COMMUNITY INDEX 6th Edition launches results for 2024 ranking

COMMUNITY INDEX 6th Edition launches results for 2024 ranking

  • The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services announces the release of the results for the 6th edition of the Community Index, the most comprehensive annual ranking of community investment projects in Romania, organized in 21 categories.
  • Companies are positioning themselves as changemakers and aligning their corporate values more closely with community investment.
  • CSR projects are starting to be as rigorous as business projects

Community Index is a detailed and comprehensive assessment of the CSR field in Romania. It maps important projects across a large number of categories with the aim of helping all stakeholders, including employees, consumers or investors, to understand the status of the market and to have a broader perspective on the involvement of companies in Romania. In addition, the index aims to be a useful tool for industry professionals to help them make better-informed decisions on future community investments. The Community Index Scorecard, which has 43 indicators, can serve as a checklist to analyze the degree of complexity and performance of a project.

In October 2024, The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services will launch the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine, 6th edition, which will feature many interesting case studies and over 20 exclusive interviews with national and international experts. The Yearbook is the leading publication in Romania dedicated to the CSR field and has the mission to be the primary source of information on trends in community investment, CSR and corporate sustainability.

2024 ranking results

The market for investments and donations in support of communities has grown in recent years and amounts to more than EUR 100 million annually in Romania, mainly for projects in education for students – 7.3%, down from last year’s 9.4%, health – 7.3% (up from 6% in 2023) or disadvantaged environments – 13.5% (23% in 2023). Another area of interest for companies is Arts & Culture, 6.5%, down from 10% in 2023. In contrast, only 2% of the projects undertaken by companies in Romania are aimed at tackling climate change, down from 4% in 2023, and 4% of projects are towards sustainable cities, up from 1.5% in 2023.

The majority of projects in Romania are in the field of education (23.6%) and these have started to be more diversified than in previous years. Consequently, a new category has been created to reflect these trends: Education & Personal Development, where projects on topics such as Bullying or Education for Sustainability are present. In the first 5 years of the Community Index we had 4 categories dedicated to education: Education for Students, Education for Careers, Tech Education and Education for Entrepreneurs, reflecting the status of the CSR field in these years. Another new category in 2024 is dedicated to Grants, keeping in mind that these initiatives have become more complex than in previous years.

One of the outstanding projects that received a distinction in the Community Index 2024 is Time for Good (Timp pentru Bine), developed by Kaufland Romania: it is a communication platform to inspire people towards social engagement and sustainability. Another large-scale project recognized in the Community Index is the Early Innovators Business Plan Competition, developed by BCR: a national business plan competition for high school students.

In the Reduce Reuse Recycle category, the project Good Day pe Via Transilvanica (Ziua Bună pe Via Transilvanica), developed by Coca-Cola HBC Romania & Tășuleasa Social Association received the Gold distinction – it is the largest greening action on the Via Transilvanica in a joint effort to clean and conserve an area of about 1000 km. Also in the Reduce Reuse Recycle category, Auchan Romania received the Gold distinction for DRS before DRS (SGR înainte de SGR), a project launched in preparation for the Deposit-Return System.

It is also worth mentioning the “Friendly Cities” (Orașe prietenoase) report, part of the Civic Labs program, carried out with the support of JYSK Romania, through which Code for Romania identifies the main problems in Romanian society in several fundamental areas: Education, Health, Environment, Vulnerable Groups and Civic Participation.

National and international trends

In the context of recent global conflicts and uncertainty, companies are positioning themselves more strongly as changemakers. Companies are shifting their attention away from the focus on donated amounts and mass communication of these philanthropic acts. They are now focusing on working more closely with NGOs, involving employees as volunteers and having an impact measured against international standards such as the B4SI Community Investment Framework or Social Return on Investment (SROI).

In the future, companies will increasingly invest in such impact measurement tools. Having clarity and more information on the impact produced is what will attract more investment from companies.

“There is more focus now on effective project management and smart investing. Information on projects includes more accurate data than in previous years, especially on impact. This trend will continue and the Community Index rankings are ready to assess the complexity of projects and are aligned with the main international standards in the field. Projects that have a good strategy can significantly improve their results and contribute to a greater extent to the sustainability and resilience of a community.” says Alina Liciu, Managing Partner The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services.

Community Index annually analyzes over 850 projects in Romania. The ranking is part of the Romania CST Index (Corporate Sustainability & Transparency Index), which evaluates the indicators published by companies in their sustainability reports. The 2024 Index is based on projects carried out between January 2023 – May 2024 and takes into account both scorecards completed by companies and projects detailed online, on corporate websites or in project reports published by NGOs. The ranking has 21 categories and projects are assessed on the basis of a scorecard with 43 indicators. The main objectives of the Community Index are to structure all these projects in a database and analyze how they align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More details can be found here: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-2024/

„Good Day – Little Volunteer Day on Via Transilvanica!”: Training the new generation of volunteers

Volunteering in rural areas can have a significant impact on fostering behaviors that contribute to environmental protection and the development of a sense of unity within the community. Through the „Good Day – Little Volunteer Day on Via Transilvanica” project, Tășuleasa Social Association, in partnership with Coca-Cola HBC Romania demonstrate that when key elements such as community, national projects, and strategic partnerships are coming together, the results translate into thriving and sustainable communities.

The project began as a Christmas philanthropic initiative for vulnerable children and evolved into a systemic intervention that combines actions for education and the promotion of environmental responsibility. Four key elements laid the foundation for this year’s edition: the communities along Via Transilvanica needed opportunities to connect, Via Transilvanica trail – the largest project that put Romania on the map as a top destination in ecotourism, with a continuous need for conservation, and a strong partnership with Coca-Cola HBC, whose commitment to creating a better world „After Us” became a common goal. In addition, data from studies confirmed the need for education and the creation of opportunities: 70% of teachers believe that rural schools do not equip students with the necessary knowledge to understand climate change and take individual measures.

The „Good Day – Little Volunteer Day on Via Transilvanica” took place over a period of 6 months of preparations and actions focused on three strategic steps:

SYSTEMIC PARTNERSHIPS: Over 100 educational units and 3 local authorities were invited to join the project and spread educational content in schools.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS: Groups of VOLUNTEERS from Via Transilvanica were formed by selecting them from over 35 rural schools that later participated in environmental education sessions.

