Fostering Communities
Our dedication to youth was also realized through our support Other than youth unemployment, also ageing of global population is
for social enterprises. For years, the UniCredit Foundation among most pressing issues, as it is most advanced in Europe, where
has been supporting the development of such enterprises, more than one-third of the population is more than 60 years old. This
emphasizing structured projects that deploy private-sector emerging issue is drawing the attention of international institutions,
strategies to address pressing social issues. policymakers, academics and non-profits, as also demonstrated
by the 2012 European Year for Active Ageing. It in fact marked an
In Romania, the UniCredit Foundation and UniCredit Ţiriac Bank uptick in the commitment of civil organizations, public institutions
S.A., in partnership with the NESst Foundation Romania, awarded and businesses in promoting social inclusion and rights for Europe’s
€35,000 to four social enterprises, the winners of the local Your elderly population and increasing their access to goods and services.
Choice, Your Project competition. These projects were chosen from This will enable them to live more active and independent lives.
the 19 social enterprises that participated in the competition, with
the one that earned the most votes from UniCredit Ţiriac Bank S.A. As in 201110, we remain committed to this social issue, and in 2012 we
employees receiving an additional award. Winners will use the funds focused on promoting inter-generational solidarity: other than job
to buy new equipment, pay existing salaries and create roughly 30 inclusion as above illustrated, we focused on supporting the elderly.
new jobs. The program will support such local projects as:
• building a bakery, which will employ three mentally ill people and In Italy, for example, where the UniCredit Foundation has supported
provide food to a local socio-therapy center gatherings at the Alzheimer’s Café since 2011, when it began
• establishing a wicker plantation, which will create 10 jobs for to conduct an impact analysis of existing eldercare services on
Roma individuals, and developing a plan to export its products to families and caregivers. The object was to define a service model
Austria through online channels that would enable social enterprises to improve the quality of
• making needed improvements to a mosaic tile shop, thereby life for the elderly and their families. With such initiative we put
preserving 14 jobs efforts in supporting a phenomenon that is gaining momentum
• creating four jobs for young disabled people in tailoring and across Europe, with non-governmental organizations operating
laundry shops Alzheimer’s Café locations across Europe for more than 20
years now. Hundreds of cafés are in fact opening up around
the world to give people with Alzheimer’s a place to go - with
F CUS their families, friends and caregivers. There, they can meet in a
welcoming environment and receive assistance from volunteers
and healthcare professionals, who provide emotional support,
education and social interaction. Funding from public and private
Ethical cards: business and communities entities is essential to ensure that these cafés stay running.
Since the second half of 2012, following the publication of the impact
UniCredit customers are given the opportunity to contribute to analysis results and the creation of the service model for eldercare,
social causes through a range of ethical credit and debit cards. the UniCredit Foundation, together with UniCredit Factoring, has
By using their cards, a variable percentage from each transaction begun to support Alzheimer’s Cafés in Italy, with the goal of opening
is donated to selected social projects. four new startup cafés. All told, €300,000 will be donated over a
three-year period. Consistent with its commitment to creating high-
In Italy, more than €1.7 million was collected in 2012 - and quality, scalable service models for our Italian territories, the UniCredit
will be distributed in 2013 - due to more than 207,000 Foundation plans to further develop and expand this model in Italy.
UniCreditCard Classic E cards in circulation, of which more than
27,000 were newly issued. Together with local and national Remaining close in times of need
organizations, we awarded more than 44 social projects in 2012
UniCredit lends a hand where it can, by putting to work its
(using the funds collected in 2011). expertise and banking infrastructure and by providing concrete
solutions for natural-disaster relief efforts. We work to respond
From 2005 to 2012, approximately €10 million has been swiftly in times of crisis and to support the social and economic
collected through our UniCreditCard Classic E. recovery of the affected areas.
In other Group contries we are running similar initiatives, also in We engineered strong responses to the earthquake that devastated
the form of customer loyalty programs, which allow clients to parts of northern Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy in Italy in May
accumulate points that are converted to the monetary equivalent 2012. Responding not just as a bank, but as a partner to those
and donated to charities. By the end of 2012, cards in circulation affected, we moved quickly to support our colleagues, customers
and the communities impacted by the disaster. UniCredit took swift
in Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic,
action, in step with local institutions and authorities, to jumpstart
Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey and Ukraine, funded a range of
production at important local enterprises. In collaboration with
charitable causes - primarily those dedicated to children in need the Civil Protection Department, 24/7 crisis units, 34 camping
and disability issues. trailers and a fund of €100 million were quickly put in place to
10. Refer to the 2011 Sustainability Report for more information on the Universo Non-Profit Prize.
66 2012 Sustainability Report · UniCredit