AIB is proud to be a bank that’s central to the success of the Irish economy and the local communities that underpin it. The 10,000 people we employ support our circa 3.35 million customers, providing a full range of products online, over the phone and through our 170-strong branch network in communities we’re embedded in across the country.
This support goes beyond providing financial services. We take the role we play in local communities seriously. Our roots extend to supporting local groups and initiatives in towns and villages around Ireland. From the GAA to local charities, we understand the impact of grass roots groups run by people with local knowledge and we are proud to provide unwavering support.
AIB Community €1 Million Fund
The AIB Community €1 Million Fund is an important opportunity for our customers, local communities and our employees to support the local charities that mean most to them.
The fund has supported over 220 charities across Ireland including Mallow Search and Rescue Limited, The Butterfly Club, Limerick and Donegal Women’s Centre since its initial launch in 2022. This year, the top six charities chosen by customers and communities in each region will receive €20,000, while the top six charities chosen by AIB employees in each region will receive €6,000. If a charity is nominated in both Funds, they will receive €26,000.
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This year’s AIB Community €1 Million Fund will be distributed following an online nomination process which took place throughout May and June, one for customers and one for employees, and will be split across five regions in Ireland – Munster, Ulster, Greater Dublin, the rest of Leinster, and Connacht. AIB will once again allocate €700,000 to charities chosen by its customers and the community, while €300,000 will be donated to charities chosen by employees.
“AIB is committed to the communities we serve and through those deep roots we have in them, we have seen first-hand the incredible support the Fund offers charitable organisations that matter most to our customers, our colleagues and communities across the country” says Barry Field, AIB’s director of corporate affairs.
“This funding supports some of the most meaningful and impactful work for people when they need it most and it’s a privilege to be able to support them in any way we can.”
Niamh Burke Sheridan, clinical nurse manager at Suzanne House Children’s Respite, says, “Receiving funding from the AIB Community €1 Million Fund has had a significant positive impact on Suzanne House. The funding allowed us to make improvements to the equipment and facilities we offer on site, whilst improving the well-being and quality of life of children with complex care needs and their families who attend Suzanne House Respite. We cannot thank AIB enough for their continued support of Suzanne House.”
The selected charities for 2025 will be announced in early autumn of this year.
Goal
Since 2021, AIB’s partnership with Goal has resulted in over €2 million in donations from the people of Ireland and beyond, to support Goal’s humanitarian programmes.
The Goal Mile, which takes place in December each year, gives communities across Ireland to come together and contribute to making a difference for vulnerable families around the world when they need it most. We are dedicated to helping raise critical funds for Goal’s life-saving humanitarian work in 14 countries across Ukraine, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
At AIB, we are committed to building sustainable communities. By supporting Goal, we are reinforcing our dedication to helping vulnerable communities impacted by climate change, poverty, hunger, and conflict.
FoodCloud
AIB and FoodCloud have a shared vision of building more sustainable communities to support the just transition to a low carbon economy, and an Ireland where no good food goes to waste. Since the start of our partnership, AIB has enabled FoodCloud to redistribute over 28 million meals.
AIB employees have volunteered with FoodCloud, either in the Cork, Galway or Dublin Hubs, gleaning on farms, or through skilled volunteering, donating over 11,103 volunteering hours since 2018.
“AIB is the proud partner of FoodCloud’s AIB Community Meals Programme, the latest innovation by FoodCloud in the fight against food waste and food insecurity,” says Barry Field.
“With AIB’s support, the programme increases FoodCloud’s social impact by offering a new meal service to its charity partners. The projected impact of the programme is the provision by FoodCloud of an additional 200,000 community meals, saving an additional 100 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste.”
AsIAm
AIB has partnered with Ireland’s autism charity, AsIAm, to make all its 170 branches around Ireland as user-friendly as possible for autistic people. AIB has the largest branch network in Ireland and every AIB branch has received autism friendly accreditation from AsIAm to ensure they are as accessible and inclusive as possible for autistic people. This makes AIB the first Irish bank to receive the accreditation for all its branches.
The branch sensory environment has been enhanced to include changes in lighting to make the public areas of our buildings warmer and more accessible. Dedicated quiet spaces and sensory kits are also available at each location. In addition, we are providing sensory maps on our website showing the layout of each of our branches to help customers plan their visit. We are also delighted to partner further with AsIAm in providing specialised customer support training in autism understanding and acceptance to colleagues across the branch network.
“It’s fantastic to see all AIB branches becoming more inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of our community,” said Emma Connolly, an AIB customer who runs Flourish and Be, an occupational therapist-led inclusive hair salon owner in Clonakilty, Co. Cork.
“By becoming AsIAm accredited, and implementing small yet meaningful changes, they are creating a more welcoming environment that helps autistic people feel valued and supported in their everyday banking experiences.
“I know that for my customers and their families, it will make a real difference for them in the branch.”
For more on AIB’s support for communities across Ireland, see aib.ie/community.