ACTION AND CELEBRATION: The largest simultaneous clean-up action took place in 110 localities along the Via Transilvanica route in the counties of Mureș, Suceava, and Bistrița. Over 1000 km of the route were cleaned with the help of 3000 volunteers.

The results of 2023 confirmed once again that the power of systemic partnerships can contribute to shaping the new generation of environmental volunteers in rural areas: 3000 volunteers, 3 counties, over 1000 km cleaned, 25,000 kg of waste collected, 2 landfills eliminated; 260,000 indirect beneficiaries.

Good Day – Little Volunteer Day on Via Transilvanica was awarded with the Gold Award for Excellence in the Environmental Communication category and the Silver Award for Excellence in the CSR category, at the PR Awards 2023 Gala.

Via Transilvanica, the project of the Tășuleasa Social Association initiated in 2018, represents a 1,400 km tourist and pilgrimage route that starts from Bucovina, from Putna, crosses Transylvania and ends at Drobeta-Turnu Severin. The aim of the project is to highlight the cultural-historical and natural riches of Romania, both at national and international level.

Via Transilvanica passes through ten counties, areas of great cultural, historical, and natural importance, being at the same time a real catalyst for the cultures that have coexisted for centuries in our country.

Interview with Gabriel Ivan: A Creator and Promoter of Sustainability, side by side the FMCG And Retail Sectors

CHEP, a Brambles company, the biggest sustainable logistics solution supplier and one of the biggest B2B circular businesses globally, is the first in its sector to have a regenerative sustainability vision. As pointed out by Gabriel Ivan, Country General Manager CHEP Romania & Bulgaria, the company is a committed advocate and partner in promoting the highest standards in sustainability of the FMCG and Retail sectors.

1. What is your approach in terms of the regenerative sustainability concept?

We are acting within the framework of our current five-year regenerative centered strategy, that target areas where our business can have the most positive impact to support the ‘decade of action’ on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In simple terms, it is a strategy that aims to give back more than we take and we need, to become positive by creating more and more value.

Our commitment is to get nature-positive by 2025 through restoring forests, going beyond zero waste, and drawing down more carbon than we produce. For becoming business-positive, we will pioneer regenerative supply chains by improving our circular model every year, increasing the environmental benefits in our customers’ supply chains. To be communities-positive, we will build resilience, promote circularity and account for the connections between society, the economy and nature.

2. What are your long-term objectives and the company evolution since you launched your strategy?

We are now building a business that helps create a nature positive, a business positive, a community positive economy with re-use, resilience and regeneration at its core. And we have a consistent track record of delivering results against our targets. This help us attract customers and investment by minimising risks and increasing confidence in long-term value creation, differentiate our customer value proposition to become strategic partners, attract and retain the best people, but also to identify best practices and areas of improvement which ultimately bring year on year growth.

3. You engaged to reach the carbon neutral level by 2040, ten years before the objective that had been set in the Paris Agreement. What does this mean?

To support the Paris Agreement, we decided to adopt short-, medium- and long-term emissions reduction targets, including using 100% of renewable electricity in our own operations by 2025, maintaining carbon neutrality across our operations, aligning with 2030 Science Based Targets and a 2040 Net-Zero target covering 100% CHEP’s and Brambles’ operational and value chain emissions.

4. What measures have you taken to optimize your communication with all participants to the value chain?

We are a supply chain solutions’ supplier both for production and distribution companies in FMCG as well as for retailers. This placed us in a great position to promote the transition to the circular economy, as well as one-off projects such as Lean&Green or the CHEP issued Sustainability Certificates.

We welcome and support any company willing to promote the benefits of circularity and its yearly progress in terms of environmental savings, in one-off communication projects and annual reports. And we remain open to debate and embrace creative and collaborative ideas and solutions from the industries we are connected with. All our clients and partners are invited to participate to this journey to regeneration.

The Azores has launched Community Index Magazine 2023, a yearbook now in its fifth edition, the most important bilingual publication dedicated to the field of CSR in Romania

>>> Community Index Magazine is the only Romanian-English bilingual publication in Romania dedicated to the field of CSR, available in both flip view and print formats. The yearbook includes the results of the Community Index 2023 ranking, exclusive national and international interviews, case studies and sustainability articles.

>>> Readers can enjoy exclusive articles and interviews that highlight the perspectives of recognized leaders from BCR, University of Wisconsin, Kaufland Romania, The Slow Movement or Seeds of Wisdom.

>>> The publication promotes and encourages the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals to support Romania in its efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda.

Community Index Magazine: a source of quality know-how for any professional with a sustainable mindset

The bilingual Community Index Magazine yearbook, now in its fifth edition, contains the results of the Community Index 2023 ranking, exclusive interviews with renowned international professionals, articles and interviews with local professionals in the fields of sustainability and CSR, and numerous case studies of some companies that are considered benchmarks for their community projects.

The publication is particularly useful not only for professionals in the field but also for companies, CEOs, Marketing professionals, community members, NGOs, universities, PR agencies and authorities.

The publication in flip view format is available for free at the following link: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2023/

What type of content do readers find in Community Index Magazine?

1. Exclusive interviews with globally recognized sustainability experts:

  • Riane Eisler, The Real Wealth of Nations
  • Wakanyi Hoffman, Seeds of Wisdom
  • Jessica Leclair, University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing
  • Carl Honoré, The Slow Movement

2. Articles and interviews with nationally recognized professionals:

  • Ilinka Kajgana, BCR
  • Katharina Scheidereiter, Kaufland Romania
  • Gabriel Ivan, CHEP
  • Adina Teleucă, TOBORO

3. National and international case studies:

  • “Good Day – Little Volunteer Day on Via Transilvanica!”, Coca-Cola HBC Romania & Tășuleasa Social Association
  • The Giant T-shirt, Kaufland Romania & 11even Association
  • Phasing out plastic, Apple
  • The Money School, BCR, FabLab & Edupedu Association
  • Personal Sustainability Program (PSP), Auchan Romania
  • Our Garden, Carrefour Romania
  • Life Savers Program, Groupama Romania & The Foundation for SMURD
  • Kokoro Sports Project
  • Jobs for veterans, Starbucks
  • Microsoft’s New BING

What is Community Index?

