How your business can support mito research

The Lily Foundation is built on strong partnerships, and as a fast-growing charity we’re always open to new collaborations. Since 2007, we’ve connected with nearly 100 private sector partners who share our vision of creating a brighter future for everyone affected by mitochondrial disease.

Corporate social responsibility works best when it’s focused, measurable and human. A charity partnership gives your company a clear way to do good while engaging teams and customers around an issue that matters. If you’re exploring options for a UK charity partner, here’s how a partnership with The Lily Foundation can create real-world change for people affected by mitochondrial disease.

Every partnership we have is unique, but whatever size your company is, there are lots of ways you can get involved. Join us to help transform lives whilst achieving your corporate social responsibility goals.

Why partner with us?

Your company’s support can help improve the lives of mitochondrial disease patients and their families all over the UK, as well as funding pioneering research and helping to raise awareness of this rare inherited condition. The PR we receive from our corporate partnerships also helps to raise our profile as a viable charity partner.

But it’s not a one-way street – our partnerships are built on mutual benefits, like increasing your company profile and staff morale, opening up new networks and offering lots of fundraising and volunteering opportunities to your staff.

There’s no one-size model, but here are some of the proven ways that companies of all sizes get involved with, often in combination.

Nominate us as your Charity of the Year

Our passionate Fundraising Team will work with you to help develop a Charity of the Year partnership programme that meets your company’s objectives whilst making a difference to families now and in the future. We provide:

• Ongoing support and creative ideas for fundraising to engage your customers and colleagues.
• Promotion of your company and acknowledgement of our partnership via our website and social media.
• Opportunities for staff involvement, including talks to your team about the work we do.

Sponsor one of our charity events

Showcase your brand by sponsoring one of our high-profile fundraisers or family events. Opportunities include:

• Event sponsorship: Promote your business whilst supporting a great cause.
• Equipment or activity sponsorship: Contribute to specific event needs.

Our annual events calendar features activities such as the Lily Comedy Night, Charity Ball and sporting challenges like the London Marathon.

Volunteer with us

Get your team involved by volunteering at events such as:

• Cheer squads at marathons.
• Support roles at our Family Support Weekend.

These activities help to build team spirit and provide a first-hand connection to our cause.

Attend a Lily event

Our Lily Comedy Night takes place every February at the Comedy Store in London, and we host a Charity Ball, also in the capital. We run a couple of golf days during the year (all abilities welcome!), and a Fight Night at The Clapham Grand, where we look for willing fighters as well as supporters!

Fundraise for us

Encourage your employees to participate in fundraising activities, either individually or as a team. Options include:

• National sporting events: We have guaranteed places at a number of national events including the iconic London Marathon and Great North Run.
• Unique challenges: Swim, cycle, walk, bungee jump or even sky dive for The Lily Foundation.

By joining these events, your staff can boost their mental and physical health whilst supporting a meaningful cause. By signing up to our newsletters, colleagues can keep up to date with everything we have taking place.

We can also support your employees who want to fundraise personally by sharing simple guidance on setting up a JustGiving page.

Community activities

Host in-office activities such as raffles and quizzes, use workplace collection tins or support colleagues taking on challenges with easy online giving tools.

Make a corporate donation

Your generosity can help sustain our vital support services for mitochondrial disease patients and expand our research efforts. Options include:

• Monetary donations: One-off gifts or long-term commitments.
• In-kind gifts: Raffle prizes, unique auction items or goody bags.

Sign up to Payroll Giving

Payroll Giving is one of the most cost-effective ways to donate The Lily Foundation. It’s simple to join and tax-free, meaning that if someone makes a donation of £10, only £8 will come out of their salary and the taxman pays the difference. Many employers boost participation with matched gifts and internal recognition.

Donate your services

You don’t need to donate money to help our cause – your services could play a vital role too. Examples include:

• Catering services to donate refreshments to our events.
• Photography services to showcase our work and our fabulous supporters and researchers.

Spread the word

And finally, simply by telling other people about mitochondrial disease, and the work of The Lily Foundation, you can help us to put mito on the map. Sharing costs nothing but could help bring us a step closer to a cure.

The impact your partnership can create

When you partner with The Lily Foundation, you help to:

• Accelerate research: fund studies and collaborations that move us closer to treatments. Your support strengthens programmes covered in our mitochondrial disease Research Zone, including accessible explainers and trial updates families can act on.
• Improve diagnosis: back initiatives that bring advanced genetic testing into clinical practice and help identify cases that routine testing can miss. Faster, accurate diagnosis changes care pathways for patients.
• Support families: enable counselling referrals, peer groups and practical guidance. Our resources include emotional support for carers, information for schools and clubs and signposting for benefits and daily living.
• Build awareness and education: help us produce plain-English resources for families and professionals, making it easier to understand and talk about mitochondrial disease in workplaces and communities.

We’ll translate your contribution into clear outcomes, such as hours of counselling funded, families reached with support calls or research milestones achieved.

Compliance and giving basics for UK companies

Charity funding must be transparent and compliant. Here are the essentials.

• Corporate donations: companies can usually claim corporation tax relief on qualifying charitable donations to UK-registered charities. Relief and rules can vary; always seek professional tax advice for your situation.
• Gift Aid: Gift Aid adds 25% to eligible donations made by individual UK taxpayers who complete a Gift Aid declaration. It does not apply to corporate donations made directly by a company. If an employee donates personally and claims Gift Aid, the top-up goes to the charity. Payroll Giving is separate and tax-efficient at source for individuals but not eligible for Gift Aid.
• Cause-related marketing: if you promote that a portion of sales will be donated, the arrangement should be clear, time-bound and compliant with UK charity trading and consumer protection rules.

Quick FAQ

• What is a charity corporate partnership? It’s a structured collaboration where a business commits funds, time or expertise to a charity, with agreed activities and impact reporting that meet shared goals.
• How do corporate partnerships work? We scope your aims, select the right activities, provide assets and support, then track outcomes. You get a named contact and clear reporting throughout.
• What are examples of corporate partnerships? Common models include Charity of the Year, sponsorship, Payroll Giving, cause-related marketing and corporate volunteering. Many partners blend two or more.
• Can a partnership be a charity? A partnership is not a charity. It’s a relationship between your company and a registered charity such as The Lily Foundation.
• How do we set up a corporate partnership? Start with a discovery call, align on goals and select activities. We provide a proposal, timelines, assets and a delivery plan. Email [email protected] to begin.
• What is the meaning of corporate partnership? It means a mutually beneficial relationship between a company and another organisation, in this case a charity, designed to create social impact alongside business value.

Contact us

A focused charity partnership can unite your people, deepen purpose and deliver outcomes that matter. With The Lily Foundation, your support helps fund vital research, speed diagnosis and provide compassionate services for families living with mitochondrial disease. If this sounds like the kind of impact your organisation wants to make, email [email protected] and let’s discuss how we can work together.

Together, we can create partnerships that change lives.