Sustainability review 2009
Communities
We believe that we have a responsibility to assist in improving the lives of individuals and communities in South Africa through our work. Our Corporate Social Investment (CSI ) strategy is directed toward sustainable programmes that help to drive financial skills and education.CSI programme objectives
The Capitec offer gives value to the communities that we serve. By extending credit in a responsible manner which may contribute to the relief of poverty, we strive to contribute in the long-term to relieving pressure and create sustainability within these communities. This is augmented by improving access to banking facilities through the positioning of our branches and banking facilities in the areas where the majority of our client base operates.CSI focus areas
In allocating resources to the outlined focus areas, we are guided by the need to:- Focus on communities within which we operate
- Focus on investments in disadvantaged communities
- Support programmes that promote development.
Programme focus
The focus area is financial education and literacy.The remainder of the CSI budget is allocated to smaller social investments that fall within one of the following sectors:
- Job creation
- Skills training
- Disadvantaged communities within South Africa
- Children, young adults and the aged as main beneficiaries.
Criteria for selecting projects
Organisations are considered if they can show that their efforts have a long-term impact and affect significant numbers of people, regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, disability, religious beliefs or income levels. Financial and in-kind requests from organisations and institutions are considered subject to meeting the following criteria:- Have non-profit tax exemption status under Internal Revenue Service code 501(c)(3)
- Have a responsible board of directors serving without compensation
- Show financial stability as evidenced by annual financial statements
- Employ ethical methods of publicity, promotion and solicitation of funds
- Raise funds without payment of commissions, street solicitations or mailing of unordered tickets
- Operate from a detailed annual budget
- Request funds for programmes or operations with a minimal portion applied to overhead
- Use in-kind donation to benefit organisational members or constituents.
- Sponsorship of professional athletic or amateur sports teams or individuals
- Single events such as walk-a-thons, fundraisers, workshops, seminars, golf days, etc.
- Religious causes
- Political parties, candidates or issues
- Organisations that are in any way exclusive
- Trips, tours
- Independent film/video productions
- Requests from individuals.
CSI budget
The major part of funding is allocated to selected identified projects with the balance allocated to smaller projects. The budget runs from 1 March to the end of February each year.Projects in 2009
We are committed to empowering individuals through our CSI programme which is aimed at financial skills training and job creation. The purpose of these interventions is to educate individuals – especially learners, parents, teachers, trainers, employees, entrepreneurs and school leavers – in basic fi nancial skills.Consumer education
We launched a Financial Skills programme in partnership with Unisa in 2005. This Financial Skills course educates consumers in the essentials of financial skills such as financial planning, debt management, budgeting and saving for retirement. The Financial Skills course is a certificate course in Personal Financial Skills presented by the Centre for Business Management at the University of South Africa. This three-month course is on NQF level 5 and students earn 12 SAQA credits.There are also Financial Skills Workshops which are presented free of charge by our Employer Sales team as part of Capitec Bank’s commitment to the market it serves. This includes schools and places of employment, and teaches consumers the basic skills needed to become financially empowered.
We also partnered with various consumer publications such as Daily Sun, The Teacher, and Isolezwe to run consumer editorials highlighting financial skills topics from the Financial Skills curriculum.
Support of Teach Children to Save Day
The Banking Association of South Africa launched the Teach Children to Save Day (TCTS), endorsed by the National Department for Education. This pilot programme coincided with Savings Month in South Africa. The prime partner of the Banking Association for the rollout of this programme is The South African Saving Institute.Through TCTS, the banking industry committed to teach young people the lifelong habit of saving. On 25 July 2008 volunteer bankers visited identified schools across the country to teach a standardised one-hour savings lesson to Grades 4 to 7. The lessons focused on why saving is important, how to design a budget, recognise needs and wants and how interest makes money grow.We support numerous non-profit organisations with education or community upliftment as objectives. The following organisations benefited from a long-term partnership with the Group through our CSI funding.
