Aberdeenshire-based craft beer company BrewDog announced that it will in future give away 20% of its profits every year via a “Unicorn Fund.”

The Ellon-based brewer said 10% of profits will be shared equally among its staff and a further 10% will be issued to charities chosen by the brewer’s 1,000-strong workforce and 57,000 “Equity Punk” crowdfunding investors worldwide.

BrewDog said if it achieves its projected targets, it will give away more than $58 million via the Unicorn Fund in the next five years alone.

BrewDog cofounder James Watt said: “At BrewDog, we care about two things above all else: our beer and our people.

“We want to make the best beers on the planet, we want to be the best company to work for, and we want to build a radically new type of business that we can all be proud of.

“Giving away 20% of our profits – forever – is not about altruism. It is about impact. It’s not about profits.

“It is about purpose. This is the biggest community-fuelled, crowdfunded charity contribution in history.

“Outdated CSR policies have zero consideration for their real-world impact, existing merely for the purpose of an oversized check and an awkward photo shoot.

“This is a call to arms for businesses to democratize the impact their charitable contributions can have on their community, their people, and the world.”

BrewDog USA managing director Tanisha Robinson: “We’re hugely excited to launch the Unicorn Fund in the US.

“As we grow here in the states, each of our bars will have their own Unicorn Fund to give back to their local communities as well as worthy global causes.

“Right now, we’re 110-strong and growing our US workforce daily, along with 9,000 newly recruited US Equity Punks, all of whom will be responsible for the positive impact of the Unicorn Fund in the years to come.”