Colin&Cie donates 300 000 francs to support the Red Cross
Press releases
•With the distribution from the Social Responsibility Fund, the clients of the independent wealth management company Colin&Cie are sending a powerful signal again this year for solidarity and social commitment. The main beneficiaries of the supported Red Cross projects are socially disadvantaged children or children with life-threatening illnesses, unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers, sick people and older people at risk of poverty.
The initiative established jointly by Colin&Cie and the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) was launched in 2019. Since then, clients of Colin&Cie have had the possibility of combining sustainable wealth accumulation with social responsibility by means of an investment in the Social Responsibility Fund. As part of the partnership between Colin&Cie and the SRC, some of the fund proceeds are channelled into regional Red Cross projects at Colin&Cie locations with the aim of promoting equal opportunity and effectively combating poverty in society.
As the asset manager, Colin&Cie can look back with pride on the joint commitment and the fund's development over the past six years. The average net return of 5.5% in favour of investors and the distribution of 1.5 million francs for needy people prove that an innovative investment approach can achieve both an attractive financial return and a substantial societal gain. One special characteristic of the initiative is that clients can decide, in an annual survey, which projects should be given priority.
Fight against poverty and healthcare
In this year’s investor survey, 65% of the votes went to the topic “Fight against poverty”. This segment includes projects on behalf of socially disadvantaged children, unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers and older people at risk of poverty. 35% of votes went to the topic “Healthcare”, with support measures for sick people and those in need of care.
The sum of 180 000 francs will be used to support six Red Cross projects of four cantonal associations of the Swiss Red Cross SRC (Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen, Ticino). 50 000 francs will go towards two projects of the German Red Cross GRC in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. 70 000 francs from the Fund’s management fee will be provided by Colin&Cie as a non-earmarked donation to the SRC headquarters as part of the strategic partnership.
Red Cross projects supported in Switzerland
In Zurich, senior citizens with restricted mobility will receive support for everyday needs, including in the household, shopping or leisure activities. The “Perspektive Arbeit” mentoring programme supports refugees in looking for training schemes and jobs and helps them to improve their reading, writing and spoken language skills. Another project is geared to socially disadvantaged young people: During their apprenticeship they are supported by coaches, which helps avoid them breaking off the apprenticeship prematurely and also helps ensure that they complete their training successfully.
In Zug, the Red Cross transport service is supported – a service provided by Red Cross volunteers to help people with health and mobility-related limitations get safely to their doctor’s, hospital or treatment and back home again. In Schaffhausen, regular cookery evenings are financed for unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers over a period of three years. In Ticino, financial support benefits the Centro Insieme, an extra-curricular learning and activity centre for children.
Insight into the project's effectiveness
Over the past six years, Colin&Cie and its clients have supported social Red Cross projects in the cantons of Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen and Ticino to the tune of 800 000 francs. Six client advisors (five men and one woman) from Colin&Cie in Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen and Lugano oversee the local aid measures as project patron. They are in direct contact with the local Red Cross team members and thus gain an in-depth insight into the effectiveness of the project.