stress the import nce 2009 Social REPoRT “ We believe that charitable programmes are even more important today than they were during the pre-crisis period. So in the future, as each year throughout the Bank’s history, we will continue to render comprehensive support and financial assistance to essential projects, reaffirming our reputation of a socially responsible company.” Rushan Khvesyuk Chairman of the Executive Board, Member of the Board of Directors Message from Alfa-Bank management As a biggest financial institution in Russia, Alfa-Bank has always attached great importance to social and charitable activities. We are pleased to present our social report telling about some of our most significant events and undertakings in 2009. Alfa-Bank has a profound respect for the cultural heritage of our great country and endeavours to contribute to preserving it. For instance, we financed restoration work on a number of unique books in the Orenburg Universal Scientific Library named after N. Krupskaya, including Decrees of Ekaterina Alexeevna and Peter II published as early as in 1743 and works of Mikhail Lomonosov. In Nizhniy Novgorod, we sponsored restoration of Nikolay Koshelev’s canvas The Burial of Christ which was the ver y fir st ar t work in the collection of the regional museum. Alfa-Bank also covered the costs of restoring two pictures of the globally recognised artist Ivan Shishkin — Evening in a Forest and Evening in a Pine Forest belonging to the Tatarstan State Museum of Fine Arts in Kazan. Having supported initiatives aimed at preserving memory of our past for many years running, we also prioritise care for the young and talented, since they are our future. Owing to our Alfa Chance scholarship initiative, dozens of youths from different parts of Russia afforded higher education at the leading Institutes and Universi- ties of Moscow. In addition, Alfa-Bank has funded the Alfa Fellowship programme, which provides internships for young foreign specialists in Russia, for more than five years. The Bank sees this programme as a means of promoting and strengthening international social and cultural ties. In advance to national celebrations dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory, I would like to underline that we are committed to supporting war veterans. In this context, I would like to emphasise our care for and attention to the older generation, rather than the actual amount spent. Apart from gifts and financial aid, we continuously arrange veterans’ meetings with schoolchildren in different cities across the country. This initiative pursues two principal objectives: on the one hand, our children learn unique historical facts; on the other hand, the veterans feel that younger generations still need them, which is, possibly, the most important thing in one’s life. Despite the tough economic climate in 2009, Alfa-Bank closed not one of its charity initiatives. We believe that these programmes are even more important today than they were during the pre-crisis period. So in the future, as each year throughout the Bank’s history, we will continue to render comprehensive support and financial assistance to essential projects, reaffirming our reputation of a socially responsible company. Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Message from Alfa-Bank management 1 LIFE LINE — extending a helping hand Alfa-Bank has supported the Life Line charity programme which provides finan- cial assistance to critically ill children, for the past five years. The Bank acts as the corporate sponsor of the programme and also provides opportunities for its employees to make individual targeted donations. The Bank regularly holds charity events to raise extra funds for children in need of help as part of its support to the foundation. Alfa-Bank launched the Life Line charity programme on 1 June 2004 as an initiative of leading Russian companies and individuals who could not remain indifferent to the problem of high mortality rates among children in Russia. In developing the Programme, Alfa-Bank leveraged successful experience of international organisations engaged in health care and charity. It became a national charitable foundation in 2008. The fund was founded to help children with serious illnesses that can be treated with state-of-the-art medical care. Life Line foundation sees its mission in saving critically ill children and promoting civic values that will ultimately advance philanthropic culture by fostering open liaison between different social groups across Russia and globally. Life Line pays for the advanced medical treatment of and special costly devices ensuring the best possible treatment for Russian children who are 15 years or younger suffering from life-threatening heart, brain and liver diseases. Since 2009, the Life Line foundation has been funding medical treatment of children with congenital spinal deformities (grade III and IV scoliosis) that require surgical intervention. 