Community Index is the first and only ranking of programs and projects carried out by companies in Romania to invest in communities, launched in 2019. The ranking is the largest database of CSR projects in Romania and represents a useful analysis tool for companies, authorities and communities when making investment decisions.

It is a component of the ranking Romania CST Index (previously Romania CSR Index), the most important analysis of the level of performance and transparency from the perspective of corporate sustainability, in our country, launched in 2016.

There is a wide variety of initiatives and projects on the market, and a well-structured overview provides relevant information to help decision-makers create a strategy well adapted to the local and national context.

In order to establish the projects that were included in the Community Index 2023, more than 800 initiatives, projects or programs that took place in Romania between January 2022 and December 2023 were analyzed. The scorecard on the basis of which the evaluation was made had, in total, 6 categories and 46 indicators aligned with the most important international standards or references in the field of investments in communities.

What new findings did the 2023 analysis reveal?

The investment and donation market in support of communities has grown in recent years and amounts to over 80 million euros annually, mainly for Education projects for students (9.4%, a slight increase of 1% compared to 2022), Health (6%, down from last year) or Disadvantaged environments (23%, up 5% from 2022). Another area of interest for companies is Art/Culture, 10% of projects being developed in this direction, increasing compared to 9.2% in 2022. However, 4% of the projects carried out by companies in Romania are intended to combat Climate change, decreasing by 1% versus 2022, and 1.5% of the projects are in the direction of Sustainable cities, down from 4.4% in 2022.

Among the main trends highlighted following the analysis, we mention an increase in the level of transparency regarding the results and impact of CSR projects or programs. Also, companies are beginning to better align the Sustainability / CSR strategy with the specifics of the industry and the business strategy. As for the employees, they are more eager to help communities and appreciate companies that offer them the opportunity to volunteer for projects. Another observed trend is the fact that there is an increased interest in long-term goals: companies put more emphasis on generating impact over several years and avoid creating a dependency of the community – they focus on developing skills or an infrastructure that will remain in the community even after a company redirects its investment to other projects.

Among the projects that obtained Gold Recognition, we mention the Lifelab Educational Project developed by BCR, FabLab & Edupedu Association, in the Financial Education category – by participating in this program, students learn financial education concepts and practice planning and teamwork. In the Employee Involvement category, Auchan’s Personal Sustainability Program (PSP) was built as an effort to mobilize employees to get actively involved in projects supporting local communities. In the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle category – Banca Transilvania and Ateliere Fără Frontiere developed the Remesh project and fight for the social and professional insertion of vulnerable and marginalized people. Together in the Service of Good, a project developed by Secom Healthcare Group through which several initiatives in the field of health were supported, also received Gold Recognition in the Health category.

The year 2023 comes with a new Community Index distinction: for each individual category, we propose The One to Watch distinction – a special recognition to highlight the originality and innovation of projects that set an important trend for the coming years, in their field. Among the projects mentioned in this category were YOXO Forest – The first digital forest that became a reality, 100 business ideas for Romania – PENNY Romania or Self-confidence is learned in school – Oxygen.

Where are the ranking results published?

The 2023 results can be found both in the flip view and print Community Index Magazine yearbook, as well as online: https://communityindex.ro/rezultate-community-index-2023/

What are the objectives of the Community Index ranking?

The mission of the Community Index is to highlight CSR projects with high performance that place more emphasis on aspects such as dialogue with stakeholders, project sustainability and measurement of medium and long-term impact. In addition, the index aims to highlight those projects that can be considered Best Practices in their category and that can be used as an example in establishing the strategy of a new project.

The Community Index Magazine yearbook is the contribution of The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services agency to the development of the field of Community investments in Romania.

In addition to know-how and authentic content, this publication concretely contributes to the popularization of the concept of sustainability in the business environment: a part of the printed yearbooks will be offered, free of charge, to companies with over 500 employees (>750 companies). In addition, the flip view version will be available for free, to popularize the domain and contribute to its development.

FSC® certified paper from sustainable sources was used for printing the publication. The yearbook provides both valuable information and an authentic visual experience in itself. The cover of the publication is created by Ovidiu Solcan (collage artist), being a sustainable collage from recycled magazines, representing the Masterpiece “The Kiss”, made by the sculptor Constantin Brâncuși in 1907.

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About The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services

Consulting agency, established in 2013, with the aim of supporting Romanian companies regarding the integration of corporate sustainability in the business strategy, The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services has an approach focused on long-term results, the use of IT technology for a high level of accuracy of sustainability indicators and analysis/research to support decision-makers in companies in defining the corporate sustainability strategy.

The most important and complex project of the agency is Romania CST Index, previously called Romania CSR Index, a ranking launched in 2016 and which is the only one in Romania that evaluates the sustainability indicators of companies: information on sustainability management, economic, environmental and social impact. The index is launched every year during the Best Practices in Corporate Sustainability conference. The results together with Sustainability Profiles of Romanian companies are presented every year in Sustainability Index Magazine, a bilingual yearbook dedicated to sustainability & ESG in Romania.

In 2019, the agency launched Community Index, the most comprehensive ranking of corporate investment projects in communities and a centralizer of the best CSR campaigns carried out every year by Romanian companies.  The results of the ranking, together with case studies and interviews of national and international experts, are presented every year in Community Index Magazine, the only bilingual yearbook dedicated to investments in communities carried out by Romanian companies.

Community Index Magazine 2023, anuar bilingv ajuns la a cincea ediție: Cea mai importantă publicație dedicată domeniului CSR din România

  • Community Index Magazine este singura publicație bilingvă Română-Engleză din România dedicată domeniului CSR, disponibilă atât în format flipview, cât și print. Anuarul cuprinde rezultatele ranking-ului Community Index 2023, interviuri naționale și internaționale în exclusivitate, studii de caz și articole din domeniul sustenabilității.
  • În premieră, cititorii se pot bucura în această ediție de articole și interviuri exclusive care pun în valoare perspectivele unor lideri recunoscuți din cadrul BCR, University of Wisconsin, Kaufland Romania, The Slow Movement sau Seeds of Wisdom.
  • Publicația promovează și încurajează adoptarea Obiectivelor de Dezvoltare Durabilă ale ONU pentru a veni în sprijinul României în eforturile de implementare a Agendei 2030.

