Zurich in the community
Community is at the heart of Zurich’s sustainability strategy.
Through investment from the Z Zurich Foundation and our local offices, we share our resources and expertise to help build more resilient communities, adding value beyond our core business activity to help us create a brighter future together.
Zurich’s community strategy focuses on our role as insurer, investor, employer and member of society, bound by our company purpose to create a brighter future together. Zurich’s global social impact programs are delivered via the Z Zurich Foundation, a charitable foundation with a registered office in Zurich (Switzerland) established by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd and Zurich Life Insurance Company Ltd in accordance with Swiss law.
The Z Zurich Foundation invests in global, regional and local community programs around the world, focusing on three strategic pillars: adapting to climate change, improving mental wellbeing and enabling social equity. By 2024, it aims to create transformative change in the lives of more than one million vulnerable people and positively impact the lives of 10 million others.
Zurich New Zealand supports this global vision through its local programs, explored below.
Strategic collaborations in New Zealand
Variety – the Children’s Charity
In New Zealand, Zurich’s community partner is Variety – the Children’s Charity.
With the support of Zurich and the Z Zurich Foundation, Variety transforms the lives of children by delivering flexible support, tailored to meet the individual needs of young New Zealanders living in disadvantaged communities across Aotearoa. The goal is to ensure a happier, healthier childhood for the kids on the program by providing the essentials needed to ensure their development and participation in society. Every day, more than 1 in 4 Kiwi kids go without the basics most of us take for granted. 1 in 10 children do not have a bed to call their own. This has profound impact on their health, education, wellbeing, and self-esteem.
Zurich is proud to support Variety because it shares Variety’s values and belief that every child deserves the same opportunities to thrive, flourish and reach their full potential.
Variety, through a local grant program in collaboration with Zurich and the Z Zurich Foundation, has been able to transform lives, providing food to struggling families, maternity packs to new mums, beds and warm bedding to children in dire need, and scholarships to talented young Kiwis living in poverty. Variety in turn provides our employees with opportunities to proactively engage in community outreach work, completing building projects at low-decile schools, delivering hygiene packs to families, and giving Christmas gifts to kids who would otherwise miss out.
Variety’s message is that “by working in partnership, we are making a tangible difference to the tamariki and rangitahi of Aotearoa.”
Mitey
The Z Zurich Foundation has pledged a two-year grant to improve the mental health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s primary and intermediate school students through an education approach called ‘Mitey’. Mitey is delivered by the Sir John Kirwan Foundation with the support of Zurich New Zealand.
Mitey takes a school-wide approach to mental health education, bringing teachers, students and communities together around a common goal – mentally thriving children. Mitey is being rolled out to schools in Auckland and is set to go nationwide, reaching thousands of students and positively impacting the lives of tens of thousands of people, including teachers, students and their families.
Employee engagement
Community investment is an important part of our employee engagement strategy, and the knowledge and experience employees gain from our community programs often help us shape our products and services, leading to better customer outcomes.
Zurich encourages a vibrant culture of employee giving and volunteering in support of charities and community initiatives that are important to our employees. Zurich’s Employee Resource Groups and special interest clubs drive participation in frequent national fundraising events.
Zurich also offers uncapped dollar matching for employee fundraising efforts and one paid volunteer day per year.
Zurich employees participate in regional and global community initiatives via the Z Zurich Foundation, including an annual global community champions conference, community hero awards, competitions, and fundraising initiatives.
Disaster support
Zurich, through the Z Zurich Foundation, has been involved in disaster preparedness and support in multiple ways. Read more here.
