BASF and its employees have donated an additional €4.2 million for people in Ukraine via the BASF Stiftung (BASF Foundation) as part of the company-wide initiative #ColleaguesForUkraine.
The staff contribution was €2,110,156, an amount BASF said is “by far” the highest result ever for an employee donation campaign, with the company doubling the amount raised.
Money donated by employees will go to BASF colleagues from Ukraine, with the sum added by BASF to benefit Ukrainian refugees through UNO-Fluechtlingshilfe (UNO Refugee Aid), the national partner of UN refugee agency UNHCR in Germany.
“We are all completely overwhelmed and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this immense willingness to help,” said Tiberiu Dima, Managing Director of BASF Ukraine. “For our Ukrainian colleagues, many of whom have lost everything, this money will be a great help to build a new life.”
Chairman of the Board at BASF, Martin Brudermueller, praised the staff for its efforts during the crisis.
“The result exceeds all expectations, and I am proud that the global BASF team shows such incredible solidarity in these times,” Brudermueller said. “On behalf of the entire Board of Executive Directors, I would like to thank you very much for this. Let’s continue to stand together as one team in this crisis.”
Peter Ruhenstroth-Bauer, National Director of UNO-Fluechtlingshilfe, said Ukraine is experiencing the fastest growing refugee movement in Europe since World War 2.
“Millions of people have already had to seek protection and safety in neighbouring countries. At the same time, the entire UN refugee agency team is immensely pleased and grateful that we are seeing such tremendous support for UNHCR’s life-saving efforts in this crisis. The great willingness to help, and solidarity of BASF employees, is impressive and on behalf of the entire UN refugee agency I would like to thank each and every one of you. Thanks to your commitment, we can help the people who have had to flee within Ukraine as well as in the neighbouring countries with the most necessary relief supplies,” Ruhenstroth-Bauer said.
BASF said the donation is additional to the €1 million in emergency aid provided by the company at the end of February 2022 and its ongoing financial support of Ukrainian colleagues.