Philanthropy and Volunteering
At BNP Paribas, ethics and social responsibility are an integral part of our corporate mission. Each year, the Group offers financial support to numerous initiatives locally and around the world. The Group’ main areas of actions are in favour of culture, local communities, and the environment.
An active supporter of the arts
We firmly believe that art and culture bring prosperity, offer unique opportunities for people to come together, help shape the collective memory of a society, and deeply enrich our lives.
In Canada, BNP Paribas helps promote and foster Canadian art and culture through various sponsorship programs and corporate partnerships. The Bank is an active supporter of important cultural institutions such as the McCord-Stewart Museum, Danse Danse, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, Unifrance through the Toronto International Film Festival – TIFF, and Crow’s Theater in Toronto.
Dream Up: Promoting social integration through artistic practice
Present in 29 countries across 5 continents, each edition of Dream Up finances 30 association projects for a period of 3 years. Since the launch of Dream Up in 2015, 55,000 young people in precarious situations or with disabilities have been able to benefit, thanks to the local associative network, from support in an artistic activity such as music, singing, theater, dance, visual arts, circus or plastic arts.
In Canada, for its first edition of Dream Up (2015-2018), the Bank partnered with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.
From 2018 to 2020, the Bank collaborated with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
For the third edition of Dream up (2024 – 2027) BNP Paribas in Canada is partnering with Thrive Youth.
Thrive Youth is dedicated to the development of young people, providing them with resources and opportunities to develop their potential. Its mission is to promote autonomy, self-confidence, and community involvement while creating an inclusive and stimulating environment.
All about Dream Up
Engaged in our communities
As a responsible and civic Bank, we are conscious of our role in Canadian society and remain attentive to our environment and the needs expressed within local communities.
Every year, we provide financial and human support to numerous projects in the following areas:
• Social – Organizations that support the economically disadvantaged (or those at risk of homelessness), and those facing food insecurity.
Like: Moisson Montréal, Bouffe Action de Rosemont, Résilience Montréal, La Maison du Partage d’Youville (LMPY), and Second Harvest in Toronto.
• Environmental – Organizations that support tree planting and outdoor clean-up.
Like: Soverdi, Papillon Foundation (with Camp de Grandpré and Camp Papillon), Nature Action Québec
• Educational – Organizations that help promote financial literacy and leadership development among young people.
Like: Educational programs JA Québec, Thrive Youth
Volunteering: An important part of our social responsibility strategy
At BNP Paribas in Canada, volunteering and giving back to our community are more than just words: they are key elements of our mission to advance society towards a more equitable one and integral to who we are as a Bank.
Let’s reach the 1MillionHours2Help goal together!
1MillionHours2Help is BNP Paribas’ commitment program for a more inclusive and sustainable world. Launched in 2020, it aims to give all employees from the Group the opportunity to participate in solidarity missions during working hours. The program encompasses all philanthropic actions, including individual volunteering, pro bono initiatives, and immersive skills-based experiences.
With the global 1MillionHours2Help program, we support and encourage volunteer activities by offering two paid days per year to all our employees in order to have a positive impact on local community organizations, local associations, and local non-profit organizations. We are determined to do our part to help reach the group’s goal of 1 million total volunteer hours.
In 2023, we reached our goal of 3,500 volunteer hours! In 2024, the goal is to reach 5,000 hours.
BNP Paribas in Canada also has a volunteer committee made up of employees who not only give their time for charitable events, but help find partnerships and organize different events.