There is no miracle without good: banks have stepped up the development of charity projects

Banks have stepped up their work on charity projects. For example, T-Bank has launched indefinite support for the country's leading funds on its fintech platform as part of the large-scale "Course of Kindness" project. Other major market players are also launching initiatives and platforms to support NGOs, encourage clients to donate, and eliminate fees for transfers to philanthropists. Experts note that support from banks and fintech is especially valuable for non-profit organizations. As a result, everyone benefits, because such activity not only allows banks to reduce their tax burden, but also strengthens their brands. How much money got into NGOs thanks to credit organizations is in the Izvestia article.

How banks develop charity

Banks and financial organizations are actively investing in assistance to non-profit organizations (NPOs) and charitable foundations, Izvestia found out. The largest market players are massively canceling commissions on donations and other transactions, as well as supporting social initiatives.

Thus, T-Bank announced a new approach to charity and launched a new large―scale charity project, the "Course of Kindness" relay race, the organization said. The essence of the initiative is the indefinite support of Russia's leading charitable foundations, which will change on a rotating basis every two months. The first participant was the Life as a Miracle Foundation.

—T-Bank will double all donations from clients to selected funds, regardless of their amount," the company said.

T-Bank plans to indefinitely combine proven funds, 50 million customers of the organization's ecosystem and other major Russian companies on one fintech platform. The funds will be collected for specific major tasks of each fund, such as equipping hospitals, creating specialized centers in the regions, etc. According to the bank, among the goals of the project is to create a fundamentally new system of business working with funds in Russia and involve other major companies in the "Course of Kindness" so that the project becomes an All―Russian marathon of support.

― Most of the existing doubling programs are one—time stories tied to holidays or high-profile news. By launching the "Course of Kindness", T-Bank starts the marathon without a deadline, without restrictions on the amount when doubling, with constant rotation of funds, ― said Tatiana Polyakova, Head of the Department of Strategic Social Projects at T-Bank.

Other players are also launching major charitable initiatives. In 2024, 448 million rubles were collected on the SBS platform, said Alexander Goryachev, President of Partner NGO. 8 thousand people have set up car payments for charity, as for utilities, which provides income of 40 million rubles per year.

T-Bank's customers donated 1.9 billion rubles from a mobile application on the T platform in 2024, according to the company's annual report. And since 2020, 5.7 billion rubles have been received by charities from ecosystem clients, when Cashback for Good was launched, a service with which you can set up automatic transfer of accumulated cashback to selected charitable foundations.

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And what problems do their families face during this multi-year process?

In turn, the simplification of the process of transferring money to charity by VTB led to an increase in the average receipt and the number of donations by one and a half times, said Alexander Goryachev. The Sovcombank Pro Dobro initiative doubled every customer donation from its own funds in three months, resulting in the collection of 12 million rubles to NGOs.

Yandex has also launched the Rounding charity initiative, which gives users the opportunity to automatically donate small amounts (up to rubles) when paying for Yandex services (taxi, delivery, music). The rounded difference is transferred to partner funds such as the Lighthouse House and others. It also provides significant support to NGOs.

Bank Saint Petersburg offers a special product for NGOs with discounted rates for transfers and opening of a corporate account, the press service of the organization reported. In addition, the bank supports the Family Education Assistance Center and Shelters for Homeless Animals, as well as helps in the renovation of kindergartens and the hospital of the St. Petersburg Children's Hospice.

Novikom Bank helps Voronezh children's hospitals by transferring equipment for intensive care and blood transfusion stations, the organization's press service said. The Grain of Goodness program with the Common Children Foundation supports poor families, including those with children with disabilities. In addition, the bank supports humanitarian projects in the LPR, including assistance to schools, kindergartens and the restoration of monuments.

In 2024, Zenit Bank implemented 27 charitable initiatives, the press service of the credit institution said. The main directions are medical rehabilitation of children, support for large and poor families, as well as veterans and the elderly. The bank's key charitable partners include the Piggy Bank of Kindness Foundation, the All—Russian Society for the Blind, and veterans' organizations in Kaliningrad and Almetyevsk.

How important is the contribution of banks to support NGOs

—Banks are extremely effective in developing charity due to their high level of financial management, technological efficiency and access to a million-strong customer audience," said Inga Moiseeva, General Director of the Center for the Development and Support of NGOs and Public Initiatives at D.Group.

Almost all financial institutions are involved in charity, said Ekaterina Shergova, director of the Podari Zhizn Charitable Foundation. According to her, it would be difficult for NGOs to work without the support of banks and their understanding of the importance of charity. It is especially important that banks influence the development of a culture of charity in the country by involving their clients in this process.

Charity for banks is not just a beautiful gesture, but a well—thought-out business strategy, said Alexander Goryachev, head of Partner NGO. However, there is nothing wrong with this, because their work helps to attract a lot of money to NGOs. It is thanks to credit institutions that people get used to systematically donate to charity.

— The government is also not standing aside: the Ministry of Economic Development plans to increase grant support to NGOs to 300 billion rubles by 2026. This will create powerful synergies with banking programs," Alexander Goryachev said.

An important format of support is that NGOs do not pay transaction fees, Ekaterina Shergova clarified. Currently, almost all banks do not have it: the funds are provided with preferential terms. It is enough for an NGO to go through the verification of a specific bank in order to receive significant savings.

What is the benefit for banks from supporting charity?

The benefits for the credit institutions themselves are both financial and reputational, Ekaterina Shergova said. Cooperation with charitable foundations significantly strengthens their ESG rating. This affects the development of corporate culture and strengthens the brands of banks.

"In addition, banks, as business representatives, can also benefit from a tax deduction from listed donations, which amounts to up to 1% of the company's revenue," Ekaterina Shergova added.

Some areas of charity can be called social investments — investments in the training of future specialists, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global. We are talking about supporting higher education, including in the field of IT technologies. In addition, charity helps banks to promote their own financial products among the population.

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The development of charity in any country depends on the economic situation, Ekaterina Shergova emphasized. The more difficult it is, the more people need support. But at the same time, the number of people and companies willing to donate in difficult times is decreasing. That is why the support of businesses and public institutions is so important for the work of NGOs.