“How HCOB fulfills its responsibilty towards society“
Hamburg Commercial Bank is a responsible corporate citizen and as such promotes culture and sport, while at the same time supporting a wide range of institutions in the areas of E, S and G with extensive donations.
Donations made in 2023
In 2023, HCOB has donated almost € 1,000,000 to over 20 different organisations, directly helping those in need. The overall donations were mainly determined by three themes: immediate support for children from underprivileged families and the increasing number of homeless, local organisations, and especially supporting young people’s education and social development and the Bank’s own aid initiative #HCOBEmployeesStandWithUkraine.
The following organisations were the recipients of HCOB’s donations in the reporting year:
Hamburg Commercial Bank is committed to nature conservation through its support of the ‘Loki Schmidt Foundation’, whose mission is to protect nature, both in Hamburg and throughout Germany. The foundation focuses on various measures such as protecting habitats, implementing species protection projects, and active public relations work. This includes targeted biotope and species protection measures on company premises, promoting tree planting, protecting moors, and organising educational events for the general public. In 2023, HCOB supported the ‘Loki Schmidt Foundation’ with a donation of € 50,000. This was used to purchase an 8-hectare plot of land called ‘Goritzer Wiesen’. Formerly used for agricultural purposes, the land is now being dedicated to nature conservation and to promote biodiversity today and for future generations under the management of the ‘Loki Schmidt Foundation’. The Bank considers the promotion of biodiversity to be essential, as intact diversity not only ensures ecological stability, but also significantly contributes to global sustainability goals. By providing targeted support for nature conservation projects, HCOB actively promotes the protection of biodiversity and strives for a sustainable approach to the environment.
The non-profit organisation ‘ArbeiterKind’ supports young people from non-academic backgrounds in their decision to start university and become first-generation university students. The lack of knowledge and support regarding academic procedures as well as the overall fear of financial debt frequently prevents many young adults from pursuing higher education. Although non-academic families are not necessarily low-income, information about student grants, scholarships, and semesters abroad are nevertheless often not sufficiently communicated to non-academic households. ArbeiterKind helps to overcome these obstacles by providing more access to information in schools, at trade fairs and to parents of non-academic households. This information and career guidance can be tailored to the individual needs of each student. A total of 24,000 conversations between people seeking advice and volunteers who have faced similar challenges were registered across Germany. Exchanges with volunteers of similar age and socio-economic background showed a particularly high level of connection leading to positive impact. The association has several regional locations, for example in Hamburg and Berlin. The goal for 2023 was to revive the locations in Schleswig-Holstein, starting with Kiel, Heide and Flensburg, to offer a point of contact for those seeking assistance.
The ‘Mittagskinder Foundation’ offers more than 200 children regular healthy meals free of charge in two children’s centres in socially deprived areas in Hamburg. The children are also helped with their homework and receive expert socio-educational support.
Since 2008, ‘Ankerland e.V.’ has been committed to helping traumatised children who are suffering emotionally as a result of violence or abuse. Injuries caused by natural disasters or accidents can also place a heavy burden on children. In 2015, Ankerland opened Germany’s first intensive trauma therapy centre for children and young people in Hamburg-Eppendorf.
‘Löwenherz’ is an initiative of pro familia Schleswig-Holstein against violence in the family. The project is dedicated to children and young people who have witnessed or are victims of domestic violence. It is not just about physical violence, but also psychological and verbal violence. Löwenherz is also aimed at parents and caregivers.
It is often impossible for children from low-income families to learn a musical instrument or join a sports club – even though these are important elements for personal development. The ‘Kieler Initiative gegen Kinderarmut’ (‘inka’) is a non-profit organisation that gives children the chance to pursue their musical or sporting interests.
The association ‘Der Norden hilft e.V.’ is a voluntary association for Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein that supports people in need and disabled people of all ages. For its members, volunteering means helping to shape society and sharing responsibility. Among other things, the association offers help to women and children who have fled the war in Ukraine, runs a children’s clothing store and organises the ‘Wish Trees’ campaign, which has received more wishes for support this year than ever before.
In the fight against child poverty, ‘Projekt Arche’ is particularly committed to children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. More than 6,000 children and young people are reached throughout Germany. In Hamburg, there are currently three locations with children’s and youth centres as well as an after-school care centre.
The ‘Diakonie Mitternachtsbus’ travels to the sleeping places of homeless people every evening. Volunteers bring hot drinks, bread, warm blankets and clothing. Above all, however, they bring human warmth and compassion.
‘Dein Topf e.V.’ supports people in need by providing meals and food. The organisation has a network of helpers who are committed to helping the socially disadvantaged.
‘Hamburger Tafel e.V.’ collects surplus food from retailers and manufacturers and distributes it to 31 food distribution points in and around Hamburg. This idea benefits everyone involved: Food retailers and manufacturers assume social responsibility and those in need receive high-quality food for little money or even free of charge as well as motivation for the future.
‘Der Kinderschutzbund - Landesverbände / Hamburg & Schleswig-Holstein’ has been committed to improving the living conditions of children, young people, parents and families since it was founded in 1953. The new office for children’s rights informs Hamburg’s children and young people about their rights and supports them in standing up for these rights. At the same time, the team educates parents, educators and other adults and encourages them to do more for children’s and young people’s rights. The children’s right to participation (Article 12, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) plays a central role here
The facilities ‘Beistand am Lebensende in SchleswigHolstein’ and the ‘Hospiz im Süden’ in Hamburg support seriously ill, elderly and dying people as well as their friends and relatives. Professional nursing staff and dedicated volunteers look after the guests and accompany them at the end of their lives.