Corporate Citizenship
At Freudenberg, corporate citizenship goes beyond the value chain.
We care about serving the community
At Freudenberg, corporate citizenship goes beyond the value chain. The Group wants to be recognized as a good neighbor in the communities where it operates, which is why it supports a whole raft of social projects. Our campaigns are tailored to local requirements, and Freudenberg employees often participate in their free time.
Corporate citizenship was strengthened with the launch of the e² (education and environment) program in 2015. The program’s goal is to provide people with access to education and employment and to support environmental protection. The e² program complements existing individual initiatives, providing support for projects on all continents based on a catalog of defined criteria.
Total funding to currently 21 million euros.
Training Center in India
In the wake of the devastating tsunami in December 2004, Freudenberg built a Training Center in Nagapattinam in the south Indian province of Tamil Nadu. Since 2009, it has been offering state-recognized dual training in the professions of electrician, welder, plumber, motor mechanic and machinist. So far, more than 800 young people have made a successful start to their careers.
Help for people affected by the war in Ukraine
After arranging for the immediate aid which was so important right at the start of the war, Freudenberg focused more closely on organizations dedicated to the long-term support and integration of refugees. So far, some 40 organizations in Ukraine and other European countries have received assistance. One such organization is the Ukrainian Friends Foundation that builds container villages at safe locations in Ukraine.
e2 in Brazil: A sensory garden for people with Down syndrome
The “Centro Síndrome de Down” supports more than 500 people with Down syndrome. Thanks to the commitment and support of Chem-Trend and SurTec employees, children and young people with this condition now have a special opportunity to interact with the environment: a garden full of new sensations, such as the barefoot experience in the photo has been built at the center with proactive participation and financial support from Freudenberg.
“Service Day” in North America
Every year in September, more than 60 Freudenberg sites in North America take part in corporate citizenship activities. Since 2014, employees in the USA, Canada, and Mexico have come together on “Service Day” to help people in need, plant trees, or clean up parks.
e2 in Australia: Better prospects for young indigenous males
Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are the most vulnerable ethnic group in Australia. Freudenberg supports the Clontarf Foundation whose mission is to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by doing so equips them to participate more meaningfully in society.
Photo: © Clontarf Foundation
School project in China
A primary school in the Chinese village of Haijin in Sichuan Province devastated by an earthquake in May 2008 was rebuilt with support from Freudenberg and reopened in 2009. The building has space for up to 300 schoolchildren and can give them a good start to their education. Freudenberg employees visit the school every year and organize various activities such as the summer camp, extra tuition and a Christmas party.
Freudenberg Foundation
Since 1984, the Freudenberg Foundation has been helping to bring about real, long-term change by promoting inclusion, education and democracy. As a non-profit company, the Foundation is a Partner of Freudenberg & Co. KG. The main focus of all its projects is the social, linguistic, educational and professional integration of children and young people.
(Photo:Anne Hornemann, © Siemens Stiftung, Freudenberg Stiftung)
Scholarship initiatives from Freudenberg in North America
Freudenberg grants scholarships to socially disadvantaged students with financial need at ten universities in the USA and Mexico. The students receiving these scholarships are on a track for careers in mechanical engineering, polymer science or business. The Freudenberg Diversity Scholarship deserves special mention. This scholarship, new in 2022, is focused on granting aid to Black college students with financial need.
