Making a good for others, always make the good for yourself.

Boris Krieger

Charity and sponsorship is a part of corporate culture of Sberbank and one of the traditional areas of the Bank's participation in society life. Participating in charitable and sponsorship projects, Sberbank demonstrates its values and commitment to the principles of co-operation.

Charity Fund "AYALA" is not for the first time is a partner of Sberbank in the implementation of social projects. These include charity to children's medical and social and educational institutions. What is charity for Sberbank, about this and other topics our conversation with the Deputy Chairman of JSC SB "Sberbank" Shukhrat Sadyrov.

- And the first traditional question, Sberbank always conducts socially responsible policies in those countries, which are in areas of its interest?

- Sberbank is involved in socially significant projects and engaged in sponsorship and charity activities in the development of education, science, culture, sports, and help people who find themselves in difficult situations in all regions of operation. In Russia, Sberbank on a permanent basis supports a number of sponsorship projects, such as the educational project "New Economic Education" (Fund "NEO"), the support of Children's Village SOS, a joint charity project of Sberbank of Russia and the fund "Give Life", corporate charity program of Sberbank of Russia which introduces a number of measures aimed at supporting children's homes and orphanages in order to improve the lives of orphans and children left without parental care.

It should be noted that for Sberbank, assistance to children – is a priority direction of sponsorship, to the development of which we are making maximum efforts. And in Kazakhstan along with the dynamic development of the business from the first days of work began activities on the organization and implementation of social, charitable and sponsorship programs. Today, in every region of the presence of Sberbank in Kazakhstan for each branch office enshrined sponsored orphanages, assisted by on a regular basis.

- Shukhrat Abdirasulovich, what criteria your bank uses in the selection of charity projects?

- Sberbank focuses on organizing assistance to socially disadvantaged segments of the population, our charitable programs designed for children left without parental care, children with serious illnesses and, of course, veterans.

- It is not a secret, that currently exist charities want to get rid of the negative plume, which stretches for these organizations from 90s. How do you choose your partners in charity?

- Most often Sberbank assists recipients directly, but in some cases we work in partnership with charities. Such cooperation is possible only after careful evaluation of the project - what is its essence, who provided assistance, to what extent it is actual and important, and how will use the provided by the bank funds. For Sberbank the most important - necessity transparency and efficiency in the provision of assistance to those who urgently need it. And of course, the positive reputation of a charity organization and successful experience in implementation of charity programs are also a criterion for the selection of partners in this area.

- An effective charity is one of the important criteria of charities maturity. Often, charity is not effective and the results of those activities do not bring favorable results, which were expected of it. “AYALA” charity fund in its activity for a long time use two very useful principles. First - effective charity, that is, the fund’s activity should bring maximum benefit to their wards, the second - function “qualified buffer”. This principle can be explained as follows: - operation of the charity must be an effective instrument in the chain of interaction of sponsor and potential beneficiary of sponsorship. How do you assess your cooperation with the “AYALA” charity fund in this direction?

- With the “AYALA” charity fund we worked more than once. In May 2012, Sberbank served as a main sponsor in fundraising during the preparation and conduction of the concert of world violin music star Marat Bisengaliyev. As a result there has been collected 19,373,640 tenge, on which was purchased and transferred modern medical equipment to the children's resuscitation department of Kyzylorda regional perinatal center.

It can be also noted the last event - a charity runs in support of the project "Breathe, baby," which were held in Almaty and Astana in early autumn of this year. All collected through this project funds were used to equip the children's resuscitation departments of regional perinatal centers in our country with the necessary equipment, which will give life to children, born with breathing problems. On the example of such projects, we see the significant work of specialists of the Fund in identifying problems, finding ways of solving them and the organization of such events at a high level. 

- What projects do you want to implement in the future?

- Now Sberbank is implementing several charity programs that operate on a permanent basis throughout the Kazakhstan. Among these projects "Hurrah, I'm going to school" aimed at supporting children from orphanages - each year before the knowledge day we prepare children for school. In particular, children receive as a gift school backpacks with everything they need to learn.

In program “From heart to heart” - recipients are also children from socially vulnerable environment. Each branch of Sberbank in the region oversees the sponsored orphanage. And we are on a regular basis not only providing financial support, but also organize interesting and informative entertainment for children. Employees of Sberbank visit orphanages, conducted football matches with children and other sporting events, and organize trips to concerts and other events. All this allows the children much better adapt to life in the community, to find theirs role in the social environment in the future and enjoy childhood in the present. The program "Good start", aimed at supporting students who can not pay at their own for the high education - helps to open the way for a career and profession for talented young people. Under this program in each region of Kazakhstan guys were able to make this important step in their lives, by being students of the leading universities of the country. Thus, is solving the most important issue of educating and subsequent employment of the country's best young minds that do not have to give up the chance for a successful future for lack of funds.

More over, the bank holds various charity and sponsor events throughout the year, responding to direct requests for assistance. And of course, Sberbank is ready to participate in the new interesting and useful projects that charities offer us.

- The help of benefactors became one of the indicators of a problem. Often this support demonstrates to the state institutions the presence of "pain points" in their system. Please, tell us about the mechanism of your search of these "pain points"?

- We defined the priorities of social responsibility, which I have mentioned above. And the main thing in this work in the eyes of the bank experts - the regularity and timeliness of the assistance that we are committed to provide all the regions, where the Sberbank is. We hope that our example will serve to attract the attention of the public and the business community to the importance of social responsibility, which has to bear all of us.

The charity activities of the Sberbank – is an example for business partners. And on the behalf of all beneficiaries who received assistance under the charity activities of Sberbank, we wish you and all members of your organization stability, prosperity and personal well-being. Sure that the Sberbank will continue its charity activities and the children of our country will receive regular help from socially responsible companies operating in the Republic of Kazakhstan.