SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT 2017

Support
for the community

CaixaBank is characterised by its firm social commitment, which is reflected in its intent to contribute to solving the most pressing social challenges and to the sustainable development of the regions in which it has a presence. For the bank, its social commitment, along with quality and trust, is one of its corporate values and distinguishing features.

Microcredits
awarded

147,389

Largest private social housing stock of the ”la Caixa” Group

>32,000

”la Caixa” Volunteer Association

>10,000

people

Microfinance and financial inclusion

MicroBank has operated through CaixaBank’s branch network since 2007, boosting economic activity, entrepreneurship, job creation, self-employment, personal and family development, and financial inclusion

MicroBank leads the ranking in terms of microcredits granted by European financial institutions

MicroBank, the social bank fully owned by CaixaBank, is Europe’s largest microfinance institution*
* Source: “Microfinance in Europe: A survey of EMN-MFC members. Report 2014-2015”. European Microfinance Network (EMN). December 2016. Latest available data.
147,389 
microcredits granted in 2017
893,7 million euros volume of microcredits granted
6,063.5 euros average volume of transactions
44% of microcredits are granted to women
Encouraging financial education and training:

Over 1,600 people attended 100 basic workshops on personal finance for at-risk groups.

Further information at:
Microbank's Annual Report European Microfinance Network

PROMOTING RETIREMENT PLANNING AND LONG-TERM SAVINGS

CaixaBank inherited a 100-year-long tradition of managing family savings and promoting retirement planning, which began in 1904 with the creation of Caja de Pensiones para la Vejez y de Ahorros de Cataluña y Baleares.

Through VidaCaixa, CaixaBank boasts the largest number of people that have entrusted the Bank with their retirement savings
3,945
million euros in benefits paid
VidaCaixa pays the highest number of pensions in Spain, second only to the Social Security authorities.
VidaCaixa manages its investments in accordance with the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI),
84,965
million euros

290,000 SMEs and self-employed professionals
are covered by group pension plans managed by VidaCaixa

23.5% of market share of pension plans

8,769 million euros
managed under group pension plans

1.5
million people

have life-savings insurance through VidaCaixa

27
companies of the Ibex 35 are customers of VidaCaixa

VidaCaixa promotes a culture of systematic savings and retirement planning.

It holds conference events

aimed mainly at retired customers or those approaching retirement, to help them plan and prepare for their retirement.

In 2017:
- 220 sessions
- More than 8,600 attendees in 119
different towns and cities

Desde 2014:
- 1,163 sessions held
- 63,696 in attendance

It drives the publication of related studies: in 2017 it published VidaCaixa Barometer: “Portrait of a pensioner in Spain”.

Further information at:
Integrated annual report of VidaCaixa

ACCESS TO HOUSING

For CaixaBank, facilitating access to housing is another one of its priorities, given its overriding importance for many citizens. With this objective, the bank has an active policy of assisting people with problems obtaining a primary residence. The “la Caixa” Group also has the largest private social housing park in the country.

CaixaBank has
16.6%
market share in mortgage lending
It works to provide solutions for people and families undergoing financial difficulties

First bank in the Spanish market to create a team specialised in offering solutions, tailored to best suit each situation, for customers that are having difficulties in making their mortgage payments for their primary residence.

600,439 grants for families with mortgage loans that are undergoing financial difficulties since 2009*.

23,583 accumulated dations in payment since 2009:

1,201 dations in payment in 2017,
29% vs. 2016

38% of the dations in payment for the year with an associated lease agreement.

* Number of current and cancelled actions, recalculated in 2015. A given contract may have been subject to more than one kind of action. Therefore, there may be duplications.

CaixaBank adheres to the Code of Good Practices of the Spanish government for the viable restructuring of mortgage loans on primary residences.

The Bank has been a signatory of the mediation agreement with the Government of Catalonia to avoid evictions since 2012.

Over 32,000
housing units in the ”la Caixa” Group’s social housing stock:

The housing units in the social housing stock constitute the largest volume of private social housing in Spain (with rents below market levels).

These housing units, with monthly rents starting at 85 euros, are provided all over Spain to low-income people with very low income.

Among others, this figure includes, the

3,812 housing units contributed to the Spanish government's State Social Housing Fund (FSV):

CaixaBank contributes the largest number of housing units (exceeding its initial commitment, 1,085 homes).

