Social Contribution Activities
The Aozora Group works to address social issues through the provision of financial services and participation in CSR activities as a way to “contribute to the sustainable development of society” and “participate in society as a ‘good corporate citizen’” as stated in our management philosophy and Code of Ethics and Conduct.
Initiative Policy
Aozora has defined its social contribution activities as “activities undertaken without requiring compensation to address social issues that are difficult to address directly through business and that are socially important yet under-supported.” We have determined the scope of activities, from the perspective of themes of particularly high urgency and themes of high interest to officers and employees, as our key areas of focus for donations and volunteering.
In FY2024, many officers and employees took part in the following social contribution activities.
Aozora’s Main Areas of Activity
- Environmental preservation (support for initiatives to reduce environmental load)
- Support for the next generation who will be responsible for the future (support including financial and economic education for fostering the healthy growth of the next generation who will be responsible for the future and support for the next generation in difficult circumstances due to a range of possible factors)
- Support for regions and communities (promoting regional revitalization in cooperation with local organizations in regions which have close relationships with corporate activities, such as regions where the Group conducts its business)
- Support for disaster recovery (e.g. urgent support for large-scale natural disasters and humanitarian crises)
Social Contribution Activity Results for FY2024
|
Main areas of activity |
Amount |
Number of participating volunteers |
|---|---|---|
|
Environmental preservation |
2 million yen |
88 |
|
Support for the next generation who will be responsible for the future |
8 million yen |
56 |
|
Support for regions and communities |
7 million yen |
74 |
|
Support for disaster recovery |
2 million yen |
7 |
|
Total |
19 million yen |
225* |
- Many officers and employees took part in voluntary food drive activities, but they are not included in the number of participants above as it is difficult to ascertain how many people actually took part.
Environmental Preservation
Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, where Aozora’s Head Office is located, designates June 6 and November 6 each year as the Chiyoda Ward cleanup days in an effort to promote cleaning and beautification activities. Volunteers from Aozora participated in a cleanup effort around the Yotsuya Head Office and Sophia University campus as part of its environmental preservation and regional contribution activities. The employees and students of Sophia University also participated, leading to a total of 57 volunteers.
Support for the Next Generation Who Will Be Responsible for the Future
Joint Projects with Sophia University
Part of the tenant fees we pay to Sophia University are used mainly as scholarships for overseas students, which contributes to expanding educational opportunities for them. Since the relocation of our Head Office to the Sophia University campus in 2017, we have strengthened our partnership with the university in various ways, including the Aozora-sponsored “Basic Banking Seminar” in collaboration with the Faculty of Economics, Sophia University, and a joint project on financial education for junior and senior high school students who visit Aozora.
Support for Regions and Communities
Participation in the Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival
Employees from the Kanazawa Branch, together with their families, join the “Odori Nagashi” parade in the “Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival” every year.
Sapporo Branch: Taking Part in Local Cleanup Efforts
Our Sapporo Branch takes part in the "Tsukiichi" cleanup initiative, run by the Sapporo Ekimae-dori Association since 2015, and branch employees use their lunch breaks to help clean the area around Ekimae-dori Street, popular with tourists from both within Japan and abroad.
Kyoto Branch: Participating in the "Gion Matsuri" Festival
Aozora’s Kyoto Branch helps the local community pass on its traditional culture by providing financial sponsorship for festival preservation associations as well as assisting in the making of “chimaki” (a charm to ward off illness and misfortune) and participating in the parade of decorative “yamahoko” floats.
Utilization of Support for Disaster Recovery and Volunteer Leave System
We have established a volunteer leave system to provide an environment that encourages our officers and employees to serve as disaster relief volunteers in the event of a large-scale disaster. The system allows employees to take leave for volunteer activities on weekdays and also receive conditional subsidies that partially cover their cost of participation.
To facilitate the use of the volunteer leave system, we conducted interviews with our officers and employees who volunteered to support those affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, and provided all officers and employees with relevant information, including their feedback on taking part in such volunteering as well as messages to those interested in participating.
We provide our officers and employees with opportunities to deepen their understanding of social issues and pursue personal growth. We also actively encourage their contribution to regional communities and our broader society as a means to fulfill our corporate social responsibilities.
Matching Gift Program
We sponsor a matching gift program to help widen the views of individual officers and employees and encourage their own involvement in society. This initiative is designed to solicit donations from the officers and employees and add a contribution from Aozora, enabling everyone to participate in a social contribution activity together.
Aozora’s Matching Gift Program was launched in FY2022, and the number of new officers and employees participating in the program has been increasing each year. In FY2024, which marks the third anniversary of this program, Sustainability Supporters* recommended donation recipients and voted for the finalists. As a result, we made donations to 10 organizations, including NPO eboard, and Gold Ribbon Network.
- Appointed in each business group to promote awareness of and action on sustainability on a daily basis across the Aozora Group
Food Drive Activity
For this initiative, we collect unopened food from households and donate it to Good Neighbors Japan, a certified NPO that supports single-parent families facing financial difficulty. At the two food drive events we held in FY2024, our officers and employees donated a total of 217 kg of food. Through this initiative, we aim to raise awareness among our officers and employees of our CSR activities while also remaining committed to reducing food waste as well as supporting regional communities. We will continue promoting this activity and contribute to solutions to social challenges.
Other Initiatives
Participation in the Ecocap Movement
The Bank has participated in the Ecocap Movement since December 2010. We separate and recycle caps from plastic bottles as part of an initiative to provide vaccines for children around the world, in addition to contributing to the reduction of CO₂ released through bottle incineration.
In November, in solidarity with the aims of the "Ecocap Week 2019" campaign led by a volunteer group from Meiji University called Tree, we donated prizes to their lottery event wherein participants received raffle tickets in return for bringing in plastic bottle caps.
Participation in the TABLE FOR TWO Program
Since March 2011, we have participated in the TABLE FOR TWO (TFT) program, providing employees the opportunity to donate ¥20 with the purchase of a meal at our Head Office cafeteria (approximately the price of one school meal in some developing countries). TFT is based on the concept of "table for two," whereby people from developed countries share a meal with children from developing nations. For the fiscal year ended March 2025, we donated the equivalent of 24,137 meals.
Donation of Used Stamps to Volunteer Organizations
Aozora collects and donates used stamps to volunteer organizations to assist people providing care overseas in obtaining funds, medical supplies and other Bank.