Community Index Magazine: o sursă de know-how de calitate pentru orice profesionist care are un mindset sustenabil 

Anuarul bilingv Community Index Magazine, ajuns la cea de-a cincea ediție, conține rezultatele ranking-ului Community Index 2023, interviuri în exclusivitate cu profesioniști internaționali de renume, articole și interviuri cu profesioniști locali din domeniile sustenabilitate și CSR, și numeroase studii de caz ale unor companii care pot fi considerate reper la nivel de proiecte pentru comunități.

Publicația este deosebit de utilă nu doar pentru profesioniștii din domeniu, ci și pentru companii, membrii comunităților, ONG-uri, universități, agenții de PR și autorități.

Publicația in format flip view este disponibilă gratuit la următorul link: Community Index Magazine 2023

Ce tip de conținut regăsesc cititorii în anuarul Community Index Magazine?

1.Interviuri în exclusivitate cu experți recunoscuți la nivel global din domeniul sustenabilității:

  • Riane Eisler, The Real Wealth of Nations
  • Wakanyi Hoffman, Seeds of Wisdom
  • Jessica Leclair, University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing
  • Carl Honoré, The Slow Movement

2. Articole și interviuri cu pofesioniști recunoscuți la nivel național:

  • Ilinka Kajgana, BCR
  • Katharina Scheidereiter, Kaufland România
  • Gabriel Ivan, CHEP
  • Adina Teleucă, TOBORO

3. Studii de caz naționale și internaționale:

  • „Ziua Bună – Ziua Voluntarilor Mici pe Via Transilvanica!”, Coca-Cola HBC România & Asociația Tășuleasa Social
  • Tricou de uriaș, Kaufland România & Asociația 11even
  • Phasing out plastic, Apple
  • Școala de Bani a BCR, FabLab & Asociația Edupedu
  • Programul de Sustenabilitate Personală (PSP), Auchan România
  • Grădina Noastră, Carrefour Romania
  • Salvatorii de vieți, Groupama & Fundația pentru SMURD
  • Kokoro Sports Project
  • Jobs for veterans, Starbucks
  • Microsoft’s New BING

Ce este Community Index?

Community Index este primul și singurul index al programelor şi proiectelor derulate de companiile din România pentru a investi în comunităţi, lansat în 2019. Ranking-ul este cea mai mare bază de date a proiectelor de CSR din România și reprezintă un instrument de analiză util companiilor, autorităților și comunităților atunci când iau decizii de investiție.

Este parte componentă a ranking-ului Romania CST Index (anterior Romania CSR Index), cea mai importantă analiză a nivelului de performanţă şi transparenţă din perspectiva sustenabilităţii corporative, din țara noastră, lansat în 2016.

Există o mare varietate de inițiative și proiecte pe piață, iar o privire de ansamblu, bine structurată, oferă informații relevante ajută factorii decizionali să creioneze o strategie bine adaptată la contextul local și național.

Pentru a stabili proiectele care au fost incluse în Community Index 2023, au fost analizate peste 800 de inițiative, proiecte sau programe care au avut loc în România în perioada ianuarie 2022 – decembrie 2022. Scorecard-ul pe baza căruia a fost făcută evaluarea a avut, în total, 6 categorii și 46 de indicatori aliniaţi la cele mai importante standarde sau referinţe internaţionale din domeniul investiţiilor în comunităţi.

Ce noi descoperiri a scos la suprafață analiza din 2023?

Piaţa de investiţii şi donaţii în sprijinul comunităţilor a crescut în ultimii ani şi se ridică la peste 80 milioane euro anual, în principal pentru proiecte de educaţie pentru elevi (9.4%, o usoară creștere de 1% față de 2022), sănătate (6%, în scadere față de anul trecut) sau medii defavorizate (23%, în creștere cu 5% față de 2022). Un alt domeniu de interes pentru companii este Artă/Cultură, 10% dintre proiecte fiind dezvoltate în această direcţie, în creștere față de 9.2% în 2022. Totuşi, 4% dintre proiectele derulate de companiile din România sunt destinate combaterii schimbărilor climatice, în scadere cu 1% versus 2022, iar 1.5% dintre proiecte sunt în direcţia oraşe sustenabile, în scădere față de 4.4% în 2022.

Printre principalele trenduri evidenţiate în urma analizei, menţionăm o creştere a nivelului de transparenţă privind rezultatele şi impactul proiectelor sau programelor de CSR. De asemenea, companiile încep să alinieze mai bine strategia de Sustenabilitate / CSR la specificul industriei şi la strategia de business. În ceea ce priveşte angajaţii, aceştia sunt tot mai dornici de a ajuta comunităţile şi apreciază companiile care le oferă oportunitatea de a se implica voluntar în proiecte. Un alt trend observat este faptul că există un interes crescut privind obiectivele pe termen lung: companiile pun mai mult accent pe a genera impact pe mai mulţi ani şi a evita crearea unei dependenţe a comunităţii – se concentrează pe dezvoltarea unor abilităţi sau a unei infrastructuri care să ramană în comunitate chiar şi după ce o companie îşi redirecționează investiția către alte proiecte.

Printre proiectele care au obținut Gold Recognition, menționăm proiectul educațional Lifelab dezvoltat de BCR, FabLab & Asociația Edupedu, la categoria Educație financiară – prin participarea în acest program, elevii învață noțiuni de educație financiară și exersează planificarea și munca în echipă. La categoria Implicarea angajaților, Programul de Sustenabilitate Personală (PSP) Auchan a fost construit sub formă unui demers de mobilizare a angajaților de a se implica activ în proiecte de susținere a comunităților locale. La categoria Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Banca Transilvania și Ateliere Fără Frontiere au dezvoltat proiectul Remesh și luptă pentru inserția socială și profesională a persoanelor vulnerabile și marginalizate. Împreună în Slujba Binelui, proiect dezvoltat de Secom Healthcare Group prin care au fost susținute mai multe inițiative din domeniul sănătății, a primit de asemenea Gold Recognition la categoria Sănătate.

Anul 2023 vine cu o nouă distincție Community Index: pentru fiecare categorie în parte propunem distincția The One to Watch – o recunoaștere specială pentru a evidenția originalitatea și inovația proiectelor care stabilesc un trend important pentru următorii ani, în domeniul lor. Printre proiectele menționate la această categorie au fost YOXO Forest – Prima pădure digitală devenită realitate, 100 de idei de business pentru România – PENNY România sau Încrederea în sine se învață în școală – Oxygen.

