AIB Bank is Ireland’s largest retail and commercial bank with 280 retail offices, over 9,000 staff and 1.5 million customers, and it includes specialist businesses offering credit cards, car finance and leasing products, home mortgages and other services. The AIB Better Ireland Programme is a significant corporate giving initiative which was established in 2001 to support vulnerable children. Research showed that this initiative required stronger connection with local communities, and the idea was conceived to enable greater community involvement in 2008 through a public text voting system. This resulted in a huge increase in applications, and a record-breaking text voting campaign for the projects.

An Post is one of Ireland's largest companies with a huge network of retail, processing and delivery points. Its commercial operations include provision of postal, communication, retail and money transmission services. An Post recognises the importance of literacy in the quality of life of its customers, and the company promotes literacy awareness through a range of initiatives for people of all ages. Literacy problems are a communications barrier to customers accessing An Post services. The company enabled the National Adult Literacy Agency to deliver a literacy helpline, which was supported by a TV, radio and cinema advertising campaign. Literacy was also the main aim of the An Post Education Awards.

Kevin Dempsey Distributors is a market leading distributor of soft furnishing fabrics, and the foremost manufacturer and distributor of wood blinds and related home furnishing products in its domestic and international markets. The firm has embedded corporate social responsibility in its business plan, and its programme spans environmental and social issues. The major focus of the programme is the Irish Cancer Society, and the innovative idea to ask for customers permission to apply an Action Breast Cancer levy of 1% to their invoices, which is then doubled up by the company. This has had the effect of generating enthusiastic engagement of customers and staff in a worthwhile project.

Meteor Mobile Communications was established in 2001. It has enjoyed unprecedented growth in recent years and now has over one million customers on its network. Meteor sees its corporate responsibility mission in terms of delivering a quality service with a responsible duty of care to staff, to customers and to all of the communities in which it operates. As part of fulfilling this mission, Meteor selected Barnardos as its charity of choice. Meteor has undertaken a wide range of concerted initiatives to support this partnership, including the sale of charity Christmas tree stars through the retail network, and a series of children's Christmas parties which engaged Meteor staff in volunteering.