The penultimate week of March is Global Money Week 2023 (GMW) – the 11th edition of the global promotion of financial education of children and youth. In the face of crises such as the consequences of the pandemic, Russian aggression against Ukraine, inflation or climate change, education, financial skills and financial responsibility, developed from an early age, become a priority. The Bank Millennium Foundation has been taking care of the education of the youngest for years. In a moment, it will start with the next edition of the educational programme for the youngest "Financial ABCs" and celebrates the "World Money Week".

The Bank Millennium Foundation did not remain indifferent to the fate of its neighbours fleeing the war from across the eastern border. Organising help points, support in finding accommodation, looking for a job or places to stay for children from orphanages in Ukraine is a series of activities, which were undertaken last year by volunteers – employees of the bank. Educational activities under the Financial ABCs project were also continued. In total, representatives of Bank Millennium allocated nearly 2000 hours for pro bono activities in the last 12 months. The Foundation summarised its activities in 2022 in a report just published.

Today, on August 24, 6 months after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the attacked country celebrates its 31st anniversary of independence. The Bank Millennium Foundation chose this very day to broadcast a film about volunteers - 140 employees of Bank Millennium, who implemented their 33 aid initiatives and helped 8,000 refugees in a special edition of the foundation's programme "#słuchaMYwspieraMY for citizens of Ukraine". The Bank Millennium Foundation and Bank Millennium allocated PLN 1 million for the volunteering programme and support for non-governmental organizations.

For the eighth time, Bank Millennium Foundation in a joint effort with the Verba Foundation organized workshops in financial education designed for preschool children. Between 19 May and 1 July, more than 60 kindergartens conducted classes aimed at expanding financial knowledge among the youngest.

Development of environmental education, a new ecological branch of the bank, supporting gender equality and people with disabilities and the involvement of employees - volunteers of Bank Millennium Foundation in helping local communities, which suffered in result of the pandemic - these are the special activities submitted by Bank Millennium to the Report "Responsible Business in Poland. Good Practices".

On 23 - 24 March 2022 the 6th Congress of Financial Education and Enterprise was held; Bank Millennium Foundation became the General Partner of the Event.

Already 27 actions launched by Millennium Bank for the society and natural environment have been appreciated in the “Responsible Business in Poland” reports published by the Responsible Business Forum (FOB). From among the actions implemented in 2020 the following were distinguished: Providing funding for the first Polish COVID-19 test, Setting up the COVID-19 Infection Support Fund for Employees, programmes #zostanwdomu (stay at home) and online Financial education for pre-schoolers and their parents.

In this year’s edition of the Institution of the Year ranking organised by Moje Bankowanie, activities of the Bank Millennium Foundation were distinguished in the Corporate Social Responsibility category.

Although 2020 was overshadowed by Covid-19, the pandemic did not stop the activities of Bank Millennium Foundation. Fighting the coronavirus became the Foundation’s priority. Already in April 2020 the Foundation provided financial support to the PAN Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, which developed the first Polish tests for presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The original plans had to change, nevertheless the Foundation continued to develop its flagship educational programme “Financial ABCs”. We moved the financial training series from kindergartens to online, and it thus became - as research showed - a much-needed tool for parents, kindergartens and kids, which is available without the need to leave home.

Following the e-guide “How to teach your kids about finances”, Bank Millennium Foundation prepared a series of video interviews with a psychologist on subjects related to giving financial education to kids of preschool age.

It is best to learn about finances when aged three to seven - parents of preschoolers say in a survey carried out GfK for Bank Millennium Foundation.

How to teach kids about finances when at home? How to get kindergarten kids interested in learning the principles of business? Does it make sense to give kids pocket money? Advice from Bank Millennium Foundation, which prepared a guidance series on how to teach children about finances. The texts available on the Internet can be of valuable help to parents and guardians involved with home education not only during the pandemic.

Financial education started already at kindergarten age makes coping with later crisis situations easier - so say most parents taking part in a survey carried out by GfK for Bank Millennium Foundation. The full survey report will be published by Bank Millennium Foundation this September.

Where does money come from, what is its value, why does it make sense to save and why can’t you have all the toys in the world? This is what children will find out from animations prepared specially for them about the adventures of Sebastian, the main character in the “Financial ABCs” educational programme, already available on YouTube. The author of the cycle is Bank Millennium Foundation, which wants to support parents in home tuition of kindergarten kids during the epidemic.

Fundacja Bank Millennium włączyła się w działania w walce z koronawirusem i przekazała Instytutowi Chemii Bioorganicznej Polskiej Akademii Nauk z Poznania, który opracował pierwsze polskie testy na obecność COVID-19, kwotę 500 000 zł. Testy wchodzą niebawem do masowej produkcji, a Insytut prowadzi dalsze prace badawczo-rozwojowe nad testami nowej generacji. Decyzja o przekazaniu funduszy właśnie Instytutowi została podjęta przez pracowników banku w wewnętrznym głosowaniu i jest reakcją na informację, która obiegła media na początku kwietnia br., o tym osiągnięciu polskich naukowców z Wirusowej Grupy Wsparcia PAN.

The goal of the #bezkonkurencyjnekobiety Competition is to select the two most interesting cultural projects / initiatives for women, proposed and implemented by women. Projects supporting women's activities in the sphere of culture.

