Spokesperson: Kirston Greenop, Head: Regulatory Advocacy, Stakeholder Engagement and CSI at Standard Bank
Standard Bank is partnering with its employees in realising the bank’s vision of supporting local communities through its Rand4Rand initiative. The bank is matching every rand that employees donate to local charities that help communities in need, strengthening the cohesion within the leading financial services organisation.
Kirston Greenop, Head: Regulatory Advocacy, Stakeholder Engagement and CSI at Standard Banksays the bank’s purpose is to drive economic growth on the continent in a sustainable and inclusive way. For this reason, it encourages its employees to make a positive difference in their immediate communities through either monetary donations or meaningful volunteer work.
“Our employees want to be part of an organisation that helps to address the challenges in our local communities and have a positive and powerful influence in society in general. Standard Bank strives to be a leader in Corporate Social Investment (CSI) in South Africa as we are an African bank contributing to the sustainable development of South Africa and the rest of the continent.”
Greenop adds that Standard Bank’s Rand4Rand Initiative also goes a long way to build good relationships with its employees and retain talented employees working in the industry. “Matching our staff’s contributions to communities leads them to identify with the Standard Bank brand and purpose. It motivates them to apply themselves at work every day and builds an indomitable team spirit within the bank.”
Standard Bank continuously calls on its employees to make donations to credible charitable organisations and causes on the ForGood platform where their donations are matched, rand for rand, by the financial institution.
Standard Bank employees recently showed their compassion and support for local communities when they gave as much as R334 000 to the Gift of the Givers Foundation and the bank matched their donation, resulting in the NGO receiving R668 000.
Standard Bank also showed its leadership in CSI earlier this year when it donated R2 million to the Gift of the Givers Foundation and OneFarm Share – a platform that connects farmers with surplus produce to charities – to provide food, shelter, and other necessities to people in KwaZulu-Natal whose lives were upended by the mass flooding in the province.
Greenop of Standard Bank says the institution keeps its finger on the pulse of current events and community needs in South Africa to sustain and widen its positive impact in communities together with its caring employees. “We can bring positive change to the country.”