Grant Thornton International donates US$36,465 to UNICEF

Grant Thornton International made a donation of US$36,465 to UNICEF in September 2007. The donation was raised by allocating US$5 from each respondent who participated in the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) 2007. UNICEF is committed to giving girls and boys equal learning opportunities. Around the world, there are some 121 million primary-school age children missing out on school - a disproportionate number are girls. Education is critical to a child's development and well-being. It is equally important to social stability and economic development.

Grant Thornton International took the decision to commit to the donation not only to support a good cause, but also as an incentive for respondents to participate in IBR. Supporting an organisation like UNICEF has global appeal and helped to encourage participation in the report.

Neil Bird, IBR project manager said: "We are proud to support UNICEF's global organisation and help support their educational activities helping young boys and girls from less advantaged backgrounds have the opportunity to get an education. Education is important to all children's development and is a valuable investment in the future of economic development and social stability."

David McDonnell, chief executive officer of Grant Thornton International said: "The Grant Thornton International Business Report surveys over 7,200 businesses. This volume combined with the international organisation's commitment to corporate social responsibility has resulted in a substantial donation to a worthwhile charity. I am sure that the participating businesses are as proud of the contribution as we are."

Andrew Radford, Director of Fundraising at UNICEF said, "We are delighted to accept this fantastic donation from Grant Thornton International. UNICEF is not funded by the UN and we rely on voluntary donations to fund our work for children. This kind of financial support allows UNICEF to continue its work to improve education, health, equality and protection for children all over the world."

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Grant Thornton International is one of the world's leading organisations of independently owned and managed accounting and consulting firms providing assurance, tax and specialist business advice to privately held businesses and public interest entities. The strength of each local firm is reflected in the quality of the international organisation. All Grant Thornton International member firms share a commitment to providing the same high quality service to their clients wherever they choose to do business.

Grant Thornton International is a non-practising international umbrella organisation and does not deliver services in its own name or otherwise. Each member and correspondent firm in Grant Thornton International is a separate national firm. These firms are not members of one international partnership or otherwise legal partners with each other (with the exception of certain limited instances), nor is any one firm responsible for the services or activities of any other.

Grant Thornton International member firms operate in 113 countries in 521 offices worldwide.