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The event organised by the Sabadell Inversión Ética y Solidaria Fund, which is managed by Sabadell Asset Management (an Amundi company), to award grants to charitable causes took place on Tuesday, 18 October.

Banco Sabadell and Sabadell Asset Management were pioneers because they created in 2006 a responsible investment solution with social impact that is combined with solidarity and that is also aligned with the principles of the Catholic Church’s social doctrine. Therefore, it allocates a significant amount of the fund management fee to charitable projects.

In the last 15 years, Banco Sabadell’s ethical project has amassed grants above €3 million. These ethical fund’s grants have handed out more than €2.7 million since its creation to which around €1 million more should be added from other investment products that also awarded grants in the past.

In this occasion, the financial resources arising from the assignment of a percentage of the Sabadell Inversión Ética y Solidaria Fund’s management fee were handed out to the projects selected in 2021 at the Banco Sabadell Auditorium. The donations amounted to €343,404 allocated to 28 organisations, NGOs, church groups and foundations.

The projects are selected by the Fund’s Ethics Committee, chaired by María Benjumea, which identifies and analyses each year the charitable projects eligible to receive grants, which could be implemented both nationally and internationally. It is worth highlighting the wide diversity of the projects selected by both region and the type of institution managing it or the reason why they seek help.

Some of the groups that received the grants were children, civil population in armed conflict areas, individuals with some kind of illness, special genetic disorder, disability, groups at risk of social exclusion or discrimination (women, immigrants, large families, unemployed individuals, inmates, etc.), among others.

Francisco Vallejo, Chair of Banco Sabadell – Central Madrid Regional Board, kicked off the event with his opening speech. José Luis Montesino-Espartero, Director of Institutional Business, closed the event, which included an intervention from the representative of the projects selected, Manolo Bretón, President of Cáritas. Meanwhile, Sabadell Asset Management, an Amundi company, was represented by Esther Rodríguez, Business and Communications Director. Representatives of other selected projects and of the Lealtad Foundation also took part in the event, as well as managers of Banco Sabadell and Sabadell Asset Management.

In the words of Francisco Vallejo: “We have to work hard to increase the size of the fund to be able to contribute higher amounts to the needs facing us”. And he added: “You are the hope of the most vulnerable groups. I wish we did not need you”, referring to the third-sector institutions in attendance.

Sabadell Asset Management’s experience joins Amundi’s strong commitment to responsible investment. Amundi has more than 30 years managing this type of investments and is currently a leader in this sector. It was one of the founding signatories of the Principles for Responsible Investment. Since its inception, the company supports the commitment of enterprises and investors in the creation of a more sustainable society.