making The inaugural Red Nose Day campaign in the US came together very quickly. The support of the Comic Relief UK team was critical, providing a team to work on getting the first campaign off the ground, alongside numerous departments at NBC, and the wider Comcast NBCUniversal group. The NBC team put enormous energy behind delivering an additional show on their summer schedule, and promoting it across all their channels and platforms, while Los Angeles based production company Done+Dusted worked tirelessly to bring the three-hour Red Nose Day TV Special to life. The show itself, which was broadcast live from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, featured laugh-out-loud sketches with the cast of Game of Thrones and Coldplay, a spoof of The Voice with Will Ferrell and Nick Offerman and even daring stunts from Gwyneth Paltrow. Interspersed with heartfelt appeal films featuring Jack Black and Michelle Rodriguez, the event showed the American public it was indeed possible to Have Fun, Raise Money and Save Lives. A big part of Red Nose Day s ambitious inaugural campaign was the introduction of the official Red Nose at Walgreens stores nationwide. Walgreens, exclusive retailer of the Red Noses, raised over $8.5 million and created a brilliant retail and marketing campaign to drive awareness and engagement with the event. Across their 8,300 stores nationally, staff took Red Nose Day to heart, and were crucial in helping to get it on the map for the American public. Walgreens engagement and support at all levels of the organization was simply tremendous they generated such excitement that they sold out of 5 million Red Noses before the big day had even arrived. Bill and Melinda Gates were also star supporters, taking part in the TV show and through their Foundation, which donated $5 million. And Mars, another critical supporter via their M&M S brand and unparalleled employee engagement, added to the fun and total funds. Seizing on the comedy elements of the Red Nose Day event, M&M S #MakeMLaugh campaign challenged consumers to a series of funny tasks, with donations to the cause triggered by the use of the hashtag on social media. The brand s efforts drove enormous consumer engagement and brand awareness in addition to a total donation of over $1 million. 2

4 From engaging on social media, to holding fundraisers at work and in the community, to donating in-store, online and during the TV Special, people across the nation got into the spirit of Red Nose Day, generating enormous buzz, awareness and funds. We set some ambitious targets for the first Red Nose Day campaign including: raising $20 million in donations, building brand awareness of Red Nose Day, and making an excellent TV show. The great news is that we achieved all three goals: Red Nose Day 2015 raised $23.7 million; brand awareness went from 6% to 46%; and the TV Special was a critical success and was recommissioned by NBC for In addition, the Red Nose Day campaign delivered exceptional press and promotional attention, driving nearly 4 billion media impressions and trending globally in social media throughout the day on May 21st. After the event and in light of its success, we did two very important things. First, we worked hard to distribute monies raised quickly so that they could be put to work to help lift children out of poverty which is of course, our most important achievement of the inaugural Red Nose Day in America. We were very lucky to work with 12 fantastic charity partners who supported us on every step of the 2015 campaign. We are really proud to be able to further their great work by allocating over $20 million to their excellent projects to ensure that children and young people in need are safe, healthy and educated. Half of the public donations were spent in the US, with funds being put to work in all 50 states, and half internationally, with grant money at work in 15 countries. A report-back to the public in December explained where the money was being spent and how many people would be helped (see infographic on page 7). Secondly, we reviewed the lessons learned from the first ever Red Nose Day in the America and put in place the building blocks for Red Nose Day Key lessons that have been built into plans include putting a US team in place to run the campaign locally, with longer lead times for project areas across the board. By the end of September Walgreens had started the process of making over 10 million Red Noses and shortly after Christmas we had drafted plans for all aspects of the 2016 campaign. At this time, the Board of Directors approved a new structure for the US team and recruited the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Vice President of Operations & Finance, both of whom were placed by March In addition to these placements, there were also important developments in the CR Inc. Board structure with the welcome appointments of two new Trustees: Joe Cerrell from the Gates Foundation and Paul Telegdy from NBC Universal. Over and above the significant sums raised through Red Nose Day, in 2015 CR Inc. also received a direct donation from British Airways, a long term supporter of Comic Relief in the UK. Through their Flying Start Fund, the airline raised $200,000 from their staff and customers in the US, which was generously donated to Comic Relief. Our grants team distributed money to two exceptional recipient organizations: the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program. We d like to thank the American public, everyone at NBC, Walgreens, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mars M&M S, our charity partners, our suppliers, the US Board and everyone at Comic Relief UK for all their help in making 2015 such a resounding success for CR Inc. Our gratitude to one person in particular cannot be overestimated: Richard Curtis, 3

