The BNP Paribas Rescue & Recover Fund marks its first anniversary. The Fund's founding members and partner NGOs are delighted at what has been achieved: a total of over EUR 750,000 collected and donated to date.
Five appeals garner €750,000 in one year
Since it was set up in late 2012, the Fund has run five separate appeals. It channelled contributions from BNP Paribas and its staff to rescue and recover efforts during the three major humanitarian crises which struck in 2013: the flooding in India in July; the plight of civilians who had fallen victim to the heightened conflict in Syria in September; and the devastating typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November. The Fund also mobilised aid to support the long-term activities of our partner NGOs in two other crucial fields: mother-and-child healthcare in Mali, Niger and the Central African Republic; and providing supplies of drinking water in Cameroon, Vietnam and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Baudouin Prot, BNP Paribas Chairman and President of the Rescue & Recover Fund said: “A year ago, in response to requests from BNP Paribas staff, we launched the initiative to set up this appeal fund in tandem with four of our subsidiaries – BNP Paribas Fortis, BNP Paribas Cardif, BNP Paribas Personal Finance and BNP Paribas Suisse (SA). The Fund is both a pioneering effort in terms of humanitarian work and a unifying force among our staff, and we have already succeeded in collecting over EUR 750,000 on behalf of our partner NGOs.”
A ground-breaking initiative:
“The unique feature of the BNP Paribas fund is that it provides for action to be taken immediately. This is the first time that a major company in France has had the foresight to create a pre-emptive instrument.”
Philippe Lévêque, Director-General, CARE France
“Thanks to the BNP Paribas Rescue & Recover Fund, we're able to bring aid to victims of disasters that are not currently in the media spotlight and for whom it is therefore difficult to raise funds but where humanitarian actions are nonetheless vital.”
Anne Bideau, Head of Technical Support, International Relations & Operations, Red Cross France.
“More than 96 % of the resources of Médecins Sans Frontières come from private donations. The Rescue & Recover Fund makes a significant contribution to our actions on the ground to assist the most deprived groups of people. The Fund encourages BNP Paribas employees to get involved alongside humanitarian workers. This is a real partnership in the true sense of the word.”
Mélanie Cagniart, Director for Private Donations, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.
About Rescue & Recover Fund
Presided by BNP Paribas Chairman Baudouin Prot, the Rescue & Recover Fund takes a pioneering approach to humanitarian giving, being open on a permanent basis for donations by all BNP Paribas personnel worldwide, plus retired staff in France. Moreover, each employee donation is matched 1-1 by BNP Paribas, up to a ceiling of EUR 1,100,000 per year, before being transferred to the three NGOs with which the Fund has forged partnerships: CARE, Red Cross France and Doctors Without Borders.
About BNP Paribas policy on Social and Environmental Responsibility
For BNP Paribas, being a responsible bank means first and foremost financing the real economy by supporting our various clients – individual customers, companies and institutional clients – and helping them to bring their plans and projects to fruition. But beyond these economic responsibilities related directly to the banking business, the Group also recognises responsibilities in three other areas:
- Employer responsibility: this means treating the Group's 190,000 employees in a fair and loyal manner and engaging in serious and meaningful dialogue with staff representatives.
- Civic responsibility, helping to combat social exclusion and promoting education and culture. The Group has a strong stake in society, through initiatives and projects which take its banking role a step further for the good of society, including special assistance for underprivileged neighbourhoods, microcredit, and support for charitable organisations and social economy enterprises. Our civic engagement is also manifested in the corporate philanthropy work done by the BNP Paribas Foundation, whose charity initiatives include educational, cultural and public health projects.
- Environmental responsibility: BNP Paribas takes great care over the environmental impact resulting from its banking activities all over the world. The Group has drawn up and implemented detailed policies relating both to its own day-to-day functioning and to sensitive fields of industry and trade, and also supports environmental initiatives through the BNP Paribas Foundation.
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) has a presence in nearly 80 countries with 190,000 employees, including 145,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its three core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail banking model across Mediterranean basin countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific.
