First Investment Bank

The Donor’s programme of Fibank is oriented in two main directions:

• Social investments - Fibank supports the development of children and youngsters by patronizing the creation of opportunities for them, by helping them develop their skills and gain self-confidence. The Bank supports children and youngsters deprived of parents’ care, youngsters from economically underdeveloped regions of the country and others who need support for their development.
• Culture investments - Fibank supports the development of Bulgarian music and theatre as well as the preservation of cultural heritage.

Fibank in the Club of Corporate Donors 

On May 23, 2006 First Investment Bank together with the Bulgarian Donors’ Forum, GloBul, OMV and other large organizations, with the support of the British Embassy in Sofia, established the first Bulgarian Club of Corporate Donors. The main purpose of the Club is to develop and popularize strategic business donations in Bulgaria.

Social Programmes:

Fibank’s ‘social responsibility” fund
Fibank is the first Bulgarian bank which has established a fund for carrying out socially responsible activities. The work with children and teenagers deprived of parents’ care has always been the main priority of the Fibank’s social activity. For years on end the Bank has been allocating funds for the children in the institutions by answering to specific requests and improving mainly the living conditions in the orphanages.

Later on Fibank raised the question for a more effective allocation of the funds granted for charity and decided together with “Civil Initiatives Workshop” foundation to establish Fibank’s "Social Responsibility" Fund. The Fund establishment is an exceptional achievement and a precedent in the relations between the Bulgarian business and the non-profit-making sector. This is the first time when a Bulgarian financial institution has entered into agreement with a leading foundation to entrust it the management of a special fund. The charity funds are allocated in a project principle with the purpose of achieving stable results.

Until now, within the first three sessions of the Fund, a total of 21 projects have been approved with financing of more than BGN 76 000. Different in their purposes, the projects are aiming to develop the required conditions, but also to format the children’s abilities so they become independent in their lives outside the institutions.

The day of open doors

The "Day of Open Doors" initiative is a part of the Fibank’s corporate donations programme “Social Responsibility” which is managed by the “Workshop for Civil Initiatives" foundation. Every year First Investment Bank welcomes children from the institutions for children deprived of parents’ care to some of its offices and branches. At these events children demonstrate their abilities to the Bank’s employees. On their part, the Fibank’s employees tell about their work as bank specialists, introduce the children to the Bank’s activities, talk to them and exchange ideas with them.

Fibank in the fight against breast cancer

• First Investment Bank took part in the National Campaign against Breast Cancer by buying an echograph for the Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment – Shumen. Brochures giving information about the disease prevention and the health centers providing consultations are distributed by the Bank.

• First Investment Bank and Diners Club Bulgaria cooperated for the realization of the charity campaign initiated by “Civil Initiatives Workshop” for raising funds necessary for the purchase of lifesaving medicines for breast cancer treatment. Zheni Zhivkova donated a dress of hers valued at BGN 2350 which was sold at a charity auction. With the raised funds the “Civil Initiatives Workshop” foundation bought “Aromazine” medicines and donated them to two oncology clinics – “District Dispensary for Oncology Diseases without a Hospital” – Sofia and “Inter-District Dispensary for Oncology Diseases” – Varna. 

Cultural programmes:

“My Roots” programme

First Investment Bank and “VELMAR Bulgaria” which are socially involved institutions, through the “VELMAR” foundation, provided part of the funds raised from the sale of the “Inspiration from Antiquity” jewelry collection for charity initiative connected with the preservation of the Bulgarian cultural heritage under “My Roots” national programme. The programme’s idea is to create a model for the preservation and the development of the cultural heritage which allows Bulgarian youth groups and organizations to decide which cultural heritage is valuable for them and how they would like to keep and develop it.

This innovative charity approach – marketing connected with a cause – is applied for the first time in Bulgaria by Bulgarian companies.

The donor’s programme connected with the “Inspiration from Antiquity” jewellery collection is devoted to an especially important issue of the XXI century – the preservation of the cultural heritage of mankind.

Direct donations:

• Sofia Secondary School of Mathematics - for the participation of their students’ team in the International Primary Mathematics Contest for students aged under 14 in Hong Kong.
• Children’s Folklore Ensemble for its participation in the cultural performance “Bulgaria – a Land of Mysteries” in Montpellier and Carno – France.
• Club “Yavara Ru” – the city of Varna for sightless children who are studying eastern martial arts for their participation in an international tournament.
• School for Mentally Retarded Children – Varna for the organization of their graduation ball.
• Sofia Brass Band
• The National Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
• Educative Theatre of the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts
• Sofia Soloists
• State Philharmonic Orchestra – Vidin
• Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra – Hr. Brambarov
• State Philharmonic Orchestra – Shumen
• State Philharmonic Orchestra – Vratsa
• Opera-Philharmonic association – Russe
• National Academy of Music “Pantcho Vladigerov”
• “Aleko Konstantinov” State Theatre of Satire
• "Ivan Vazov” National Theatre
• "Bulgarian Army” Theatre
• "Sfumato” Theatre