The Santander Foundation brings together the charitable donations formerly made in the UK by Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley savings business.

As well as responding directly to applications made by charities, the Foundation also supports fundraising undertaken by Santander staff and pensioners in the UK through a staff matched donation scheme. Staff can fundraise for as many UK registered charities as they want which is matched up to £700 for each individual or up to £3,500 for teams of four or more. We also have a payroll giving scheme in place to help staff donate tax efficiently and regularly, which is also matched for the first year.

In those areas where Santander has a significant presence we have set up Community Partnership Groups to help us assess the applications that benefit disadvantaged people in that region. These groups are made up of existing staff as well as some retired staff plus a representative from a local infrastructure charity, typically a community foundation or CVS. This means that local people who understand the needs of their region are a central part of our decision making process. The size of the area covered by these CPGs is related to how many staff we have in that particular area.

Visit the About Santander website to read the annual CSR report, or for more information on how the company supports communities across the UK through employee volunteering and Charity of the Year fundraising.