History of the BB Volunteer Program
Volunteering at Banco do Brasil
BB employees have always been involved in causes that promote citizenship. Initially, this participation took place in a disjointed way, linked to the events that triggered the work of volunteers or based on the individual decision to participate in philanthropic actions organized by entities in their circle of acquaintances.
In 1989, the historic commitment and pioneering spirit of Banco do Brasil employees led to the organization of the first Citizenship Committees, which worked with underprivileged communities.
In 1992, through its network of branches, Banco do Brasil put BB Educar, the Youth and Adult Literacy Program, developed in the light of Paulo Freire's pedagogical precepts, at the service of society, having literated thousands of people since its creation. In 2000, the coordination of BB Educar became the responsibility of the Banco do Brasil Foundation.
From 1993 onwards, with the start of sociologist Herbert de Souza's campaign Ação da Cidadania contra a Fome, a Miséria e pela Vida (Citizenship Action against Hunger, Poverty and for Life), the Bank's employees joined forces to participate in a more organic and organized way. More than 3,000 committees were set up across the country to carry out the actions to combat hunger and poverty proposed by the campaign.
The BB Volunteer Program
In December 2001, Banco do Brasil institutionalized its volunteer work by creating the BB Volunteer Program, which made it possible to re-establish links with volunteer employees and open a communication channel through the Volunteer website on the Intranet.
From 2003 onwards, BB began allocating resources from tax waivers to the Childhood and Adolescence Fund (FIA), initially supporting the actions of Conanda - the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents - and projects submitted by municipal or state executives.
In 2004, the Bank began providing financial resources to support projects developed by volunteers, through the Banco do Brasil Foundation, called the BB Volunteers Project. The projects support actions to generate work, employment and income and to protect the environment, in line with the Federal Government's public policies and the Millennium Goals established by the UN.
Since 2009, part of the FIA's resources have been directed to the Municipal Councils and State Councils for the Rights of Children and Adolescents, with the aim of supporting projects developed by BB volunteers in entities that promote actions for the Promotion, Protection and Defense of the Rights of Children and Adolescents, in accordance with the provisions of the ECA - Statute of the Child and Adolescent, thus creating the BB/FIA Volunteers Project.
Revitalization of the BB Volunteer Program
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the BB Volunteer Program, a revitalization project was launched in 2011. This project was driven by the analysis of the internal dynamics of the program and the process of deepening the work of companies in Brazil and abroad, based on the emergence of new themes, such as climate change.
Three lines of work were defined to guide this process:
Communication and Training
Project Recognition and Support
Management
One of the results of the revitalization was the increase in the number of registered volunteers, which rose from 2,800 to almost 10,000 registered employees by the end of the first half of 2013.
On July 1, 2013, with the launch of the BB Volunteer Portal, Banco do Brasil crowned the process of revitalizing the Program. Through this new tool, all the actions developed in the three areas converge, providing an efficient communication process with and for volunteers, recognition and support for projects, as well as new ways of managing the Program and its results.