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Long before the words Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
existed, Rabobank Foundation was established in order to
stimulate initiatives aimed at giving some of our prosperity
back to less advantaged sectors of society. These initiatives
fit perfectly with the whole co-operative concept and are a
quiet source of pride for many Rabobankers.
Valuable members
Ineke Derkzen
It is 30 years since Rabobank started the
Foundation as an initiative to invest in people.
Just as the co-operative concept and structure
of Rabobank had helped farmers to become
self-sufficient a century earlier - the very roots
of our bank - Rabobank Foundation helps
groups at home and abroad by giving them
the tools to become self-supporting.
From an initial €200,000 investment, the
Foundation's funding has grown to €6 million.
Each year member banks are encouraged
to donate 1 of their net profit to the
Foundation, and Rabobank Nederland
matches their contributions. These funds
have helped groups of intellectually and/or
physically challenged individuals in the
Netherlands to become valued members
of society. In the developing world, the
Foundation's financial support enables people
to provide stable sources of family income.
The number of requests for funding shows
just how important the Foundation's work
is for a lot of people and organizations. Last
year alone there were 700 applications for
support; 350 from the Netherlands and 350
from abroad. Of these, the Foundation is
supporting 133:53 donations for projects in
the Netherlands, and 80 donations and loans
abroad to a wide variety of groups and
organizations.
The Word
