| The Most Charitable Companies |
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01/02/2010 11:25 (740 Day 02:23 minutes ago) | |||||
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The FINANCIAL -- TBC Bank contributed the highest amount of money to charity last year according to the results of interviews carried out by The FINANCIAL. On average 10 million GEL was spent on charity by leading Georgian companies: Bank of Georgia , TBC Bank , Bank Republic, ProCredit Bank, Geocell, United Telecom, Nikora and SOCAR .
The total budget of TBC Bank in charity and patron projects is 4.5 million GEL, including the amount of 3.5 million GEL which was transferred to the TBC Fund.
“Our strategy is aimed at implementing long term projects in social and cultural spheres that are oriented in perspective with the development, achievement of real outcomes, maintenance and protection of cultural and national value in these spheres,” says Mamuka Khazaradze, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TBC Bank .
Bank of Georgia through its Aid Fund (presently Bank of Georgia Future Foundation) has spent 1.7 million GEL in charitable activities.
Following Bank Republic in coordination with the Charity Fund Tsiskari spending for charity activities over the last year exceeded 1 million GEL.
JSC Nikora spent 45,800.82 GEL in charity activities in 2009.
SOCAR Energy Georgia told The FINANCIAL that over the past 3 years they have invested more than 2 million GEL in charity projects.
Wissol Petroleum Georgia incorporates its charity projects in Corporate Social Responsibility. Within the charity activities they finance cultural and sport activities.
“Elit Electronics contributed 1.7 million GEL in the year 2007, the highest amount of contribution in the company’s history. However, due to several reasons the company made no significant contributions to charity in the year 2009,” says Ia Gogoladze, the advertising manager of Elit Electronics.
JSC Madneuli had total contributions to charity of more than 1 million GEL in the years 2006-2007, participating in more than 90 charity and sponsorship projects. Moreover, the company in 2008 organized the charity concert of Bryan Adams.
Tinatin Nadiradze, PR specialist at ProCredit Bank, and Ketevan Akhobadze, PR assistant at United Telecom, both declared that their respective institutions’ information about charity budgeting is confidential.
Out of the charitable activities companies paid the most attention to the socially vulnerable segment of the population, especially to the victims of the August war.
Within the TBC Fund activities included: the newly built school for 2,000 schoolchildren in Tserovani, the support of more than 2,000 pregnant women, and guardianship of two youngsters that were physically injured during the war.
Bank of Georgia through its Aid Fund (presently Bank of Georgia Future Foundation) restored three public schools in the conflict regions Gori, Ergneti, Ditsi and funded the programme of Economic Empowerment of the Rural Women in 9 villages of Shida Kartli.
ProCredit Bank with its established fund Help the Children in cooperation with the Georgian Red Cross Society initiated and financed a project for children from the Tskhinvali region. Around 450 children accompanied by their parents spent ten days in a pleasant and peaceful environment at rehabilitation centres in different areas of Georgia: Telavi, Tskneti, Kvesheti and Ureki.
United Telecom was co-financer of the anti-military exhibition named Makhsovs on 7 August, whose participants were the children of soldiers killed during the military actions of August 2008.
For other social and one-time aid programmes in support of socially vulnerable people TBC Bank allocated 260,000 GEL in the year 2009.
“Bank of Georgia’s Future Foundation financed the creation of a family type orphanage in Rustavi, opened in December 2009, which became home for 9 children from different orphanages,” says Sophio Balavadze, Corporate Communication and PR Manager of Bank of Georgia .
Nikora and United Telecom mostly have charitable activities with offers for their products.
The priority for United Telecom is to support their socially vulnerable subscribers by a special rate and bonuses to 6,000 subscribers.
“In 2009 we formed an agreement with World Vision; for a period of 3 months Nikora provided 60 children with products, moreover the company had a special discount for the organization on its products,” says Mako Jaoshvili, PR Manager of Nikora.
As part of JSC Nikora’s social responsibility they provide products to poor people.
Nikora in cooperation with Momavlis Gza provides 20 poor families with 400 GEL every month, moreover, different NGOs provided 650 beneficiaries with free dinner.
As well as supporting the poor segment of the population, companies have several programmes supporting the reconstruction of monasteries, financing talented youngsters and supporting cultural development.
Bank Republic and Charity Fund Tsiskari have executed various charity projects. In 2009, the main focus was diverted to charity projects including rehabilitation/reconstruction of monasteries and churches, renewal of the monuments of old national heritage, reconstruction of museums, financial aid to needy families and victims of Russian aggression.
Moreover, financial support was provided to famous public figures, including professors and actors.
The TBC Bank budgeted money was allocated to the following activities: the restoration of historical monuments and churches, monasteries (150,000), financing of culture, art and sport (490,000), financing the education of diligent youngsters (100,000).
SOCAR Energy Georgia conducted charity projects that include financing the study of talented students, providing grant scholarship and helping the poor.
Geocell contributes to Georgian culture and traditions, performing a number of charitable events. With the help of Geocell a reading hall of The Georgian State Museum of Theatre, Music, Film and Choreography was restored in 2009.
Rehabilitation of the Ikalto monastery complex initiated by Geocell continues and is called a “century project”.
Wissol pays the most attention to development of culture and sport. The company is the season sponsor of K. Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre. Moreover Wissol is official sponsor of the National Football Championship.
Integration of people with disabilities in to society is another big challenge for Geocell concerning the entire society. Within the project for hearing impaired “We Hear You” Geocell started to employ hearing impaired persons in its premises.
Bank of Georgia has within its environmental activities planted another 15,000 saplings in the village of Tsagveri under the Green Deposit Project, bringing the total number of trees planted to 45,000.
In October 2009 the Bank of Georgia Future Foundation signed an agreement with the Caucasus Protected Area Fund and the Agency of Protected Areas.
According to its agreement Bank of Georgia ’s Future Foundation provided 75,000 USD to cover the maintenance/current expenses of Borjomi-Kharagauli national park over the next year.
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