2 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • LIFE LINE – extending a helping hand Life Line is a nation-wide charity, with all the funds raised by the programme going to provide treatment for children. In five years the Charity has saved more than 3,200 children across Russia having raised and spent on treating the kids $15 million. The fund sponsors child surgeries in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Perm, Krasnodar, Tyumen, Samara, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Voronezh, Nizhniy Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Murmansk, Khabarovsk, Syktyvkar, Volgograd, Ekaterinburg, Rostov and other cities. The programme provides funding for prescribed medical services and medicines necessary for the care of every Life Line patient. The proper use of the charity’s funds and the transparency of the programme are guaranteed at all times. A significant source of funds for the Life Line charity programme are corporate donations of the Bank as well as contributions made by its individual employees. In addition to private and corporate contributions, the Life Line programme also raises funds to save the lives of critically ill children through the Give As You Earn programme, an initiative designed for employees wishing to contribute part of their wages. Any company can participate in the Life Line employee scheme and give their staff the opportunity to provide financial aid to children right from their work places by way of installing a dedicated application on computers. Alfa-Bank was the first corporate participant in the Life Line programme. Since August 2004, more than 500 Alfa-Bank employees across the country have managed to donate more than 8.8 million roubles and fund treatment for 95 children. Extending a helping hand Since September 2008, all those willing have been able to contribute their mite to the philanthropic aims of Life Line foundation by using the Alfa-Click Internet Banking or making traditional bank transfers, Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • LIFE LINE – extending a helping hand 3 with all money transfers free of bank charges. Updates on how the money is spent are regularly posted on the Bank’s website. We are very grateful to our customers for their enthusiasm in supporting our initiative to provide financial assistance to Life Line charity programme — during 2009 they donated over 3 million roubles. This was enough to sponsor some very sophisticated medical equipment for 31 children suffering from heart defects from all other Russia. In 2009, Life Line and Alfa-Bank launched another joint project, enabling the Bank’s customers to contribute to the common cause of saving critically ill children using their plastic cards and cash dispensers installed in all offices of the Bank. These cash transfers are also free of bank charges. Charity auction Alfa-Bank has supported all undertakings of the Life Line charity programme, which provides financial assistance to critically ill children, for the past five years. During this time many celebrities donated to the Charity a number of unique pieces of art that are quite valuable for admirers of theatre and cinema stars, artists, writers, public figures and sportsmen. These works have been waiting for their time to fulfil their purpose — turn into financial assistance to children. So, in 2009, all interested parties could participate in several charity auctions held at Alfa-Bank website and dedicated to the Fatherland Defender’s Day, the 8th of March, the Cosmonautics Day and the New Year. The funds thus raised were used to finance advanced surgeries for Russian children. “The Golden heart” of Alfa-Bank In November 2007, the Bank launched a new corporate project — a monthly charity lottery called The Golden Heart of Alfa-Bank. Everyone who makes donations using the Life Line programme can participate in the lottery. Prizes include tickets to events organised jointly by Alfa-Bank and the Life Line сharity programme. 4 Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • LIFE LINE – extending a helping hand Аlfa-Bank • Social Report 2009 • Charity 5 Charity If we don’t help, who will? Volunteer initiatives at Alfa-Bank We are proud of our team at Alfa-Bank. Apart from being high-profile specialists, our employees are also great, warm and generous people, many of whom support orphanages and childcare centres on a permanent basis. They are always prepared to extend a helping hand to children deprived of parental care or in need of urgent medical treatment. The Bank’s management endeavours to provide all kind of administrative and financial support to volunteer initiatives coming from the Bank’s employees across the country. Together we are building a civil society where no one ignores those unfortunate children who do not have parental support. Charity movement in Russia is currently in acute need of volunteers, and we are happy that there are people among us who feel the urge to provide regular support to children deprived of family care and warmth. Children’s day “Lavish the happiness” Event Instability and changes make each of us particularly longing for family support — we seek to be more open- hearted, caring and helpful for our nearest and dearest.