Over 10,400 of these housing units are managed, in collaboration with the ”la Caixa” Foundation, within the framework of two specific programmes:

  • The centralised Social Rent programme, is an affordable housing initiative for people whose income has been hit
  • The decentralised Social Rent programme, is an affordable housing initiative for people that have suffered a foreclosure or dation in payment, launched in 2012
The Mortgage Customer Service created in 2013,

offers a free customer service telephone helpline for customers whose homes are subject to a foreclosure notice.

41,415 calls managed (made and answered) since it was set up.

Further information at:
Internal protocol governing relations with Banking Foundation, CriteriaCaixa and CaixaBank (in Spanish) ”la Caixa” Foundation Housing Programme Code of Good Practices of the Spanish government (in Spanish)

SOCIAL INITIATIVES

CaixaBank actively collaborates in the dissemination and promotion of the social welfare programmes and initiatives of ”la Caixa”.
The ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation, with 510 million euros of budget for 2017, is the number one Welfare Projects Foundation in Spain and one of the biggest foundations in Europe
Around 50,000 initiatives were carried out in 2017, with upwards of 11 million beneficiaries
There is a protocol governing relations between CaixaBank, CriteriaCaixa and the ”la Caixa” Foundation, which describes the framework for collaboration between these entities.
3rd year of the campaign to collect milk, "A milk moustache for every kid"
Now in its third year, the initiative has managed to collect 1.2 million litres of milk, with the participation of the ”la Caixa” Volunteer Association, branches and CaixaBank's electronic channels.
CaixaBank collaborates with GAVI the Vaccine Alliance
through the ”la Caixa” Foundation, actively spreading information among customers and employees
Corporate customers can make contributions through the Business Alliance for Child Vaccination
  • Over 441,000 euros
    contributed by over 1,600 Private Banking customers
  • Over 660,000 euros
    were raised through 406 companies
Customers can send their donations through the ”la Caixa” Foundation micro-donation website
  • Over 126,000 euros
    contributed by 60,315 individual banking customers
Over 2.8 million disadvantaged children in Africa and Latin America received vaccinations thanks to the contribution of the ”la Caixa” Group

DECENTRALISED WELFARE PROJECTS

44.4
million euros of the ”la Caixa” Foundation budget for 2017,

channelled through the CaixaBank commercial branch network to cover local social needs, within the collaboration framework between the Bank, CriteriaCaixa and the ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation.

12,679 activities financed and developed in social, educational, scientific and cultural areas
85% of the the activities are included in the social arena
These include:
  • 35% are carried out in areas relating to healthcare, disability and addiction
  • 32% dedicated to tackling poverty
9,897
charities
With the participation of the employee volunteers from Spain and the international network
Further information at:
Internal relationship protocol between ”la Caixa”, CriteriaCaixa and CaixaBank "la Caixa" Foundation Gavi the Vaccine Alliance

EMPLOYEE SOLIDARITY

The people that form part of CaixaBank have different ways of channelling their solidarity interests. These include participation in local volunteering actions, through the ”la Caixa” Associations of Volunteers, led by CaixaBank, the ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation and the Fundación de la Esperanza (Hope Foundation).

”la Caixa” Volunteer Association
  • Over 10,000 volunteers
  • Over 1.2 million beneficiaries since the start of the programme

Current and retired employees, family members, friends and others that wish to show their solidarity participate in the programme.

- More than 5,500 are current CaixaBank Group employees

- 3,225 volunteer actions carried out in 2017

There were around 14,000 participants in the Bank's Social Weeks (44% of the branch network workforce) and 78.6% of employees from the international network
  • Local volunteering activities related to charity organisations receiving aid from the decentralised welfare projects fund
  • 2 Social Weeks held, with activities in 50 provinces and 776 municipalities in Spain
  • Over 6,128 activities carried out at 1,274 local charity organisations
  • 22 activities in 21 international towns and cities
  • 462 hours of international volunteering
  • 95% of employess would participate again
The Personnel Association, with 22,738 members, has a social action plan:
  • 3.773 beneficiaries
  • 94 activities
  • Around 62,000 euros
CaixaBank professionals collaborate with the ”la Caixa” Foundation ProInfancia Programme

Programme to tackle childhood poverty through the socio-educational development of marginalised children and families.

7,577 children received a gift through the Christmas solidarity campaign.

  • More than 6,900 toys originally intended for employees children, were donated
  • 10,386 euros raised to purchase toys for families who are very poor or at risk of exclusion
First edition

Thank you for making a child’s dreams come true, together with the Fundación Soñar despierto (Dreaming Awake Foundation).

The dreams included in the letters of the 150 children that live in shelters in Catalonia came true with the help of 50 employees and the participation of 4 Store branches and CaixaBank and VidaCaixa’s central services.