Corporate Social Responsibility
Social ContributionAiming to grow and develop together with society, SMBC makes social contributions through a wide range of activities. Carried out under the leadership of the Corporate Citizenship Department, these activities encompass two main areas: social welfare and international cooperation. SMBC also encourages and supports employees' participation in volunteer activities.
Social Welfare
SMBC not only organizes and participates in a diverse range of social welfare activities, but also supports organizations devoted to social welfare causes to promote the creation of a more benevolent society.
SMBC Volunteer Fund
The SMBC Volunteer Fund makes donations both to domestic and international volunteer organizations dedicated to providing assistance in case of disasters and economic difficulties. This fund is financed by willing SMBC employees who make a voluntary contribution of ¥100 per month. In fiscal 2001, the year ended March 31, 2002, SMBC donated approximately 16,000 of the two founding banks' uniforms to African countries suffering from clothing shortages, with the shipping cost paid for out of this fund.
Volunteering for the Japan Braille Library
Under the guidance of voice-recording specialists, retired and current SMBC employees and their family members volunteer their time to make tape-recorded readings for hearing-and speech-impaired persons, which the Bank then donates to the Japan Braille Library, in Tokyo. As of April 30, 2002, SMBC had presented 669 titles, totaling 3,231 audiotapes, to the library.
Donating Voided Postcards and Unused Telephone Cards
SMBC encourages employees of the Bank and Group companies to donate voided or otherwise unusable postcards and unused telephone cards to volunteer groups.
International Cooperation
As a global financial institution, SMBC engages in a variety of international cooperation activities through its worldwide network of branches.
Aiding Victims of September 11 Terrorist Attacks
In addition to official donations made by the Bank, the members of management and employees of SMBC and other Group companies made private donations to aid victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Moreover, the Bank established a special account for donations from the general public.
Supporting UNICEF
The Bank is an active promoter of UNICEF Coin Aid, a foreign coin collection donation program. In cooperation with Group company SMBC Green Service Co., Ltd., we periodically collect and sort by currency the coins from the UNICEF collection boxes that we place at all of our branches, as well as from collection boxes at such locations as airports. SMBC also has created a UNICEF Donation Account, through which participating Bank customers donate their net interest to UNICEF and the Bank donates an amount equivalent to customer donations. In these ways, SMBC supports UNICEF's programs designed to help needy children in developing countries.
SMBC Global Foundation
The SMBC Global Foundation provides scholarship to university students in Asian countries. Currently, the foundation is providing educational support in Thailand, China, Indonesia, and Singapore. In addition, the foundation is expanding its social contribution and other activities in the United States.
SMBC Foundation
Through its education and international exchange programs, the SMBC Foundation aims to help nurture the human resources necessary to achieve sustainable development in developing countries. To this end, the foundation offers scholarships to students and provides subsidies to researchers and research institutions around the world undertaking projects related to developing countries.
Supporting Employees' Volunteer Activities
Believing that volunteer service gives employees an enhanced understanding of society, SMBC actively supports employees' participation in volunteer activities.
Yui Volunteer Organization
Yui is an SMBC volunteer organization conceived and managed collectively by member employees. The organization takes its name from "Yui," a word used during the Edo period (1603 - 1868) to refer to the cooperative nature of agricultural work, which relied for success on positive, mutually supportive relations among all community members. During fiscal 2001, proceeds from bazaars and movie screenings sponsored by Yui were donated to various social welfare organizations.
Sign-Language Courses
SMBC offers annual sign-language courses to interested employees, thereby promoting communication with and enhanced understanding of persons with hearing disabilities. These courses not only contribute to improving the level of SMBC's customer service but also enable and encourage employees to engage in volunteer activities requiring the use of sign language.
Seminars for Experiencing Volunteer Activities
SMBC holds after-work seminars that allow employees to experience an array of volunteer activities, such as preparing picture books for children in developing countries and "experiencing" life as an elderly person. As a further step to encourage employees' participation in volunteer activities, the Bank provides a variety of information related to volunteering.
