The Community Affairs team co-ordinates a wide range of opportunities across the region. More than 1,200 employees take part each year.

Business mentoring
Staff use their business expertise and specialist skills to help small voluntary groups with activities that range from marketing and HR to general management, IT and accounts. This can be in the form of on-going support or assistance on a one-off project such as writing a business plan. Other employees form mentoring relationships with head teachers, doctors and local council representatives to share their business experience and help to find creative solutions for public sector issues.


Team challenges
These are organized events where groups of volunteers participate in restoration projects for organizations that would not otherwise be able to fund such work. Recent assignments have included clearing outdoor areas for community use, painting community centers and schools, and building temporary shelters for the homeless in winter. This work always has an immediate impact on the recipient charity.

Schools
UBS employees mentor teenagers from local schools to raise aspirations and improve career prospects. Students on this scheme also benefit from increased morale, motivation and self-confidence: 59% of mentored pupils achieve better grades. At primary level, employees help out with reading, numeracy and IT. The programs require staff to give up only an hour a week; for such a small investment of time, the results are excellent.

Matched giving
UBS helps employees’ donations to charities and not-for- profit organizations go further. The firm matches donations up to USD2,500* a year for most registered charities and, in the UK, also offers tax-efficient payroll giving through Give As You Earn.

Gifts-in-kind
Recycling unwanted goods is a useful way of helping organizations with little money to spare. Items such as mobile phones, business clothes, foreign coins, spectacles, office equipment and toys are all collected to aid those in need.

* Will vary from market to market according to exchange rates. Program subject to guidelines.