Unde sunt publicate rezultatele analizei?

Rezultatele din 2023 pot fi regăsite atât în anuarul în format flipview și print Community Index Magazine, cât și online: https://communityindex.ro/rezultate-community-index-2023/

Care sunt obiectivele ranking-ului Community Index?

Misiunea Community Index este de a evidenția proiectele de CSR cu o performanţă ridicată care pun mai mult accent pe aspecte precum dialogul cu stakeholderii, sustenabilitatea proiectelor şi măsurarea impactului pe termen mediu şi lung. În plus, indexul are scopul de a evidenția acele proiecte care pot fi considerate Best Practices la categoria lor și care pot fi folosite drept exemplu în stabilirea strategiei unui proiect nou.

Anuarul Community Index Magazine este contribuția agenției The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services la dezvoltarea domeniului investițiilor în comunități din România.

Pe lângă know-how și conținut autentic, această publicație contribuie în mod concret la popularizarea conceptului de responsabilitate socială în mediul de business: o parte dintre anuarele tiparite va fi oferită, în mod gratuit, companiilor care au peste 500 de angajați (>750 de companii). În plus, varianta flipview va fi disponibilă gratuit o lună de zile, pentru a populariza domeniul și a contribui la dezvoltarea acestuia.

Pentru tipărirea publicației a fost folosită hârtie certificată FSC®, din surse sustenabile. Anuarul oferă atât informații valoroase cât și o experiență autentică în sine, din punct de vedere vizual. Coperta publicației este creată de Ovidiu Solcan (collage artist), fiind un colaj sustenabil din reviste reciclate, reprezentând Capodopera ”Sărutul”, realizată de sculptorul Constantin Brâncuși în anul 1907.

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Despre The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services

Agenţie de consultanță, înființată în 2013, cu scopul de a sprijini companiile din România privind integrarea sustenabilității corporative în strategia de business, The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services are o abordare axată pe rezultate pe termen lung, utilizarea tehnologiei IT pentru un nivel ridicat de acuratețe a indicatorilor de sustenabilitate și analize/research care să sprijine decidenții din companii în definirea strategiei de sustenabilitate corporativă.

Cel mai important și complex proiect al agenției este Romania CST Index, în trecut denumit Romania CSR Index, ranking lansat în 2016 şi care este singurul din România care evaluează indicatorii de sustenabilitate ai companiilor: informaţii despre managementul sustenabilității, impactul economic, de mediu şi social. Indexul este lansat în fiecare an în cadrul conferinţei Best Practices in Corporate Sustainability. În 2019, agenția a lansat Community Index, cel mai cuprinzător ranking al proiectelor corporate de investiții în comunități și un centralizator al celor mai bune campanii de CSR derulate în fiecare an de companiile din România. Rezultatele ranking-ului, împreună cu studii de caz şi interviuri ale unor experţi naţionali şi internaţionali sunt prezentate în fiecare an în Community Index Magazine, singurul anuar bilingv dedicat investițiilor în comunități derulate de companiile din România.

Interviu Katharina Scheidereiter, Kaufland România

La nivel de comunicare, ne interesează ca mesajul unui proiect să ajungă la o audiență cât mai mare

Este important atât pentru ONG, care câștigă vizibillitate, noi oportunități, noi voluntari, alte surse de finanțare, dar și pentru noi, pentru că investițiile comunitare sunt un pilon principal în strategia de comunicare corporativă a companiei, prin care urmărim promovarea de bune practici în piață, creșterea reputației sau atragerea de noi talente.

Interviu acordat în exclusivitate pentru anuarul bilingv Community Index Magazine nr. 5. Acesta poate fi vizualizat aici în varianta digitală: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2023/

1.Care este strategia actuală de CSR a companiei și cum s-a schimbat aceasta față de când ați început?

Implicarea activă în comunitățile în care ne desfășurăm activitatea economică a constituit întotdeauna o prioritate pentru noi, iar angajamentul nostru s-a intensificat pe măsură ce am evoluat.

În cursul anului 2022, am consolidat sprijinul acordat celor cinci direcții strategice de investiții comunitare, concentrându-ne asupra proiectelor ce vizează educația, protecția mediului înconjurător, probleme sociale, sport și sănătate, precum și promovarea culturii.

Urmărim în special proiecte ample, cu impact pe termen lung, cât și inițiative inovatoare, unite de un scop comun: îmbunătățirea calității vieții în comunitate. De asemenea, ne adaptăm rapid la situațiile excepționale, cum au fost pandemia COVID19 sau războiul din Ucraina, și intervenim în funcție de nevoi. Exemplu cel mai puternic pentru adaptare este apelul În Stare să Ajut, dezvoltat în cadrul platformei de finanțare În Stare de Bine, care ulterior a devenit o componentă permanentă și acum funcționează ca mecanism de finanțare pentru proiecte ce adresează problemele stringente ale sociețății, cum este consumul de droguri la adolescenți.

În Stare de Bine este programul nostru anual de finanțare a ONG-urilor. În ultimii 5 ani, am acordat granturi nerambursabile în valoare totală de 1.000.000 euro anual proiectelor câștigătoare și mă bucur că, în 2023, am avut alocat un buget de 1.200.000 euro.

2.Cine sunt stakeholderii implicați și cum țineți cont de input-ul lor?

Pentru proiectele de responsabilitate socială colaborăm exclusiv cu organizații nonguvernamentale, alături de care dezvoltăm și stabilim formele de intervenție sau căile adecvate de implicare. Mai mult, considerăm că mediul non-profit este unul dintre stakeholderii esențiali pentru activitatea de CSR.

În același timp, anual ne întrebăm clienții care sunt temele de responsabilitate socială sau sustenabilitate care îi interesează în mod deosebit în raport cu activitatea companiei și apoi integrăm rezultatele în strategia noastră.

De fiecare dată urmărim să avem mereu în planul de acțiune și în comunicarea noastră un top 3 teme relevante.

3.În ultimul timp se vorbește des despre Impact Investing. Există proiecte unde aveți această abordare?

Indiferent de termenii folosiți, noi la Kauflnad mereu am urmărit ca investițiile făcute să aducă plus valoare pentru mediu, oameni și societate pe termen lung. Drept dovadă, de 5 ani ne clasăm pe prima poziție în topul companiilor transparente și performante în direcția sustenabilității la nivel național, recunoaștere oferită de CST Index.

