The Community Initiative

The Community Initiative matches funds raised by the EBRD staff in support of local charities and philanthropic activities in the countries where we invest.

The Community Initiative aims to support staff fundraising activities in three main areas:

• Humanitarian and Disaster Relief;
• Health and Social Care for the most vulnerable;
• Education and support for children’s development.
  
  

To be eligible for the matched funding by the Community Initiative, staff initiatives need to involve at least 10 staff members and to mobilise a minimum sum of €3,000. All staff donations are matched equally by the Community Initiative with a maximum overall sum for each beneficiary of €50,000.

Since the launch of the EBRD Community Initiative in 2016, an impressive €2,477,020 of matching funding was provided for 102 staff-led charitable projects across 25 countries.

The EBRD Community Initiative is currently providing ongoing support to the staff initiatives aimed at helping those affected by the war on Ukraine. In addition to its largest ever donation to the Ukraine Charity of €150k in March 2022, the EBRD Community Initiative is offering matched funding for the following charitable initiatives on an exceptional 1:2 basis to help address the wide-ranging needs that are emerging as the situation in Ukraine and other affected countries continues to evolve.

The supported charities chosen by the EBRD staff members include:

• Charitable project “Kids and Art for Ukraine” started in 2022 in response to the war on Ukraine - to help the children affected by the war and provide them with humanitarian and educational support, and to offer psychological and therapeutic relief from the brutal reality of the war in which they found themselves.
• Za Dobroto Foundation, Bulgaria
• Nodibinājums “Fonds Ziedot.lv”, Latvia
• Association “MARTA Centre”, Latvia
• Needs Map, Türkiye
• Asociatia O sansa pentru fiecare (NGO A chance for everybody), Romania
• Charity foundation "This is my city", Ukraine
• NGO - Humanitarian Mission "Proliska", Ukraine
• British-Ukrainian Aid, UK
• Fire Aid and International Development, UK
• Sincere Education & Cultural Development, UK
• Ukraine Charity, UK

Other examples of where the Community Initiative has had real impact in our countries include the following:

Mor Çatı Kadın Sığınağı Vakfı, Türkiye

EBRD staff members raised €5,202 to support women and children suffering from domestic violence in Türkiye.

Domestic violence in the county has increased by 30% during the lockdown imposed due to COVID-19. With the help of the EBRD staff donations and matching funding by the Community Initiative, the charity Mor Çatı Kadın Sığınağı Vakfı has been able to extend the number of shelters, provide financial support for victims to purchase essential medication, sanitary items, and food, and providing psychological and legal support.

Foundation Solidarna, Croatia

The EBRD fundraising team from Zagreb RO organised a fundraising campaign to support the victims of the 2020 earthquake in Sisak, The staff members raised €53,541 and the EBRD Community Initiative contributed €50,000 in matching funds. Funds were used as follows:

• Approximately 60% of the funds were used for the construction of small wooden houses, built by the local craftsmen for the accommodation of the people in the mainly rural affected area.
• Approximately 20% of the funds were directed to the Children’s Home for refurbishment and fitting of their new kitchen and recreation facilities.
• Approximately 20% of the funds were used for the support of the reconstruction and equipping of a special facility (Soba Čuda) for the therapy and integration of the children with developmental disabilities.

Public Foundation Omirgesen, Kazakhstan

The fundraising team based in the Kazakhstan RO office raised €3,694 to help children with neuromuscular diseases of a genetic nature – Duchenne/Becker myopathy, spinal muscular atrophy, congenital myasthenia, Charcot-Marie syndrome, etc.

Three children from the city of Astana who are connected to the artificial lung ventilation machines were provided with equipment including patient circuit with valve, dust and air filters, bactericidal filters, humidifying chamber and internal battery, pharmaceutical supplies and medicine.

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 Meetings. The objective is to leave a lasting legacy after the Annual Meeting has finished with a wider, positive social impact.

In 2022, EBRD through its Community Initiative has supported the Amal Centre, a not-for-profit organisation that runs a training centre, social restaurant and catering service in Marrakesh focussed on helping women into employment.

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

(please note that only EBRD staff can propose charitable organisations or NGOs as candidates for support from the matched giving scheme.)