News

In Its First Ten Years, the Ceska Sporitelna Foundation Donated Nearly CZK 150 mil. to Good Causes

• the Ceska Sporitelna Foundation is celebrating its 10^th anniversary, having donated over CZK 147 million to charitable causes in its first decade. In 2011, it contributed nearly CZK 15 mil. to its partners, in supporting 33 projects
• 1,805 of Ceska Sporitelna’s employees donated 316 corporate volunteer days in 2011, which is an 8% increase over 2010.
• Ceska Sporitelna is significantly boosting its Grant Programme – integrating its clients into it and increasing the volume of funds to up to CZK 1 mil.
• this January, Czech Television featured an educational series “Making Debt Painless”, which uses an entertaining form to convey lessons on taking on personal and household debt.  CS has provided both financial and expert support to the series

In its initial ten years, the CS Foundation donated over CZK 147 mil. to publicly beneficial activities; last year, it supported a total of 33 projects with nearly CZK 15 mil. The Foundation’s long-term partners include Caritas Czech Republic, Life 90, Palata – Home for the Visually Impaired, Livia and Václav Klaus Endowment Fund, SANANIM, Drop In, Extended Hands, VIA Foundation, Partnership Foundation, and the Czech Conservationists’ Society.

For several years, the Foundation has also assisted non-profit and charitable organisations in the regions, through the projects supported by Ceska Sporitelna’s regional branches. These are smaller projects that have a difficult time finding support and financing opportunities in the regions.

“We view helping the society in which we operate as an obligation, which is why again this year we plan to grant financial support in roughly the same volume as last year,” said Klára Gajdušková, Director of the Ceska Sporitelna Corporate Communication Section and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CS Foundation.

Clients to Decide Where the Bank is to Put Its Money

Ceska Sporitelna will extend its grant programme for employees to its clients, as well. Last year, CS employees nominated 33 projects. In a company-wide vote, 3,054 employees chose 10 winning projects, which got a total of CZK 300,000. This year, the grant programme will be even more generous – CS is increasing the grants for its employees to CZK 1 mil. Newly, there will also be a grant programme for clients, also in the volume of CZK 1 mil.

Volunteerism – CS Employees Help Out

The number of participants continues to grow in the Days for Charity programme, in which Ceska Sporitelna employees can donate 2 business days per year to beneficial projects. The programme has been running since 2007 and last year a record 1,805 volunteers participated in it. The greatest number of them got involved in Prague and the Central-Bohemian and Moravian-Silesian regions. The greatest number of hours was donated to organisations focusing on children and youth, seniors, the environment, and animal rescue.

Financial Education in a Fun Form

Ceska Sporitelna is expanding its financial education project portfolio. That is why it is currently featuring the series “Making Debt Painless” on Czech Television, targeted at the general public. The entertaining TV series, to which CS has provided financial and expert support, shows how to borrow intelligently, without over-indebting oneself.

For further information please contact the Press Centre of the Ceska Sporitelna Financial Group (CSFG):

Press release – PDF version [new window]