CBS International Business School, 18 December 2020

Charity Donations in Lieu of Christmas gifts - CBS supports social projects

donations-instead-of-gifts-cbs-supports-social-projects

2020 was a challenging year for all of us. This is precisely why the pre-Christmas period is a good opportunity to think of others and to put the motto "Charity donations in lieu of Christmas gifts" into practice! For CBS International Business School, working for a better future does not only mean taking care of the education and training of tomorrow's decision-makers but also standing up against social inequality.

Advent under the Banner of Creating Tomorrow

Instead of handing out Christmas presents to our corporate partners, the CBS University Management has therefore decided to promote and support selected fundraising campaigns in the run-up to Christmas. Together with our students and business partners, we would like to collect donations and thus set an example for supporting the socially disadvantaged. You can get a direct insight into the campaign on the Instagram or Facebook profiles of CBS. You also still have the opportunity to donate to good causes and thus give away joy at Christmas by making a donation!

Christmas Charity campaign during the festive season

Under the hashtag #cbsattentionplease, on each of the four Sundays in Advent, a charitable organisation was presented on the university's social media channels. Thus, the corresponding associations not only received more exposure on the internet, but also monetary and in-kind donations from the CBS team.

"The slogan Creating Tomorrow not only refers to our students and those who want to become students, but also to society as a whole and to the cities in which we live," says Prof. Dr. Christoph Willers, Managing Director of the CBS International Business School, about the objective of the campaign. "As an educational institution, we are actively committed to a more sustainable and digital future for all. That is why we have been looking for organisations around our campuses in Cologne, Mainz, and Potsdam through which we can make a difference. Everyone is welcome to join us in actively working for the world they want to live in."

The effects of climate and economic crises are visible both in other countries and right on our own doorstep. For this reason, four quite different organisations that deserve more media attention were selected for the pre-Christmas campaign. They are representative of the social commitment of many associations, private individuals, and companies.

Teach First - Educational Justice for All Children & Young People

On the first weekend of Advent, the campaign was launched with a great education partner who has set itself the goal of changing the lives of disadvantaged children and young people for the better. The COVID-19 pandemic also presented schools with major challenges this year, particularly: How can lessons be arranged digitally? For children and young people who come from educationally disadvantaged families and receive little support from their parents, the impact was especially severe. Therefore, to stand up for educational justice, the CBS International Business School chose to support Teach First. Specifically, the CBS social media channels called for donations in kind in the form of used laptops or tablets and monetary donations for the education partner. Technical end devices that are no longer used are urgently needed for pupils in order to allow them to fully participate in lessons. Teach First uses the money raised to compensate for the social disadvantages of many pupils and thus increase their educational opportunities in the long term.

Learn more about Sustainability & Carbon Neutrality at CBS

Sports For Future - Sports Clubs Committed to Sustainability

On the second Advent weekend, the CBS was pleased to support the topics of sustainability and combating the consequences of climate change together with the Sports For Future association. In this internationally active initiative, well-known representatives from sports and politics support environmental and educational projects in various countries. The aim is to create sustainable improvements for people and nature on the ground. Projects such as reforestation in Kenya, a uniform international sustainability label, or the construction of schools in Senegal or Nigeria are financed by the association. In addition to cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the association is mainly supported by sportsmen and sportswomen. The German Football Association, TSG Hoffenheim, and the German men's and women's hockey teams, along with other private and corporate partners, support the good cause. Prof. Dr. Torsten Weber, who teaches marketing management and sustainability at the CBS and is co-founder of Sports For Future, is pleased about his university's commitment: "Together we can move great things and take active steps for a more sustainable and just future for all people." More information on Sports For Future can be found here.

Mission Leben: A little packet of help - Christmas surprise for homeless people

In the partial lockdown, many are happy to have their cozy, warm flats, where, despite everything, it is quite comfortable. But what if you have no flat, no permanent home? According to estimates, more than 600,000 people in Germany are currently considered homeless. Especially in the colder seasons and due to the current critical pandemic situation, they are exposed to many risks. On the third Sunday of Advent, the hashtag #cbsattentionplease was used to draw attention to the situation of homeless people in Germany and to call for donations, e.g., for the Mission Leben association. This association from Darmstadt runs psychosocial counseling centers at various locations, which among other things offer support to homeless people. As a specific pre-Christmas campaign, employees of the CBS International Business School packed Christmas parcels for those helped by the association. On the 24^th of December, the team of the counseling center will distribute these Christmas surprises to those in need in Mainz under their motto "A little parcel of help".

GoVolunteer - Time for social commitment

Not only money but also time is a valuable commodity that is often neglected. In the pre-Christmas period, CBS is also campaigning to promote voluntary work for this reason. Many students do not have the financial means but do have the time resources to actively engage in a project in their area. But where should you start looking for volunteer associations? The platform GoVolunteer brings together volunteers and those in need. On their website, various social or sustainable projects that one can support, are presented per city or catchment area. On the last Sunday of Advent, the CBS social media channels will therefore be used to promote the GoVolunteer campaign and call on as many students and corporate partners as possible to actively participate. Through the CBS donations, this valuable work can be expanded and continued.

Donate instead of gifting: How can you participate?

Many other companies and private individuals are joining in to show together that donations to social causes - especially in these challenging times - often bring about more happiness and satisfaction than the best gifts. Why not use the money from that cancelled Christmas party or big family gathering to bring joy to those in need this Christmas? Find out about the fundraising campaigns on our social media channels now and become a donor instead of a gift-giver yourself!

#CBSATTENTIONPLEASE: Actively shaping the world of tomorrow

The call #cbsattentionplease will also accompany CBS's social media activities in the coming year. So that the good deeds are not only part of the pre-Christmas season and the good resolutions are not only for the beginning of the new year the university is also setting an example for long-term, sustainable, and social commitment. The University Management thanks all the cooperation partners of the charity actions, all donors who were inspired by the appeal, and the CBS social media team. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy start to 2021.

CBS International Business School

CBS International Business School is a state-recognised private university of applied sciences for business. We offer accredited Bachelor's, Master's and MBA degree programmes in German and English on a full-time or part-time basis. Throughout Germany, the university is represented at three locations in Cologne, Mainz, and Potsdam.

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