DSK Bank is owned by the Hungarian OTP Bank – the parent bank of OTP Group, the largest financial services provider in Hungary and a regional market leader in Central and Southeast Europe. A traditional leader in retail banking, DSK Bank also holds leading positions in private and corporate banking. It is the financial institution with the largest number of clients in Bulgaria, a leader in customer trust among financial service users, and among the most preferred employers by students in the country. At the same time, DSK Bank is actively engaged in a wide range of public initiatives supporting children’s well-being, including donation programmes, urban environment improvement projects, environmental initiatives, educational projects, and initiatives promoting healthy nutrition and active lifestyles.

For 12 years, DSK Bank has maintained a successful partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Bulgaria, and in recent years has become the organisation’s largest corporate donor. During this period, through corporate donations supporting two foster families, as well as donation opportunities via the bank’s ATM network and online banking platform, the company has supported 424 children and young people in SOS family homes, 469 young people in the programme “Start of Independent Life” and the project “Paths to Freedom”, and 3,900 children supported through SOS Family Counselling Centres / Family Support and Separation Prevention services. In addition to financial support, DSK Bank also contributes through its employees, who donate one of their most valuable resources – their time and expertise – to children.

“We are pleased that DSK Bank is now a fully deserved holder of the certificate, following a successfully completed compliance audit. It validates the high level of policies, standards and good practices in the company’s operations, as well as its commitment to maintaining this level in the long term. As a network of 130 organisations working for children, we value every partnership with companies that contribute through responsible business practices to child well-being,” says Georgi Bogdanov, Executive Director of the National Network for Children.

“Our role is to be a responsible provider of financial services, a responsible employer caring for our employees and their children, and a company responsible to society and the environment. Over the past more than 10 years, DSK Bank has been working to bring public attention to the topics of children, early childhood development and the family environment. We believe that positive change in a child’s life is an investment in the future of Bulgaria. The ‘Child Friendly Company’ Certificate is a great recognition of the efforts of all of us at the bank,” shares Gergana Benduraska, Director of PR and Communications at DSK Bank.

The national “Child Friendly Company” Certificate is awarded by the National Network for Children following an audit of companies that systematically work to uphold children’s rights. The audit assesses business processes, market behaviour, marketing, advertising practices, and the company’s contribution to societal development. The certificate is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Ten Principles of the joint initiative of the UN Global Compact, UNICEF and Save the Children. It recognises companies that develop supportive policies for children and create favourable conditions and support for employees with children and their families.