5 co-chair of Comic Relief Inc., co-founder of Comic Relief UK, creator of the original Red Nose Day in the UK and Executive Producer of the Red Nose Day Special in the US. He donated a huge amount of his time to steer the direction of the overall Red Nose Day campaign and support the making of the inaugural TV Special. The impact of his extraordinary personal efforts to get Red Nose Day off the ground in America were apparent across the successful campaign. We should also note the hard work and passionate engagement of the small team recruited in the US to deliver great things in a very short time. We have come such a long way towards meeting the ambitious objectives of CR Inc. in just one year. It really feels as though America has embraced the idea of Red Nose Day and we are very excited to build on this success with a new team forging a bright future for Comic Relief in the US. Sincerely, Kevin Cahill Sincerest thanks to our Red Nose Day and CR Inc. partners in 2015: BROADCAST CORPORATE MAJOR DONORS OTHER IN-KIND SUPPORT CHARITY PARTNERS Comcast/NBC Universal Walgreens Mars M&M S PayPal British Airways BT Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz AMVBBDO Cooney Waters Comic Relief UK Boys & Girls Clubs of America charity:water Children s Health Fund Feeding America Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance Lift Oxfam America National Council of La Raza National Urban League Save the Children The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria United Way 4

6 Board of Trustees Kevin Cahill President of the Board CEO of Comic Relief UK Kevin has been with Red Nose Day since 1991 and Chief Executive since From he was Head of Education at the Royal National Theatre. In 2007, he was awarded a CBE by Queen. Richard Curtis Vice President of the Board Co-founder of Comic Relief UK & Filmmaker Richard has co-produced all of Comic Relief UK s Red Nose Day shows for the BBC. As a writer, his credits include Blackadder and the Vicar of Dibley, and the films Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones s Diary, and About Time. In 2000, he was awarded a CBE by the Queen. Joe Cerrell Managing Director, Global Policy and Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Joe oversees the Gates Foundation s relationships with donor governments in North America, Europe, Asia- Pacific, and the Middle East. Prior to his time at the foundation, Joe has served in a variety of senior roles in government and strategy consulting practices, including positions in the Clinton White House under former Vice President Al Gore and at APCO Worldwide. Richard Hofstetter Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, P.C. Richard Hofstetter is a partner and co-chair of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz s Entertainment and Sports Group. He was recently recognized in New York Magazine s list of top lawyers as one of the New York area s best entertainment lawyers.. Rick Trowbridge & Treasurer CFO & Sr VP Operations, AmeriCares Rick Trowbridge recently left his position as CFO, VP Finance and Treasurer at Save the Children Federation, Inc. (US) to join a similar sized US NGO, AmeriCares, as CFO & Sr VP of Operations. AmeriCares is a non-profit emergency response and global health organization that saves lives and builds healthier futures for people in crisis in the U.S. and around the world. Rick has over 24 years experience in International Financial Planning and guided Save the Children through their global integration and expansion into multiple territories. Christy Gibb Practice Manager, Social Sector Practice, McKinsey Christy has broad experience working in the social sector in the US and abroad. She launched and built Ashoka s operations in Canada, holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and was a consultant with McKinsey & Company s Social Sector Practice for six years. She now oversees professional development for the practice. Paul Telegdy President of Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Paul oversees NBC s unscripted series and specials, including such franchises as The Voice, America s Got Talent, American Ninja Warrior, the Golden Globe Awards and The Celebrity Apprentice. He is also responsible for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Saturday Night Live. Before arriving at NBC, Paul served as Executive Vice President, Sales, Content and Production, BBC Worldwide America 5

7 2015 Annual Report Comic Relief Inc. 1