Mai mult, 5 studii de piață independente, derulate de agenții de profil, ne plasează în topul companiilor care derulează proiecte de sustenabilitate la nivelul percepției publicului general. Acest lucru ne bucură dar ne și responsabilizează să continuăm în această direcție.

Indiferent că e vorba de montarea de panouri solare sau acoperișuri verzi pe magazinele noastre, plantarea unei rețele de mini-păduri urbane sau dezvoltarea unor măsuri ce vizează reducerea risipei alimentare, investițiile noastre urmăresc întotdeauna un impact consistent.

4.Cum măsurați succesul unui program sau al unui proiect?

Avem mai mulți indicatori pe care îi urmărim atât în partea de implementare a proiectelor de investiții comunitare, cât și pentru vizibilitatea acestora. Încă din etapa de pre-finanțare cerem organizațiilor să detalieze nevoia identificată, numărul de beneficiari vizați și aria lor geografică, precum și planul de continuare a proiectul la finalul finanțării noastre.

Ne interesează să vedem că organizația are capacitatea de a implementa proiectul și că obiectivele propuse sunt realiste. Iar apoi în etapa de raportare ne uităm la datele post-implementare și urmărim dacă sunt diferențe notabile și de ce au apărut aceste diferențe, pozitive sau negative.

Pentru noi cel mai mare succes este când proiectul finanțat reușeste să devină independent financiar, cum este, de exemplu, cazul „Sol și Suflet”, prima fermă cu agricultură regenerativă din România și Centru de educare pentru viitorii fermieri, care în trei ani de la lansare a reușit să se autosusțină din activitatea economică.

Iar la nivel de comunicare, ne interesează ca mesajul unui proiect să ajungă la o audiență cât mai mar e, e important atât pentru ONG, care câștigă vizibillitate, noi oportunități, noi voluntari, alte surse de finanțare, dar și pentru noi, pentru că investițiile comunitare sunt un pilon principal în strategia de comunicare corporativă a companie, prin care urmărim promovarea de bune practici în piață, creșterea reputației sau atragerea de noi talente.

5.Aveți exemple de comunități pe care le-ați ajutat să se dezvolte în timp, independent de sprijinul oferit la început?

Avem parteneriate strategice cu organizații neguvernamentale alături de care ne-am asumat intervenții pe termen lung, pentru că schimbarea are nevoie de timp. Spre exemplu, în parteneriat cu „Hope and Homes for Children” am construit deja 5 case de tip familial, iar asta se transpune într-un acasă pentru peste 100 de copii din sistemul de protecție socială.

Un alt exemplu relevant este din zona de mediu, care pentru noi este un domeniu prioritar, și unde intervenim pe mai multe planuri: o dată ne int eresează eliminarea deșeurilor din natură și pentru asta avem numeroase acțiuni de ecologizare cu voluntari în toată țară, în al doilea rând ne asigurăm că oferim cetățenilor oportunitatea de a dezvolta comportamente responsabile cum ar fi colectarea recipientelor reciclabile la aparatele de colectare separată în magazinele noastre și completăm cu numeroase campanii de educare și conștientizare despre importanța protejării mediului, adresate în special celor mici.

Case Study Auchan Romania: Personal Sustainability Program (PSP)

Case Study Auchan Romania: Personal Sustainability Program (PSP)

Project strategy

Built in the form of an effort to mobilize employees to get actively involved in projects supporting local communities, the PSP program aims to become a source of inspiration for Auchan store customers as well, thus contributing to supporting social causes, as well as reducing the effects caused by climate problems, food waste and the excessive use of plastic.

Objectives

The Personal Sustainability Program (PSP) was launched by Auchan Romania in 2020 as the first action under the #nuepreatârziu umbrella and offers all its more than 7,000 employees the opportunity to get involved in various sustainability and social responsibility actions.

PSP program supports 4 causes:

• Environmental Protection

• Healthy food

• Social solidarity

• Food solidarity

PSP was created out of the desire to highlight the responsible actions already carried out by Auchan employees, both in their personal lives and through involvement in the company’s projects, over the years. Following their mobilization, we decided that this internal program can become a source of collective transformation for a more sustainable future and inspiration for our customers as well.

Business Alignment

The project involves encouraging the development of social and sustainability activities or participating in those organized by the company. Auchan supports the principle of volunteering and makes available to employees various actions in which they can participate and carry out “CSR Days”, as they are called internally.

At the same time, for customers, Auchan distributes informative materials in the digital space about tips and tricks for managing leftover food; healthy recipes and information about organic, sustainable or local products. The company also encourages customers and employees to participate in the CSR and sustainability actions and campaigns that they organize, such as Food Day, blood donation actions in stores and in the headquarters, planting or various commercial campaigns.

Statistics

Human activity generates effects on nature and these can be seen more and more in recent decades and include the degradation of agricultural land, air pollution, water contamination and climate change.

According to the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts (NFA) and the UN, humanity currently uses 75% more than what the planet’s ecosystems can regenerate. Thus, Auchan Romania aims to fight to limit these effects. That is why, in 2022, most of the PSP actions carried out at local and national level had as their main goal the reduction of carbon emissions and the protection of the environment.

According to World Bank, 2018, 4 out of 10 children in Romania come from poor families. Auchan fights to reduce social inequalities and reduce poverty. Through the PSP project, Auchan supports the programs of the Habitat for Humanity Association through which children and their families are supported in the fight against poverty, by building them decent homes in Berceni commune in Prahova County. Each additional year of schooling lowers the risk of poverty. In 2020, within PSP, colleagues from the Central Services and stores voluntarily participated in the construction of humanitarian houses, thus realizing „CSR days” and supporting the noble goal of the project.

 Impact and Results

 We quantify monthly the responsible actions that Auchan employees record, in the form of “CSR days” after carrying out activities, and we also keep track of colleagues who have been involved in donation actions, volunteering, blood donation, greening, etc. We are happy to see that last year we recorded 6,450 “CSR days” carried out by Auchan employees all over the country, and more than half of them participated in sustainability and social responsibility actions.

