OREANDA-NEWS. December 12, 2011. Novikombank took third place in the “Finances” category in the annual nationwide survey “Corporate Philanthropy leaders – 2011,” organised by the business newspaper Vedomosti, in collaboration with the international network of audit and consulting firms PwC and the non-profit partnership of grant-making organizations “Donors Forum.” Also Novikombank entered the list of the most effective corporate philanthropists in Russia in 2011, and took 12th place, which was a very respectable result.

The panel judges highly rated the bank's established system of corporate social responsibility, as well as the significant and ongoing work of Novikombank in social and charitable activities. Realizing the importance of social investment and charitable programmes, Novikombank regards its charitable work as an important component of the overall strategy of the bank, which promotes effective engagement with society and strengthens the image of the bank. When compiling the rankings, not only quantitative factors were taken into account. Particular attention was also given to the qualitative criteria of the charitable work, such as efficiency, effectiveness, consistency and longevity.

In order to organise its charitable work, the bank developed and is successfully implementing its charity policy, which determines the main principles and areas of focus for the charitable assistance it provides. The priority areas were identified as follows:

Children’ education support;

Health of the younger generation;

Social heritage retention;

Assistance to veterans and the disabled;

Russian sports support.

In accordance with modern corporate governance standards, a committee on charitable activities was established at the bank. The main purpose of the committee is to organise and implement the systematic, efficient and transparent charitable work of the bank. The committee's work provides organizational support for the charitable work and promotes the implementation of modern mechanisms for taking collective decisions on charitable projects.

Much attention is paid to the participation of the bank’s staff in its charity events and programmes. The programme to involve staff in the charity projects of the bank includes methods of participation such as:

- private donations;

- financial assistance;

- volunteer projects.

The number of Novikombank’s charitable programmes is increasing along with the expansion of its business. As part of the committee’s charitable work in 2011, dozens of appeals for aid were considered. Each year, the funds earmarked for charitable purposes increase by more than 30%.