OTTO Foundation

Introduction

Charities

OTTO Work Force is social. We support all kinds of good initiatives. But one thing we’re incredibly proud of is our OTTO Foundation. We use this foundation to contribute to the regions where many of our employees come from. These regions often face all kinds of problems and challenges and we’d like to contribute to the development of these areas and help people in difficult circumstances with support from the OTTO Foundation.

Policy OTTO Foundation

Objective

The foundation’s objective is to provide social, humanitarian and economic assistance to people on a minimum income in countries where OTTO operates. We do this by providing individual help, but also by supporting authorities and (social) organisations involved with combating poverty;

Unfortunately, there are also wars going on in some of the areas we operate in. This is absolutely horrendous for people. We do our best to provide victims of war violence with humanitarian and economic aid through the foundation;

OTTO Foundation 2023

€403.979

Financial support
given in 2023

€360.779

Donations for Ukraine

€43.200

Other donations

Ambition

The OTTO Foundation was established in 2002. The OTTO Foundation is a socially involved organisation and therefore wants to contribute to society. The idea behind the OTTO Foundation is that the donation per project benefits people or organisations in need. It's also possible for individuals, by way of exception, to receive support within the context of poverty reduction. The basic principle is that we realise our objectives by collecting financial resources and goods, preferably in collaboration with local authorities, organisations and churches. This allows us to realise the most extensive possible social support. This includes support in relation to sports activities, music and/or orphanages.

Activities executed in 2023

Last year, OTTO Foundation donated financial support for the following projects:

Donations for Ukraine

Financial support for employees and family in Ukraine
Reception for refugees (including food, clothes et cetera)
Sponsoring Christmas dinner Ukrainian employees
Sponsoring Warsaw trip for Ukrainian orphans
Support Ukrainian (food, medicine, hygiene products) i.c.w. Ukrainian church
Sponsoring trip to the Efteling and Beekse Bergen for Ukrainian children
Sponsoring children's afternoon in Zevenbergen
Donation Warchild (Can't wait to learn program)
Other spending

Other donations

Donation Sports for Children (equipment for gymnasiums in schools in Armenia)
Donation at PSV gala 110 years (tickets Efteling for children)
Donation Milosz Pazdziersk (treatment and therapy for illness)
RC Polish Parish (Saint Nicholas’ Day)

Activities planned in 2024

For the current year, the OTTO Foundation has not yet planned any specific projects, but it will continue to dedicate itself to providing social, humanitarian, and economic assistance to people with low incomes in Poland or other countries where OTTO operates.

Additionally, one-time projects will be supported based on a selection of requests received by OTTO Foundation. The requests may come from both organisations and individuals.

Donations received and spending for victims of the war in Ukraine

OTTO Work Force feels deeply involved in the situation in Ukraine, partly because OTTO operates in the Ukrainian market with 3,000 international employees, 100 staff members and seven local offices. Undeniably, we have been affected by the war: we had to close five offices and many employees (with their families) have fled. It is also about our people, and we help them when needed. We take care of our people – this is our motto to which we are truly committed. Because of our solidarity with Ukraine and the war victims, a crisis team was set up in Poland in the early 2022. The team worked mainly on:

reuniting Ukrainian families in Poland and cooperating with local authorities;
providing adequate communication and information, such as our 24/7 helpline;
financial support to our employees by means of early payments and higher advances.

In this context, OTTO Foundation has launched in 2022 a fundraising campaign for the victims of the war in Ukraine. This campaign was expanded to our staff members and international employees in 15 European countries in which we operate, as well as to clients and other OTTO stakeholders. The money raised was used to support local aid organisations and projects. Every euro donated for the victims was doubled by OTTO Work Force.

One of our projects is the OTTO Centre in Biskupice Podgórne, Poland. This reception facility is a safe haven for Ukrainian families and a way out of the problems they face. The facility has been provided with furniture and equipment in collaboration with IKEA.

By the end of 2023, the financial support for employees and their families, as well as the rent for the shelter location in Biskupice Podgórne, has been phased out. We are now exploring new possibilities to contribute from the OTTO Foundation to people in need in Ukraine.

An impression of our activities for Ukraine last year.

