Donations

Since 2003, the World Bank Group (WBG) has sponsored an annual staff giving program known as the Community Connections Campaign, which benefits over 200 non-proft organizations in the Washington metropolitan area.

In fiscal year 2007, IFC staff contributed $209,000. Individual contributions made online through a system called e-Give totaled $184,000, and an additional $25,000 was collected at special fund-raising events organized by staff. The WBG then matched half of the individual contribution amount to benefit local and global nonprofit agencies. Each year, participation in this program grows — 48 percent of IFC headquarters staff participated in the Campaign through e-Give in 2007.

IFC organizes many donation collections in our offices worldwide, including some of the examples below:

Argentina (Buenos Aires)	Toys to local NGO, Fundación Garrahan, for children in local hospital
Bolivia (La Paz)	Annual Christmas raffle to raise funds for the needy
Brazil (Sao Paulo)	Paper and dental supplies to the community through NGOs
China (Chengdu)	Computers to a government agency
China (Hong Kong)	General household goods to local charities from IFC staff leaving Hong Kong to return home. Also on-going blood donations for Red Cross
Columbia (Bogota)	Food to elderly homes
Egypt (Cairo)	Furniture from office move donated locally
Kenya (Nairobi)	Food, clothes and various items for two Children's Home (Orphanages)
Peru (Lima)	On-going recycling program — Fundades — which contributes to local social programs
Senegal (Dakar)	Computers to a high school
Turkey (Istanbul)	Medical equipment, toys and clothes to a center for mentally disabled children as well as a day-care center
Ukraine (Kyiv)	Computer equipment to an orphanage and a children's cultural center
Vietnam (Hanoi)	Computers to local NGOs and charity organizations
Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)	Desktops and laptops donated to a local business association charity
Washington, DC	On-going and annual donation drives, including unused toiletries from airline packs and clothing for homeless population; office supplies for local schools and NGOs; toys for at-risk children

Spotlight: Giving back to our communities

Staff in Istanbul, Turkey got involved at a center for disabled children, donating medical equipment and furniture for a playroom and sponsoring a holiday party. They also made donations and frequent visits to an orphanage and a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. In Washington, DC, IFC has been partnering with the Capital Area Food Bank since 2005 to donate gifts during the Holiday season to at-risk children within their Kids Cafe after school program. IFC staff purchase gifts for over 250 children, and distribute the presents to children at 6 sites in the greater Washington, DC area. Each year, there is an outpouring of generosity for the kids from IFC staff.

Spotlight: Donating Unused Furniture to Mjedenica, Center for Specialized Education Children

Upon hearing about "Mjedenica’s," a Center for Specialized Education Children, need for new chairs to replace their existing chairs from the 1970s, an IFC employee in Sarajevo, decided to work with her IFC office to help Mjedenica. The IFC office decided to donate not only their extra chairs, but also unused furniture, some computers, and a Xerox machine. A total of 92 items were donated. IFC arranged for free delivery by using a local sitting volleyball club’s van. The impact from this initiative is that more children at Mjedenica can be at work groups at the same time; the children work in a better atmosphere; and the new chairs improve their posture. Additionally, employees and volunteers also have better computers and work tables.