Communicating the Project

The Personal Sustainability Program benefited from extensive communication on all Auchan communication channels, both externally (on www.auchan.ro and the Facebook & LinkedIn pages) and internally, on the intranet portal, the employees’ internal Facebook page, email directly, posters in stores and headquarters.

The employees were very excited about the new project and enthusiastically participated in the PSP actions, as evidenced by the 6,450 CSR days accumulated during the past year.

Digitalisation is a Clear Enabler for The Green Transformation of Our Society

Digitalisation is a Clear Enabler for The Green Transformation of Our Society

Ilinka Kajgana is an innovative and engaging risk leader whose 17 years of international work experience in large and complex banking organizations has delivered outstanding results. Her deep technical expertise across modelling and data, complex products and refined risk sensitivities is complemented by her consistent ability to partner with the business environment to drive risk-controlled growth.

In her current role as Chief Risk Officer for BCR, she has transformed the bank’s status and performance, obtaining a “low risk” rating following an ECB Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process. She also spearheaded innovation through the launch of a fully-fledged ESG transformation programme, central to business strategy.

The interview was initially published in the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine no. 5. You can flip through it here: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2023/

  1. What impact has sustainability had on your strategic planning in the last year?

Sustainability is one of the main pillars of our company strategy, not only in the last year but also in the years to come. It marks everything we do: from the way we evaluate risk to the way we train our people, from the way we look at the development opportunities ahead to the way we operate in our offices.

On a very concrete level, 100% of the cards issued by BCR from January 2023 onwards, for private individual and corporate customers, are made of environmentally friendly materials, both recycled plastic and biodegradable material. BCR started issuing environmentally friendly cards as early as 2021, and so far about 50% of the portfolio is issued on sustainable material. Also, the green mortgage loan ’Casa Mea, NaturA’ accounted for about 44% of the total standard mortgage volumes disbursed by BCR in H1 2023. The loan is granted for buildings with an A energy certificate or for the greenhouses certified by the Romanian Green Building Council.

We continued the roundtables series on the ESG transformation of the Romanian companies, organized by BCR in partnership with ECOTECA Association, with the involvement of institutional representatives, entrepreneurs and ESG experts. In March, together with the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, we developed the topic of “Establishing and measuring ESG indicators”, and in June, together with EFdeN, we discussed about „Energy efficiency in buildings: best practices and challenges.

2. What ESG actions does BCR take today to help future generations meet their needs?

 All our programs that are dedicated to future generations have one common denominator: education.

We have an integrated approach towards green education and digital education since we believe that digital transformation is a clear enabler for the green transformation of our society. Therefore, 66,000 Romanians participated in a Money School class, with a 50% increase in active users on Money School Platform.

We also have a partnership with NextLab Tech, the most important digital competition from South-Eastern Europe, where more than 60.000 children developed their skills for the future. Also, we have an integrated approach towards financial education and green education.

This is the underlying philosophy of our programmes: on one hand, the integration of digital and green education, on the other hand, the integration of financial and green education. Besides, we try to give young people a better understanding of what a job means today. Apart from our ongoing programmes of internships and career workshops, BCR has a strategic partnership with Joblandia, the innovative solution in education that matches highschool students and companies for a practical experience during “Saptamana Altfel” (The Alternative Education Week). In 2023, more than 3000 teenagers were enrolled in this programme, powered by BCR.

3. The fight against climate change has become pivotal for any responsible company. How does it affect your company and how do you fight to reduce its negative impact?

In the medium term, climate change will have a more significant impact on some economic segments such as agriculture, energy, construction, and possibly tourism. Our role is to support our clients from these segments into adapting their strategies for the future, to find alternatives and to invest in sustainability.

On the bright side, the recent pandemic produced an acceleration of the transition towards sustainability: hybrid work has significantly reduced the carbon footprint of the companies and has created a deeper sense of awareness towards the impact of global challenges. However, change has to be created person by person. In BCR, we have a ongoing training module about ESG that is mandatory for all our colleagues.

We have observed that no matter which generation colleagues are -Gen Z, Millenials, Gen X- they are very eager to enrol into saving resources while embracing a more environmentally-friendly routine. There is a long journey in front of us but at least there are more people who are seeing the importance of this road and who are trying to create a sensible map.

4. Banks can have a huge influence when choosing their ESG criteria for giving loans. What are BCR’s steps in this direction?

We try to position ourselves as a committed companion of our clients in their journey towards sustainability and ESG transformation. We believe that ESG is not only about compliance and ticking some boxes with the Environment, Social and Governance labels. It is about changing profoundly the way of doing business as a company.

Therefore, our role is to actively support our clients in their process of getting access to green finance. We are all in a process of learning, therefore being transparent and open is of critical importance for transitioning towards an ESG society.

We try to explain to our clients that sustainability is the most important investment: it means care for future generations and for the planet we leave to our children. On a more pragmatic note, getting access to green finance creates real business opportunities while staying relevant in the international value chain.

5. In May 2023 you had your first green Eurobond bank transaction. What were your aims with this issuance?

BCR’s green bond issue was a first on the Romanian financial-banking market, being the largest corporate bond issuance in Romania.

The bond issue proved successful from the outset, as the order book registered a significant volume of EUR 1.9 billion, well above the minimum issue size of EUR 500 million. This increased the issued amount to EUR 700 million. The final volume reflects our commitment to the market in terms of future issuance plans and our aim of building a relationship of trust with our investors.

It is also a signal of trust in the potential of the green economy of our region. A signal of trust for a greener future.

6. How about your social impact, where do you stand and what are your latest achievements?

Let us review some clear benchmarks because I believe that, in sustainability, it is important to walk the talk. In 2022, the social impact of the BCR Group (the banking services for NGO-s and social enterprises) generated the following impact: 290.000 beneficiaries from vulnerable categories, 1800 jobs supported or created (including jobs for vulnerable persons), 2.5 million Euros for developing associations and social enterprises, 127 NGO-s included in training or acceleration programmes, 900 NGO-s enrolled in The Good Exchange (Bursa Binelui), the only donor platform without commission. Besides, at InnovX-BCR, we accelerated 32 start-ups so that the local tech business got access to 19,7 million euros.

I should add that more than 21000 local entrepreneurs had free access to entrepreneurial education on the platform Școala de Business (School of Business).

Not in the least, we have 5000 employees – they are the engines that will really move Romania towards sustainability.

