The Community Initiative

The Community Initiative matches funds raised by EBRD staff and focuses on three areas:

• Humanitarian and disaster relief 
• Health and social care for the most vulnerable 
• Education and support for children’s development

EBRD staff propose the charities or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) they wish to support. To be eligible for matched funds the scheme also needs to involve at least 10 staff members and be able to mobilise a minimum of €3,000.

All staff donations are matched equally by the Community Initiative, with up to €50,000 for each charitable venture. 

Since the beginning of the war on Ukraine, €1.88 million has been disbursed to match the €1.44 million in staff donations raised through 44 charitable projects. 

 In Jordan and Tunisia, the Community Initiative has provided nearly €70,000 in matched funds for projects to help refugees from the West Bank and Gaza. 

 In response to increased humanitarian needs in the region, funding for two projects in Lebanon and one in Jordan was approved in September 2024 with an exceptional matching ratio of 1:2. 

Ukraine

 EBRD donations have supported the peer-to-peer specialists department at The Superhumans Centre, which offers prosthetics, rehabilitation and psychological support to patients, including veterans, helping them to integrate into civilian life. These specialists, many of whom are former patients, play a crucial role in patient recovery. The funds have provided training, materials, salaries and office equipment. The centre organises sports and recreational activities to help with physical and mental recovery, with more than 120 events taking place in 2024. 

Jordan 

Acting for Change International (AFCI) has been providing educational support in the refugee camp Zaantari Village in Jordan since 2016, focusing on integrating Syrian children into the Jordanian education system.  With funding from the EBRD, AFCI put together a computer course to teach essential digital skills to students aged 13 to18, many of whom had no prior computer experience.  Over three months, local teachers delivered 228 hours of computer classes using laptops purchased with the funding. The AFCI centre was also renovated in July and August 2024 to repair damage and ensure a safe learning environment.   

Kyrgyz Republic

Uplift – Aufwind provides support for children with disabilities and their families. Over the last 17 years the foundation has helped more than 10,000 children and 815 families.  EBRD staff raised funds for Uplift in the town of Tokmok so it could have a permanent building in which to carry out its essential work.   The house was built from clay, wood and straw – ecological, sustainable and economical. It also had to be earthquake proof as the Kyrgyz Republic is a seismically active area.  This permanent centre provides a safe place for families to gather, socialise and receive professional help, while enabling Uplift to continue offering its early intervention and rehabilitation services in Tokmok, and to host children with disabilities from other regions such as Chui, Kemin and Issykata.

Morocco 

CARE Morocco has been a strong presence in the Al Haouz province since 2014, supporting women's economic empowerment.  Following the earthquakes in September 2023, many schools were either destroyed or severely damaged, forcing students to attend classes in unsafe buildings or temporary tents.  CARE Morocco identified priority schools and used EBRD Community Initiative funds to install classrooms that provided a safe and appropriate learning environment for children in the affected areas.  The primary school Ibno Alwanan in Ait Imour was rebuilt, thus ensuring school activities were not too severely disrupted for the children.  

The Community Initiative also supports a number of events and activities related to arts and culture in our countries of operation and targeted charitable projects in conjunction with the EBRD’s Annual Meetings.

EBRD Literature Prize

The EBRD Literature Prize celebrates a translated work of contemporary literary fiction from the countries where the EBRD works, as a means of making the literature and culture of these countries better known to the staff of the Bank and the wider public. The Prize also serves to draw attention to the diversity and creativity of our regions. 

Charitable contributions at the EBRD Annual Meeting 

The Community Initiative provides a special, targeted charitable donation to the host country of the EBRD Annual Meeting. The aim is to leave a lasting legacy after the Annual Meeting has finished with a wider, positive social impact. In 2024, at the EBRD’s Annual Meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, the Community Initiative provided €50,000 to three NGOs: Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development of Communities, Ardook Social Enterprise and Source Foundation. 

You can contact the Community Initiative team at CommunityInitiative@ebrd.com

 Only EBRD staff can propose charitable organisations or NGOs as candidates for support from the matched giving scheme.