Shinhan Bank is carrying out corporate social responsibility activities with its company-wide volunteer group led by its president.

Over 46,000 employees participated in volunteer work last year, each devoting an average of 10.1 hours, according to the bank.

“We are not doing it to make simple donations or to take credit. Our employees seem to have, instead, internalized a sort of CSR DNA. We are earnestly participating in volunteer work,” Shinhan officials said in a statement. 

The bank commenced a donation project in March in which all employees donate 10,000 won from their monthly salaries to support the less fortunate. A fund of about 1.3 billion won ($1.2 million) is expected to be raised each year. It will be used for different good deeds every quarter, including support for the disabled, emergency medical services or preservation of cultural properties.

Since 2007, over 7,000 employees every year have been donating small sums of money ranging from 5,000 won to 30,000 won every month to support children in low-income families. A total of 4 billion won has been raised so far.

The Click of Love project, which began in 2005, is another voluntary donation program for Shinhan employees to help less fortunate neighbors. The bank doubles the amount of donations made through the project with a matching grant. A total of 860 million won was raised through the project, which has operated year-round since 2010 after partnering with the Happybean Foundation.

Another Shinhan fundraiser is its online bazaar with used goods donated by employees. The bazaar began in 2006.

Using Facebook is the latest idea by Shinhan employees to raise funds. Each time someone clicks the “like” button on posts featuring stories of those in need on the bank’s account, the company donates 1,000 won.

About 85,000 Facebook users have participated so far, raising over 50 million won.

Shinhan has also been running the Didim Savings Account project, which the Ministry of Health and Welfare initiated to stop poverty passing down generations.

By Park Min-young (claire@heraldcorp.com)