How Credit Agricole Bank develops We Care! corporate social responsibility program

Viktoriia Torianyk, Head of Brand and Communications Department, Founder of the We Care! Program, Credit Agricole Bank

This spring, the We Care! program turned 9 years old. It started as a volunteer initiative aimed at fostering charity and a culture of volunteering within the company. At that time, corporate charity was just emerging, and implementing new projects required significant effort. The question often arose: "Why should a company spend money on this?"

We started with an annual budget of $10,000, saved on other projects, and doubled our contributions every year. We engaged top management and sought out even the smallest opportunities to implement ideas, sometimes without any funding at all.

Today, We Care! is Credit Agricole Ukraine’s strategic corporate social responsibility program that supports society. Within the new AIR strategy – Aim to Invest in Recovery – this program fulfills an important mission: to invest in the recovery of society. The program encompasses four key areas: charity, volunteering, employee care, and environmental initiatives.

Over the past few years, We Care! has reached a new level. Unfortunately, its rapid growth was driven by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We have reached an average annual budget of $1.3 million, and with that, there have been tectonic shifts in value systems. The question "Why do we need charity?" has transformed into "What more can we do to help rebuild the country?"

Since the war began, the bank has significantly strengthened its social stance, and the number and speed of charitable initiatives have increased dramatically. We chose to act: to help those in need, to multiply goodness, and to bring victory closer. This is the essence of We Care!

What Inspires Us?

More than 100 charitable initiatives amounting to over UAH 170 million – this is the result of the We Care! program during the war. Behind these numbers there are thousands of lives we have touched with our compassion. Our greatest inspiration comes from knowing that our actions have a real impact on real people.

A Project Close to Our Hearts

Among Credit Agricole’s 20 initiatives in 2024, the most significant one was the construction of an intensive care unit at the Kyiv Perinatal Center. This UAH 45 million project included a complete renovation of the facility and the purchase of 130 pieces of modern medical equipment.

Due to the war, the number of prematurely born babies has significantly increased, making modern neonatal intensive care units critically necessary. Within just a few months, this unit has already improved neonatal survival rates, according to doctors. We call this project an investment in the nation’s recovery because its greatest value lies in the lives it saves.

Where Do Charitable Funds Come From?

We receive strong support from Credit Agricole Group’s regional banks and the Group’s Foundation. Often, our international partners offer financial assistance to Ukraine on their own initiative. Today, we are supported by around 10 foreign donors from Group banks.

The distribution of charitable investments is as follows:

• 40% – Credit Agricole Group Foundation
• 30% – Regional banks
• 30% – Credit Agricole Ukraine

Our team in Ukraine coordinates all the projects, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the use of funds. One of our key achievements has been establishing a mechanism for interaction with Credit Agricole Foundation, allowing us to receive international charitable contributions directly in Ukraine.

What Have We Achieved with Charitable Funds?

Over the past year, we:

• Established an intensive care unit for newborns at the Perinatal Center;
• Began collaborating with the Superhumans Center;
• Supported the “City of Goodness” foundation and its “Butterfly House” project;
• Funded the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy at the U4UA Foundation;
• Allocated UAH 5 million to the “Children of Heroes” foundation for a psychological rehabilitation camp;
• Purchased homes for two large families as part of the “Home for Children” project (UAH 6.5 million, project started in 2023);
• Allocated UAH 1 million for the Family Mental Well-Being Center in Vorzel;
• Purchased medical equipment for regional hospitals (UAH 20 million).

Our Budget-Free but Vital Initiatives

The "Facilities Pro Bono" Project

The bank donates computer equipment and office supplies to orphanages, boarding schools, and charitable organizations. Since the start of the war, we have donated 142 computers, 52 pieces of furniture, 2 air conditioners, 2 oxygen concentrators, and 1 vehicle to those who need them most.

Volunteering as a Part of Corporate Culture

As part of We Care!, our employees regularly participate in Donor Days. Over the past 8 years, we have held 31 Donor Days, donating 154 liters of blood for hospitals and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Additionally, our team has raised UAH 200,000 for the “Tabletochki” foundation.

Our team is the heart of Credit Agricole. We Care!