Follow us on Twitter : @BNPParibas_pr
Five appeals garner €750,000 in one year
Since it was set up in late 2012, the Fund has run five separate appeals. It channelled contributions from BNP Paribas and its staff to rescue and recover efforts during the three major humanitarian crises which struck in 2013: the flooding in India in July; the plight of civilians who had fallen victim to the heightened conflict in Syria in September; and the devastating typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November. The Fund also mobilised aid to support the long-term activities of our partner NGOs in two other crucial fields: mother-and-child healthcare in Mali, Niger and the Central African Republic; and providing supplies of drinking water in Cameroon, Vietnam and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Baudouin Prot, BNP Paribas Chairman and President of the Rescue & Recover Fund said: “A year ago, in response to requests from BNP Paribas staff, we launched the initiative to set up this appeal fund in tandem with four of our subsidiaries – BNP Paribas Fortis, BNP Paribas Cardif, BNP Paribas Personal Finance and BNP Paribas Suisse (SA). The Fund is both a pioneering effort in terms of humanitarian work and a unifying force among our staff, and we have already succeeded in collecting over EUR 750,000 on behalf of our partner NGOs.”
A ground-breaking initiative:
“The unique feature of the BNP Paribas fund is that it provides for action to be taken immediately. This is the first time that a major company in France has had the foresight to create a pre-emptive instrument.”
Philippe Lévêque, Director-General, CARE France
“Thanks to the BNP Paribas Rescue & Recover Fund, we're able to bring aid to victims of disasters that are not currently in the media spotlight and for whom it is therefore difficult to raise funds but where humanitarian actions are nonetheless vital.”
Anne Bideau, Head of Technical Support, International Relations & Operations, Red Cross France.
“More than 96 % of the resources of Médecins Sans Frontières come from private donations. The Rescue & Recover Fund makes a significant contribution to our actions on the ground to assist the most deprived groups of people. The Fund encourages BNP Paribas employees to get involved alongside humanitarian workers. This is a real partnership in the true sense of the word.”
Mélanie Cagniart, Director for Private Donations, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.
About Rescue & Recover Fund
Presided by BNP Paribas Chairman Baudouin Prot, the Rescue & Recover Fund takes a pioneering approach to humanitarian giving, being open on a permanent basis for donations by all BNP Paribas personnel worldwide, plus retired staff in France. Moreover, each employee donation is matched 1-1 by BNP Paribas, up to a ceiling of EUR 1,100,000 per year, before being transferred to the three NGOs with which the Fund has forged partnerships: CARE, Red Cross France and Doctors Without Borders.
About BNP Paribas policy on Social and Environmental Responsibility
For BNP Paribas, being a responsible bank means first and foremost financing the real economy by supporting our various clients – individual customers, companies and institutional clients – and helping them to bring their plans and projects to fruition. But beyond these economic responsibilities related directly to the banking business, the Group also recognises responsibilities in three other areas:
- Employer responsibility: this means treating the Group's 190,000 employees in a fair and loyal manner and engaging in serious and meaningful dialogue with staff representatives.
- Civic responsibility, helping to combat social exclusion and promoting education and culture. The Group has a strong stake in society, through initiatives and projects which take its banking role a step further for the good of society, including special assistance for underprivileged neighbourhoods, microcredit, and support for charitable organisations and social economy enterprises. Our civic engagement is also manifested in the corporate philanthropy work done by the BNP Paribas Foundation, whose charity initiatives include educational, cultural and public health projects.
- Environmental responsibility: BNP Paribas takes great care over the environmental impact resulting from its banking activities all over the world. The Group has drawn up and implemented detailed policies relating both to its own day-to-day functioning and to sensitive fields of industry and trade, and also supports environmental initiatives through the BNP Paribas Foundation.
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) has a presence in nearly 80 countries with 190,000 employees, including 145,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its three core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail banking model across Mediterranean basin countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific.
Follow us on Twitter : @BNPParibas_pr