Activism, Collaborations, and People
Impact Report 2022
On this webpage, you will find more information about the impact we had in 2022! We invite you to navigate through the pages and different tabs to discover why 2022 was such an impactful year. Most of our annual report content is online only via this webpage but you can also download our 2022 financial statements.
For 50 years now, the Z Zurich Foundation (the Foundation), with inspirational drive and commitment from Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) people and charitable organizations, has worked to help the vulnerable in our society have a brighter future – first in Switzerland and then across the world.
Together, we help people and communities become more independent and able to realize their potential: acting to prevent or pre-empt the impact of climate change and the mental wellbeing pandemic and to support greater social equity for all, particularly through education and opportunity. In 2022, our programs have supported more people in more countries than ever before. Collaborations like the ones with Forge in Latin America, UNICEF across the globe, the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance in 300 communities across Africa, Latin America and Asia, and Junior Achievement in 11 countries have helped us combine global capabilities with local relevance and understanding not just to help more people but also to share successful models and continue to increase the impact that the Foundation can make.
We are re-doubling our energy to tackle these three fundamental issues and further accelerate our impact.
After the global COVID-19 crisis, humanitarian issues were again at the forefront. In February 2022, the people of Ukraine had their world torn apart by war. Millions were forced to flee their homes, communities, and loved ones. We launched a dedicated and immediate response to support people fleeing the country. This included a global fundraising campaign. The amount raised from individual donations was the largest ever by the Foundation.
Many Zurich people took individual action further – opening up their homes or supporting in other practical ways.
The crisis in Ukraine continues, and our focus has evolved to help with mid and longer-term needs, in particular the enormous drain on many young people’s mental wellbeing.
The launch of the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health, together with UNICEF, allows us to use our expertise in this area and works with new organizations sharing the same commitment.
I feel very privileged to be the Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation. I would like to personally recognize the exceptional work done by Gregory Renand and all the Foundation team, as well as the support, advice, and direction given by members of our Board of Trustees and advisory groups so readily.
One of my favorite points of the year was the Community Hero Awards, recognizing Zurich people and their commitment to communities. There were so many wonderful examples of activism and humanity, often over many years or in very challenging circumstances. Thank you so much for the difference you make.
Finally, a continued thank you to the Zurich Insurance Group Board of Directors and Executive Committee for your consistent and enthusiastic support, allowing us the opportunity to support long-term change and collaborations.
Gary Shaughnessy, Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation
2,700,000+ lives at least positively impacted *
Approximately 450,000 people received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines following another donation to support UNICEF’s efforts to ensure vaccine equity worldwide
Adapting to climate change: 272,000 people positively impacted, of which 60,000 are transformed lives
Improving mental wellbeing: 543,000 people positively impacted, of which 64,000 are transformed lives
Enabling social equity: 141,000 people positively impacted, of which 16,000 are transformed lives
Matched donations and volunteering of Zurich employees and smaller engagement grants: 1.3 million lives***
55% of Zurich’s** employee base volunteered, in line with prior year
CHF 36 million invested in community grants in 2022, up 17% compared to 2021
30 new multi-year local grant programs to support projects under the Foundation’s strategic areas
CHF 2.8m+ of Zurich** employee-led donations (up 17% compared to 2021)
25 Community Hero Awards presented to recognize Zurich employees, who are going above and beyond to support their communities
* Positively impacted & transformed numbers from academic-year grants reporting in July 2022 and calendar year grants reporting in January 2023 for the year 2022. H2 2022 beneficiary impact of grants reporting on an academic year cycle will be accounted as part of the 2023 impact report. The impact figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
** Zurich Insurance Group Ltd and its subsidiaries (Zurich). Excluded are employees of the Farmers Exchanges and Cover-More. Zurich Insurance Group has no ownership interest in the Farmers Exchanges. Farmers Group, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Zurich Insurance Group, provides certain non-claims services and ancillary services to the Farmers Exchanges as attorney-in-fact and receives fees for its services.
*** Impact use of CHF 10 proxy per person based on 3 years average survey data from NGOs.
Reflections from some members of our Board of Trustees
Transparency and continuous improvement are critical to use the Foundation’s funds effectively. Since our establishment, we have grown the breadth and scale of impact considerably.
This, in turn, has been strongly reinforced through the Board of Trustees and management capacity.
The members of our Board of Trustees play a critical role in ensuring the efficient delivery of our operations and the fulfillment of our purpose. The seniority of our Board also adds value for our management team, who benefit from their professional experience and guidance.
There were so many wonderful examples of activism and humanity, often over many years or in very challenging circumstances. Thank you so much for the difference you make.
Our Board Members’ reflections on 2022
Member – 2016 - 2022
Jack Howell
“Taking care of our young people today is critical for the future of our society and for future generations. The Caregivers@theWorkplace program can support them to better flourish and grow, and remain resilient throughout their lives.”
Member – 2020 - 2023
Conny Kalcher
“It has been great to follow the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance’s continuous expansion and to see the establishment of yet another successful, global collaboration, this time with UNICEF stepping up efforts on mental wellbeing and already making a positive impact on more than half a million people worldwide. But most of all, it is impressive to see how the Foundation team continues to expand its reach and scope to help people globally with passion and commitment supported by a growing number of Zurich employee volunteers.”
Member – 2018 - 2024
Sylvia Martinez
“The work conducted in Peru showcases how the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance through consistent education, information gathering, and improvement actions has driven systemic change. The positive results moved the government to increase investments and adjust policies which are impacting 457,000 people today and an expected 9.3 million in the near future.”
Member – 2021 - 2023
Kristof Terryn
“There is no better illustration of living the values than the volunteering of time, skills, and expertise. I am so pleased that Z Zurich Foundation’s 2022 Impact Report shows that our volunteering hours are now back to what they were before the pandemic. That’s a credit to each and every Zurich employee who has added tremendous value by giving some of their time to organizations and people in need.”
Member – 2011 - 2023
Kathleen Savio
“The Social Hackathons demonstrated the power of “Together”—creating time and space for our people to bring their energy, skills and experience to the table to spark meaningful impact for charitable organizations and community members.”
About Z Zurich Foundation
The Z Zurich Foundation is a Swiss-based charitable foundation established by members of the Zurich Insurance Group. It is the main vehicle by which Zurich Insurance Group delivers on its global community investment strategy.
Additional information
Farmers Exchanges’ employees are excluded from the numbers related to employees. Zurich Insurance Group has no ownership interest in the Farmers Exchanges. Farmers Group, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Zurich Insurance Group, provides certain non-claims services and ancillary services to the Farmers Exchanges as attorney-in-fact and receives fees for its services.
Throughout our impact report, you can find links to third-party content. The Z Zurich Foundation does not take any responsibility for such content.