Ilinka Kajgana’s Biography

Since joining the Erste Bank Group in 2006, Ilinka has taken on and executed strategic projects for the business, including Operational risk, Capital Adequacy, AMA and other priorities for both the group and its international network of savings banks (Sparkassen). As a member or chair of the supervisory board, or board of directors for a number of entities over the past five years, she has helped guide the strategic direction of the group and put in place frameworks, policies, processes and controls to optimize clarity and efficiency, as well as mitigate risk.

She adopts new technology and uses agile methodologies to transform businesses, aligning them to the evolving needs of our clients and an increasingly complex international regulatory environment. Her scientific background, Master’s and PhD, have all honed her problem-solving and analytical skills. Building trusted relationships with key stakeholders in large and complex organizations has been a key facet of her success, and is complemented by an ability to engage with the regulator, clients, partners and suppliers.

CASE STUDY: THE GIANT SHIRT, Kaufland Romania in partnership with 11even Association

CASE STUDY: THE GIANT SHIRT, Kaufland Romania in partnership with 11even Association

Project strategy

„A small PET for man, a Giant T-shirt for mankind” – this was the motto of the recycling promotion project, started by the 11even Association, with the support of Kaufland Romania and the Romanian Rugby Federation, through which the organizers proposed to achieve a Guinness World Record for the largest T-shirt in the world, made entirely of recycled plastic fabric, derived from the recovery of over 250,000 PETs.

Objectives

The record for „The world’s largest recycled plastic T-shirt” was certified by Guinness World Records on International Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd, at the Arch of Triumph rugby stadium in Bucharest, in the presence of 1,500 spectators. The Giant’s T-shirt weighed about 4 tons and was similar in size to a rugby field, measuring 108.96 meters long and 73.48 meters wide.

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Alignment to business

For Kaufland Romania, a business objective is to collect as many recyclable containers as possible at the separate collection machines, and this was the basis of the mechanism for the „Giant T-shirt” campaign, which thus developed a creative idea to encourage recycling and learning responsible behaviors. Moreover, the campaign was also a form of testing the collection capacity of the devices, in order to prepare for the implementation of the Guarantee-Return System.

Impact and Results

The „Giant T-shirt” initiative was designed from the very beginning on sustainable principles, with the objectives of encouraging the separate collection and recycling of plastic waste, and citizens from all over the country responded positively to the invitation to recycle. In the collection campaign, more than 500,000 PETs were deposited at the machines in Kaufland stores, double the amount needed to make the T-shirt. Moreover, more than 3,000 people and 132 other sports teams registered on www.tricoudeurias.ro, for the raffle with prizes offered by the organizers.

In addition, over 12,000 T-shirts for adults and children were produced from the material used for the Giant T-Shirt, most of which were donated throughout the year during the Bucurie în Mișcare events, one of the most important programs to promote sport movement in Romania, organized by the 11even Association, with the support of Kaufland Romania.

Some of the shirts became equipment for several sports clubs in the country, mainly rugby.

Project communication

The project enjoyed a comprehensive communication campaign, adapted to the stages of project implementation – collecting PETs, making the T-shirt and achieving the world record, which took place on several channels and consisted of promoting the campaign at collection machines and in Kaufland stores, radio spots, digital campaigns and more than 100 appearances in national and local press, with an audience of more than 1 million people.

The Case Study is also published in the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine no. 5. You can flip through it here: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2023/

Case Study: The Money School – education for smart financial choices

Case Study: The Money School – education for smart financial choices

Project strategy

Money School is a financial education program developed by the Romanian Commercial Bank. Launched in 2016, it started from the need to educate Romanians financially. Over 1,500 BCR employees have become financial education teachers for more than 500,000 Romanians.

In 2022, the Money School set out to create even more impact, right where education starts: in school and in the family.

Objectives of the program:

• Financial education for over 60,000 Romanians;

• Developing an intervention in the educational system to prepare future generations for smart financial choices;

• Contribution to improving the standard of living of Romanians.

Stakeholder engagement

In 2022, the Money School online learning platform added 4 new courses:

• 2 courses for adults, together with Mai Mult Verde Association, psychologist Raluca Anton and BCR experts;

• 2 financial education courses for children: with Itsy and Bitsy and Pepper the robot.

BCR specialists and Școala de Valori Association helped 52,000 students and adults make smart financial choices through workshops organized throughout the country.

On the occasion of the first national day of Financial Education, on April 11th, BCR and Școala de Valori Association organized #EduFin Fest, the first festival dedicated to financial education in Romania. More than 2,500 students from more than 30 counties participated in 100 non-formal education events where BCR employees, entrepreneurs and local personalities provided them with information to make better financial decisions.

In addition, to bring financial education closer to students and teachers, in September 2022, BCR and the Money School launched LifeLab, a pilot program of financial education and development of students’ life skills, run together with FabLab and the Association Edupedu.

The program involved more than 1,200 students and more than 50 teachers. LifeLab brought to the school system a hands-on education format with an interdisciplinary approach, through which the notions of financial education were introduced within a varied series of subjects from all education cycles. Through experiential learning, students understand the connection between financial education and the fulfilment of desires, and learn analytical, collaborative and planning skills useful for the future. Teachers involved in the program become „life teachers”, act as mentors for their students and help them achieve their dreams with financial education.

Alignment with business and industry

BCR, through the Money School, pursues a systemic intervention to financially educate Romanians of all ages.

Socio-economic Analyses

The World Bank placed Romania last out of 127 countries from the perspective of financial education (2018). This exposes Romanians to vulnerability, and wrong financial choices affect the level of satisfaction and quality of life.

99% of teachers believe there is a clear need to teach financial education in schools (2022). Both teachers and students need practical financial education content with examples and exercises.

Impact and communication of the program

In 2022, over 66,000 children, young people and adults benefited from financial education through the Money School, the largest financial education program in Romania. Since the launch of the program, over 600,000 Romanians have had the opportunity to learn how to make smart financial decisions. As a consequence:

• Beneficiaries have become more aware of the importance of accurate money management;

• Participants in the financial education workshops started saving, investing and dividing their budget according to the 20/50/30 rule;

• Adults started shopping with a list, thinking long-term and dividing their budget taking into account needs and then wants;

• 80% of those who saw the Money School messages remembered the main rules.

The Case Study is also published in the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine no. 5. You can flip through it here: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2023/