For the benefit of Ukraine 2023

339

employees had
financial support

67

children
trip to Warsaw

200

Ukrainian employees with
their families on Christmas Eve

50

reception places a month in Biskupice Podgórne

The OTTO Foundation donates 100 bicycles to Ukrainian refugees

Smiles on the faces of residents at the OTTO reception centre for Ukrainian refugees near Wrocław Poland. The reception centre took receipt of a shipment of 100 bicycles from the Netherlands last week, which had been made possible by the OTTO Foundation’s fundraising for Ukraine, combined with a warm-hearted donation from our OTTO mobility partner Dekkers Fietsen in Wanssum.

These bicycles have resulted in the centre’s residents now being able to enjoy a great deal more freedom of movement, to go to the shop or to school. The donations we received included cross bikes, children's bikes and large city bikes for the ladies. The donation from the Netherlands also consisted of kitchen accessories, foodstuffs and other household items.

OTTO Foundation donates to War Child to support children affected by war

Our OTTO Foundation supports the regions where many of our employees come from. The support varies from contributing to the development of these areas to helping people in difficult circumstances. Among this support is humanitarian and economical help to victims of war.

One of the regions our employees come from is Ukraine. Therefore we as a company feel very connected to Ukraine and the war victims. OTTO Foundation has already helped out the victims of this war in several ways, but wanted to do more. As with any war, many Ukrainian children are affected by the war. To help them we reached out to War Child to financially aid two of their programs.

One of the consequences of the Ukraine War is the closure and even destruction of educational institutions. Furthermore, millions of children cannot go to school while being on the run. Education is a fundamental right and important for the development of children. Therefore, in 2022 and 2023, we donated € 200,000 to War Child to benefit their Can't Wait to Learn program: ‘helping children return to learning amid extreme conditions’.

Via this program children in and outside Ukraine who cannot go to school because of the war, can still receive education. Teachers, caregivers and children can use it wherever they are since it is an online app based learning environment. Before the program was introduced in Ukraine it has already been used in other conflict-affected countries worldwide.

Even though Can’t Wait to Learn is game-based and created with the help of children, children will maintain their (educational) level since government-approved curricula are the basis of the program. Children can not only keep up their academic outcomes, but also positively impact their social and emotional wellbeing.

The Ukraine war did not only affect the children´s education, but affected them in many more ways. Especially those on the run from the war. Being on the run and everything they go thru is anything but easy. All this stagnates their development and has a negative impact on them physically, mentally and psychosocial. That is where War Child, in collaboration with Save the Children and UNICEF Netherlands, steps up with: TeamUp. Through sports, games and movement activities they provide the refugee children (6-18 years) social and emotional support and stability. To help these children who came here to The Netherlands, in 2022, we donated € 50,000 to the War Child TeamUp program.

Christmas gathering for employees from Ukraine

In early January, a Christmas gathering was held in Łódź for OTTO's temporary workers from Ukraine. As we all know, the past year has been particularly difficult for them. Many of them had to find their way in Poland in a totally new reality, often leaving behind family members in Ukraine. So the gathering was a great opportunity to relax and spend time together in a festive atmosphere. In turn, the children were able to play together with entertainers and Christmas gifts. This initiative was made possible thanks to funds raised by the OTTO Foundation. Together we can do more!

The OTTO Centre in Biskupice Podgórne, Polen

When the war in Ukraine began in 2022, we at OTTO Work Force took a number of steps to help refugees from Ukraine coming to Poland. One of the initiatives was the launch of a refugee center in Biskupice Podgórne, where a total of nearly 100 people, mostly mothers with children, found shelter. Maintaining the center for more than a year and a half was possible thanks to funds raised by the OTTO Foundation.Today we can confidently conclude that the center has served its purpose. All of our residents have already become independent and rented apartments for their families in Poland. We have received many warm words for our support. We want to share the story of one of the residents of the OTTO Work Force center.

Kids Days for Ukrainian Children

The OTTO Foundation organized special Kids Days for Ukrainian children and their families staying at the KaFra Tower in Zevenbergen. In the summer of 2023, three of these special days were organized, focusing on the children's enjoyment. An adventurous trip to Safaripark Beekse Bergen and a visit to the enchanting world of the Efteling were included. Additionally, an afternoon of activities was organized on-site in Zevenbergen, with many fun games and entertainment. During these three days, families could enjoy fun activities, food and drinks, and of course, lots of laughter and fun. With these Kids Days, the OTTO Foundation was able to provide these children with unforgettable experiences, allowing them to briefly escape from their challenges.

The OTTO Foundation Management Team

Our board

The directors don’t receive any remuneration for their work. They are, however, entitled to reimbursement of the costs incurred by them during the performance of their duties. The OTTO Foundation employs no personnel.