More than ten volunteers from Bank Millennium took part in the redo of the day room at the Child Endocrinology and Diabetology Ward in Kielce.

Yet another volunteer action is behind us. The employees from the Bank Millennium trainer team joined their forces and prepared a playground for children from the Foreigners Centre in Warsaw. It is the only facility of this kind in Poland dedicated to women and children.

Bank Millennium volunteers from Pomorze region developed and adapted a garden for purposes of therapy for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The action was included in the grant competition of Bank Millennium Foundation.

“Happy Preschooler” is the name of an action carried out by employees of Bank Millennium branches in Kraków. In the grant competition of Bank Millennium Foundation the volunteers renovated and re-equipped the playground of Public Kindergarten No. 97 in Kraków.

In a grant competition of Bank Millennium Foundation employees of branches from the Eastern region carried out a volunteering action. This time they organised Sports Day in Primary School No. 88 in Kraków and donated necessary gymnastics equipment.

Thanks to a grant from Bank Millennium Foundation the pedagogical therapy unit in No. 1 Primary School in Mońki (Podlaskie Voivodeship) received teaching aids, minor convalescence and sports gear, while the children attended interesting and joyful financial education classes.

Volunteers from Bank Millennium made a dream come true of a kid from one of Warsaw’s kindergartens and created a sensory path.

In a volunteering action under a grant from Bank Millennium Foundation, a group of employees from Gdańsk renewed the playground, expanded the football pitch and built a sledge run in the school in Lublewo Gdańskie.

The another edition of the Financial ABC - financial education programme for preschoolers has been completed. As part of the 5th edition of the project, over 400 workshops were held to train over 10,000 children from 120 kindergartens.

Almost 20 volunteers – Bank Millennium employees with their families and friends visited the construction site of a refuge for puppies and disabled animals - Judytowo.

Nearly 50 volunteers from Bank Millennium branches in Pomorskie Voivodeship performed an action in Rogate Ranczo in Bojan. Rogate Ranczo is a last-chance shelter where farm animals neglected by their previous owners recover their health and faith in people.

In a volunteering action organised thanks to a grant from Bank Millennium Foundation, a group of trainers and employees from a Bank Millennium branch supported the Senior Citizens Club in Stargard (Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship).

As part of the MilleWidziani project, students from one of Warsaw's primary schools visited the training center and Bank Millennium headquarters.

Financial ABCs - the kindergarten children financial education programme carried out by Bank Millennium Foundation won the 1st place in the “Golden Banker” competition in the “Socially Sensitive Bank” category.

No less than 40 volunteers - employees of Bank Millennium, their families and friends decided to help the Maternity Home in Kraśniewo (Mazowieckie Voivodeship).

Sports promotion and integration with disabled persons were the goals of an action carried out by volunteers from Bank Millennium in Mońki.

Volunteers organised an integration meeting of athletes from Promień Mońki sports club and patients of Occupational Therapy Workshops - intellectually disabled persons. There are several classes held in the Workshops, including art, rehabilitation, preparing meals or everyday activities.

Bank Millennium volunteers from Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship helped equip the library, promoted readership and gave entrepreneurship classes in No. 3 primary school in Mogilno. It is the only integrated school in the area. The school has been operating as such since recently and must be adapted to the needs of disabled children. At present there is only one wheelchair ramp available; only a staircase leads to classrooms on the first floor; the library is not equipped to cater for the needs of children with impaired vision or hearing.

Regional directors from Bank Millennium together with their families organized a voluntary action for an orphanage in Chotomów in the Mazowieckie province. The facility is in financial difficulties. That is why the volunteers purchased the most needed equipment from their own funds and funds granted by the Bank Millennium Foundation. They brought and installed a new washing machine, beds and a TV set. Volunteers also organized a Christmas meeting and together with children made Christmas decorations, prepared and painted gingerbread, decorated Christmas tree, handed out gifts and sang Christmas

From the grant received from Bank Millennium Foundation, Bank Millennium employees renovated the corridor of the Non-Public Primary Special School in Gdańsk. This is another project implemented as a part of the employee volunteering program.

Employees of Bank Millennium together with their families have carried out another action in Bank Millennium Foundation’s grant competition. The volunteering programme was targeted at the animal shelter in Lublin. The shelter is now home to approx. 230 dogs, 120 cats and 44 exotic animals, which is much more than it can accommodate. The animals, which end up in the shelter are often ill or fell victim to human violence and indifference. The idea behind the volunteer action was to help the shelter, promote its activity and develop knowledge about responsible animal care.

“Together- we can do it” is the name of an action carried out in the Bank Millennium Foundation’s grant competition by volunteers from Bank Millennium. The project involved changing the floor in the meeting room of HORN Scouting Society. The room is used for meetings, workshops and training sessions for children and the youth.

A several dozen-strong group of volunteers from Bank Millennium did another action in the grant competition of Bank Millennium Foundation. This time the volunteers made a redo of the dilapidated playground next to the Children’s Home. Together with their families as well as residents and staff of the Children’s Home, the volunteers repaired and painted the recreational equipment and set up a new gazebo. The children made their own graffiti on the grey wall surrounding the area, which gave the playground a new optimistic appearance. After the work was done the children and adults played an exciting football game. The day ended with a bonfire, sitting around which the participants shared their impressions from the event.