The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation.
Citi Foundation investments in Romania
With a long-term commitment, we work with two international community partners to support career readiness and youth economic opportunities in Romania:
Junior Achievement Romania – Mini-Company Program
For 32 years at European level and for 17 years in Romania, Citi and Junior Achievement are investing in the educational program Mini-Company, aiming to initiate students aged 15-17 in Romanian high schools in the entrepreneurial skills set, as well as to encourage them to develop a business in the future.
With support from teachers and employees at Citi Romania, the Mini-Company program provides students with a real entrepreneurial experience, through which they have the opportunity to translate their own business ideas into reality and better adapt to an economy based on the idea of balance between economic development, social equity and the protection of the environment.
Moreover, the program offers to beneficiaries the opportunity to participate in the enterprise competitions: JA Business Plan Challenge, dedicated to youth looking to develop a business idea, and JA Company of the Year Competition, where students test the idea on the market by launching and running a pilot business or a start-up with their friends and colleagues. In the competition, students also participate in the JA BizzFactory Educational Incubator, where they have the opportunity to receive feedback from volunteers and test their business ideas with real clients by making the first sale and checking the feasibility of products on the real market. Then, the best students in the JA Mini-Company program take the exam for obtaining the European Entrepreneurial Skills Pass (ESP).
In the school year 2018 - 2019, more than 8500 students from 120 cities in Romania learned the basics of entrepreneurship, developing over 500 business plans. Citi Romania employees supported the students’ journey either in classroom, or by offering advice and evaluation online.
United Way, in partnership with ROI Foundation – YEEI (Youth Entrepreneurship and Employability Initiative)
Based on a comprehensive curriculum, the program supports 60 young people from low-income families to develop their financial and entrepreneurial knowledge, and later become career ready. Part of the program, students benefit from job shadowing sessions in a real company environment; learn the basics of public speaking, presentation skills and investor pitching; familiarize themselves with human resources management and recruiting practices, so that they increase their chances of obtaining a job or starting a company in the future.
The program is implemented in partnership with United Way, Citi’s long-term community partner, in both Romania and Hungary, with financial investment from Citi Foundation, throughout the period January 2018 - September 2019.
Citi Global Community Day
Citi Global Community Day represents a common effort to differentiate through sustainable business practices and volunteering spirit. First organized in 2006, Citi Global Community Day is a global initiative consisting in hundreds of volunteering projects organized around the world, to address specific needs in our communities.
Many Citi employees volunteer year-round, but our Global Community Day provides an annual opportunity to have company employees, along with their families and friends, come together as a global volunteering team.
Every year, almost 100,000 Citi volunteers across the globe dedicate time and resources to a variety of projects addressing specific community needs including literacy, housing, environmental protection, nutrition, health care and disaster relief.