The areas of the Foundation’s programme activities are: EDUCATION, TRADITION, HOPE, HEALTH, CULTURE, ECOLOGY, SPORT.
Charity activities affect the forming of PKO Bank Polski SA’s image as a socially involved business. The support provided by the Foundation contributes to building the Bank’s strong relationships with its environment and to strengthening mutual trust.
In following the motto ‘Good brings profits’ (‘Dobro procentuje’), the Foundation wishes to support areas which are of key importance to development of Poland, build strategic partnerships with Polish social organisations, and it allows the Bank’s employees to get involved in social activities. The Foundation carries out projects on three levels: strategic, local and individual. The areas of the Foundation’s programme activities are: EDUCATION, TRADITION, HOPE, HEALTH, CULTURE, ECOLOGY, SPORT.
The main source of financing of tasks of the Foundation is a grant from the Founder (PLN 13.4 million). Additional funds for grants came from the profit generated during the non-cash transactions made by customers of Inteligo associated with two affinity cards: PSS (PLN 0.4 million) and ‘Dobro procentuje’ (PLN 0.9 million). In addition, the Foundation used a part of funds from provisions from previous years.
In 2014, the PKO Bank Polski SA’s Foundation allocated approx. PLN 11.1 million, for programme-related activities, including PLN 8.9 million for strategic projects, PLN 1.3 million for local projects and over PLN 0.9 million for individual. The Foundation carries out tasks mainly through the establishment of strategic partnerships with selected social organisations, which are the innovator and driving force of the development of civil society in Poland.
Main areas of charity activities of the PKO Bank Polski SA’s Foundation in 2014
rNumber", "1")The involvement of the Foundation in 2014 included 35 strategic projects, mainly:
- In the area of EDUCATION, in 2014 continuing of substantive and financial cooperation with SIEMACHA Association, in developing talents and supporting programmes of social solidarity-building with children and youth at risk of exclusion. The cooperation with Jagiellonian Club within the realisation of the project Academy of Modern Patriotism (Akademia Nowoczesnego Patriotyzmu) was also continued. The Foundation gave a support again to the Foundation of Education for Future (Fundacja Edukacji dla Przyszłości) for a project translating resources of Khan Academy platform, ensuring free access to online education for all, into Polish language. In 2014 for the first time the Foundation supported i.a. Polish Economic Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne) in respect of Economic Knowledge Contest (Olimpiada Wiedzy Ekonomicznej);
- In the area of TRADITION, the Foundation supported activities of the organisations concerned with the education of children and youth in patriotic spirit: Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego) and Scouting Association of the Republic of Poland (Związek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej) as well as provided support for intergenerational integration activities conducted by Wspólnota Pokoleń Foundation. In addition, the Foundation is the patron of the Jan Rodowicz Anoda award, granted by the Warsaw Uprising Museum;
- In the area of HEALTH, the Banking Honourable Blood Donation was organised. The aim of the donation is to educate a new generation of honourable blood donors recruited from both employees of PKO Bank Polski SA and the Group, as well as circles of other socially sensitive environments;
- In the area of HOPE, cooperation with the Disabled Drivers Help Association ‘SPiNKa' in the ‘Mobilność osób niepełnosprawnych’ project, was continued. 144 persons with musculoskeletal dysfunctions, of which 88% with positive results took a State driving test till November 2014. Similarly, cooperation with the WIOSNA Association was continued, through supporting the volunteer training system of 14th edition of the nationwide assistance campaign ‘Szlachetna Paczka’. 1 700 Bank’s employees were engaged in ‘Szlachetna Paczka’, thanks to which 120 packages were given in total;
- In the area of CULTURE, the Creative Initiatives Foundation ‘Atut’ (Fundacja Twórczych Inicjatyw Atut) was supported for the realisation of the ‘Mała Kamienica’ programme. The grant was also used to support the Independence Day Concert 2014, organised by the Dziedzictwo Rzeczpospolitej Foundation;
- In the area of ECOLOGY, at the strategic level, the Foundation has been cooperating for three years with the Ecological and Cultural Association Gaja Club, realising together an educational project ‘Adopt a river’ (Zaadoptuj rzekę), involving Poles to real actions for rivers, ponds, lakes and Baltic Sea.
Local projects are another important area of activity of the Foundation. The purpose of realisation of these tasks is solving problems by local communities, including the involvement of both legal entities, operating in the area: non-governmental organisations (e.g. foundations, associations), local government units or public utility institutions (e.g. schools), and (in selected projects) employees of PKO Bank Polski SA. At this level, involvement of the Volunteer - Employee of the Bank, which supports the procedure for providing assistance to local organisations is important in the projects realisation. In total, 179 local projects from all over Poland were covered by grants in this category.
In 2014, the Foundation provided support to 89 persons. As part of the Bank’s programme ‘Let’s run together’ (‘Biegajmy razem…’), 59 Charity Jogging Campaigns were conducted for 60 beneficiaries. 19 142 joggers got involved in these campaigns, including 595 employees of the Bank and the Group.
The results of the activities of the PKO Bank Polski SA’s Foundation are becoming increasingly noticeable and stand out among the activities of the other bank corporate foundations. In October 2014, the Foundation received two awards given by the Centre of European Projects – the National ESF Centre for the Best Social Partnership in 2014: a strategic project of the Foundation and the Jagiellonian Club titled ‘Academy of Modern Patriotism’ was awarded the title of the best social-private partnership in 2014. An honourable mention was awarded for the Foundation’s partnership with the SIEMACHA Association. The Foundation also received an honourable mention for the variety of its activities conducted on many platforms entered for the competition, and for its ad-hoc and systemic measures in the partnerships in which it participates.