Our commitment to solidarity, whether it be at Group or Regional Bank level, relayed by our employees or even our members and clients, has covered a wide range of areas over the past 30 years, materialising in long-term partnerships.
Showing solidarity, in France and abroad
Solidarity at the local level
EUR 22 million for civic commitment in local territories
The Regional Banks wish to share the advantages of their local ties with the territories they are based in. Most of them contribute to a local development fund, six of them have created a foundation and nine an association. All in all, the Regional Banks granted EUR 18 million in 2007 to finance 8,000 projects, of which 41 % for territorial development, 21 % for solidarity, 30 % for economic development and 8 % for national heritage. A total investment of EUR 22 million if one includes the Crédit Agricole Solidarité et Développement association (see below) and national foundations.
A cross-border commitment
Every year, the Crédit Agricole Solidarité et Développement association and the Fondation Solidarité Mutualiste provide financial support to Group projects both in France and abroad.
We also share this commitment to solidarity with our clients via specific mutual funds such as Pacte Vert Tiers Monde, as well as with our employees via programmes such as Sahel Vert II, run by the NGO Eau Vive with an association of Crédit Agricole employees.
Supporting young people
We are also active in education. Since 2006, as the main partner of the “Envie d’Agir” (I want action) 1 programme, we help young people bring their projects to fruition with the dual support of a Regional Bank and Crédit Agricole S.A.
Crédit Agricole has also signed new partnerships in favour of social equality. In 2007, we became a partner of “Un Avenir Ensemble” (A Future Together), an association that helps “deserving” young people from difficult backgrounds, as well as of the Nicolas Hulot school for Nature and Man to finance holidays for middle-class children. This partnership, via the Fondation de France, extends the historical ties between the Caisse régionale du Morbihan and the Parc de Branféré, where the school is located.
Observation of forest fauna during a trip organised by Ecole Nicolas Hulot
A living heritage
Another of our long-standing commitments is the preservation of regional and national heritage, notably via the Crédit Agricole Pays de France foundation as well as numerous partnerships. Crédit Agricole has been a partner of the European Heritage Days for six years, as well as the leading sponsor of the Château de Fontainebleau since 2007. One of the facets of this action involves creating a pedagogical apartment in the Château.
Focus
Economic history
Crédit Agricole S.A. makes freely available to French and foreign researchers its wealth of archives of world renown, from Crédit Agricole, Crédit Lyonnais and Banque de l'Indochine. In 2007, 67 readers, of which 21 foreigners, visited our specialised historical archive department.
In partnership with the highly-reputed Entreprises et Histoire magazine, Crédit Agricole S.A. created the Crédit Agricole award for corporate history in 2007. The prize is endowed with EUR 15,000 and rewards a hitherto unpublished, top-level academic work, promoting the knowledge of corporate history.
Encouraging regional, national and international musical creation
Crédit Agricole S.A., its subsidiaries and the Regional Banks are keen sponsors of music via regional, national and international partnerships (for instance St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre). They also support numerous festivals and artists. Crédit Agricole Asset Management sponsors Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, directed by Myung-Whun Chung, and took part in creating a branch of the Radio France choir in Bondy, near Paris.
Focus
Showing solidarity over the long term
Following the tsunami in December 2004, Crédit Agricole lost no time in helping the devastated villages to rebuild their economic and social fabric, allocating a budget of EUR 2 million over three years. EUR 750,000 were donated in 2005, and another EUR 1.5 million in 2006. The funds were fully released in 2007 and helped finance 28 projects. Find out more.
Emporiki Bank and Crédit Agricole S.A. also took a certain number of initiatives to help people in the areas affected by the terrible fires that swept through Greece in 2007 and participated in the economic reconstruction of the devastated areas and in restoring the environment.
EUR 2 million were immediately deposited for the fire victims in the Greek government’s special support fund, opened at the Bank of Greece by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Another EUR 4.4 million were contributed by Crédit Agricole S.A. (EUR 4 million), Emporiki employees (EUR 100,000) and the Regional Banks (EUR 300,000). These funds will be used to finance a general action plan complementing the action taken by the Greek government.
- Envie d’Agir: the Regional Banks’ programme to help young people with interesting projects.