Stellenbosch University Legal Aid Clinic
The Legal Aid Clinic’s Debt Rehabilitation and Counselling Service provides debt counselling and legal advice free of charge to people who cannot afford these services.The Group and the Legal Aid Clinic are both committed to uplifting the community by improving basic financial skills as research has identified a need for better financial planning and control in most South African households.
We also supported the following non-profit organisations (NPOs)
Paul Roos AcademyGroups of children from disadvantaged backgrounds attend the Paul Roos Academy for teaching and coaching. By supporting the Academy we believe that we make a meaningful contribution towards the development of children from the broader community.
Carel du Toit Centre for Hearing-impaired Children
The Carel du Toit Centre cares for deaf English, Afrikaans and Xhosa children in their mother tongue and, for the past 34 years, has successfully placed 90% hearing-impaired pre-schoolers in normal mainstream schools. Satellite centres have been established in Pretoria, East London and Bloemfontein.
Kos vir Skole
Kos vir Skole project feeds approximately 24 000 children from needy and disadvantaged homes, where parents are not able to provide for the daily physical needs of the children. They are active in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the North West province.
Employee involvement in CSI projects
Casual DayThe Group employees support the annual Casual Day enthusiastically. Employees dress up according to the Casual Day theme and enter the internal Casual Day competition in a drive to raise funds for people with disabilities. This initiative is very well supported and even our executive team joins in the drive to raise awareness and funds for people debilitated by physical or mental disabilities.
Criteria for donations
Capitec Bank’s Corporate Social Investment strategy is directed toward sustainable programs that help to drive Financial Skills and Education as identified in the Financial Services Charter.Organisations will be considered if they can show that their efforts have a long-term impact and affect significant numbers of people, regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, disability, religious beliefs or income levels.
Capitec Bank will consider financial and in-kind requests from organisations and institutions that meet the following criteria:- Have non-profit tax exemption status under [SARS] Internal Revenue Service code 501(c)(3).
- Have a responsible board of directors serving without compensation.
- Show financial stability as evidenced by annual financial statements.
- Employ ethical methods of publicity, promotion and solicitation of funds.
- Raise funds without payment of commissions, street solicitations or mailing of unordered tickets.
- Operate from a detailed annual budget.
- Request funds for programs or operations with a minimal portion applied to overhead.
- Use in-kind donation to benefit organisational members or constituents.
- Sponsorship of professional athletic or amateur sports teams or individuals.
- Single events such as walk-a-thons, fundraisers, workshops, seminars, golf days, etc.
- Religious causes.
- Political parties, candidates or issues.
- Organisations that are in any way exclusive.
- Trips, tours.
- Independent film/video productions.
- Requests from individuals.
Donation application form
Follow the steps below to complete your application.- Carefully review Capitec Bank’s Corporate Social Investment Strategy Criteria for Donations guidelines.
- Complete the Capitec Bank Donation Application form, ensuring all information as requested and guidelines provide are adhered to.
- Prepare a brief (no more than two pages) description of the project/program to be funded or for the in-kind request. The description should include answers to the following questions:
- What is the primary mission of your organisation? Please describe your current programs and significant accomplishments.
- What issue or problem does your program/project address?
- How does this issue relate to Capitec Bank’s educational focus, priorities and criteria?
- What is the scope of your program? Who is your audience and/or the population to be served? (Include any available program or policy statements that reference geographic location, socioeconomic status, or other factors that identify the target audience.)
- What is the program goal or expected outcome of the program for which support is requested?
- What is the track record of the project/program to be funded? (If new, discuss accomplishments of organisation.)
- How will you measure the success of the program/project and report the results to Capitec Bank?
- Provide the following supporting documentation:
- A photocopy of the IRS 501(c)(3) letter.
- Evidence of current accreditation (for educational institutions).
- An audited financial statement or detailed information on finances.
- A list of the current board of directors and their professional affiliations.
- A separate project/program budget, if applicable.
- Return the completed application with all required supporting documentation. Completed applications are reviewed in the order they are received. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications can mailed to:
Corporate Affairs
Capitec Bank
PO Box 12451 Die Boord, 7613
Please note: Submitted materials will not be returned.
For further information, contact communication@capitecbank.co.za
