Unicef is the charity partner most frequently mentioned by the 50 companies that lead the FTSE 100 Index, new research by Third Sector has found.

The ESG Focus market report analyses the social objectives and charitable activities of the 50 largest companies by market capitalisation listed on the index, as articulated in open company sources such as websites and sustainability reports.

The report assesses the extent to which companies’ sustainability goals are reflected in their charitable partnerships, with the aim of helping charities to identify suitable partners that share their mission and values.

It found that companies almost universally appear to be using their charitable partnerships to help fulfil their social objectives, at a time when pressure is growing on businesses to operate in more environmentally and socially sustainable ways and provide evidence that they are doing so.

Unicef, whose corporate partners include AstraZeneca and BT, was also among the most commonly cited charities to receive cash donations from the 50 companies analysed. 

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