Facts
Investing in the community is an important part of Barclays sustainability strategy. We believe our business will benefit from contributing to the development and sustainability of the communities in which we operate.
In 2008, we invested £52.2m in communities around the world, and supported more than 57,000 colleagues in 31 countries to get involved in our fundraising, volunteering and regular giving initiatives.
Banking on Brighter Futures is our flagship programme and allows us to use our financial skills and expertise to maximum effect to help people work towards financial independence and security. We’re focusing our efforts on financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, education and helping people into employment.
We committed to invest $150m between 2007 and 2012 to support 1,500 Banking on Brighter Futures projects around the world. Employees are being encouraged to volunteer 150,000 hours of their time.
Barclays is one of 21 pioneering companies to achieve the Business in the Community ‘CommunityMark’. The CommunityMark is a new national standard that recognises companies that are best investors in their communities.
Highlights
| Community investment | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| Total community investment |
£52.2m | £52.4m | £46.5m |
| Employees receiving support for fundraising, volunteering and giving | 57,361 | 43,718 | 33,419 |
| Charities supported by Barclays | 6,918 | 7,140 | 8,279 |
| Fundraising | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| Total amount raised by employees through matched fundraising (a) | £14.6m | £12.8m | £13.8m |
| Total number of fundraising events receiving matched fundraising | 10,694 | 9,501 | 11,399 |
| Total number of employee fundraisers | 12,894 | 8,990 | 11,772 |
| Volunteering | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| Number of employee volunteers | 37,023 | 25,880 | 19,672 |
| Number of volunteering grants given | 2,644 | 1,815 | 1,317 |
| Bank hours to support employee volunteering activities | 154,813 | 94,746 | 75,586 |
| Employees' personal hours given to support Barclays volunteering activities | 100,818 | 68,935 | 37,055 |
| Giving | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| Amount given by employees through payroll giving (UK and South Africa) | £3.16m | £1.39m | £1.08m |
| Amount matched (UK and South Africa) (a) | £1.1m | £846,000 | £578,000 |
| Number of people taking part in payroll giving UK and South Africa | 13,167 | 12,145 | 9,549 |
| Total community investment | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| UK | £27.6m | £38.9m | £39.5m |
| Europe | £1.8m | £1.9m | £989,000 |
| Africa | £14.8m | £7.8m | £4.4m |
| USA/Canada | £4m | £3m | £1m |
| Asia Pacific | £3m | £579,000 | £316,000 |
| South America | £526,000 | £25,000 | £16,000 |
Our exclusions
Barclays has a community investment exclusions policy which identifies types of initiatives and causes that we do not fund. The community investment budgets can not be used to support:
- Political parties or political bodies
- Promotion of religious beliefs (we do consider projects led by religious organisations provided the whole community benefits)
- Sponsorship of individuals
- Rotary, Lions Clubs and other third-party giving organisations
- Hospital costs
- Medical charities including medical treatment and research
- Capital appeals (for example, for buildings)
- Educational institutions (unless the donation provides direct support to a disadvantaged group)
- The arts (unless the donation provides direct support to a disadvantaged group)
- Microfinance loan fund capital (donations can be used to support the establishment and operation of community-motivated microfinance programmes, but can not be used as capital for on-lending direct to clients).
Programmes
Banking on brighter futures
We're using our knowledge and expertise as a financial services organisation to make a social difference, beyond simply giving money. We focus on programmes that help disadvantaged people work towards financial independence and security.
