CSR

On the environmental level, and within INVESTBANK’s Al Shams fund initiatives, the Bank sponsored the organic farming project as part of Al Shams Farmers’ Market for five years in Ajloun region and the surrounding villages. We provided financing of organic seeds, pesticides, organic fertilizers, and irrigation water. INVESTBANK, jointly with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, trained farmers of Al Kifah Cooperative Society, a community based organization, on methods to reduce wastage of products and proper packaging of produce. This enabled the farmers in the past years to increase their production on annual basis to expand their commercial activity in the local market, and to serve the markets of the capital Amman.

The project achieved an increase of 40% in production, and an increase in total sales by 46%, the number of direct beneficiaries of the project reached 285 farmers and the indirect beneficiaries reached 1,078 in 2016, compared to the year before. To enforce the sustainability of the project, INVESTBANK expanded the initiative to include new cooperative societies by training members of these societies to give them proper qualification, jointly with Al Kifah Cooperative Society, by introducing them to all the fundamentals of organic farming.

The initiative was further enforced by signing a memorandum with the Jordanian Organic Farming Association to strengthen the national cooperation in the field of organic farming , giving particular attention to the training and licensing internationally accredited Jordanian organic farming inspectors.

INVESTBANK also created new marketing channels by signing partnership contracts with private sector establishments to introduce Al Shams Farmers’ Market and to created new sources of income for the farmers. The Bank introduced Al Shams Farmers’ Market to Four Winters in the spirit of “from the farm to the table”, and Four Winters created Golden Apple Pie Ice Cream, utilizing as an ingredient chemicals free apples supplied by Al Shams Farmers’ Market, and 25% of the income generated was utilized to build a plastic green house in Ajloun Farms.

Within the same concept, INVESTBANK expanded its sponsorship to cover the southern region of Jordan, by establishing partnership with Zikra Initiative, to create a development Food Production project in Ghor Al Mazaraa region. This project aims to empower the local community, which has the highest poverty rate in the Kingdom. The project aims to enforce environmental sustainability by reducing wastage of the tomatoes harvest, being the crop that is subject to the highest wastage in Ghour Region. It also aims to increase the value added to the harvest by enabling the processing of the produce into other food products, such as dried tomatoes, crushed dried tomatoes, dried tomatoes powder, tomatoes vinegar, and other products. The project also targets to bridge the gap between the farm and the local produce market.

In the field of cultural and educational level, the increased support that INVESTBANK has offered to the Petra National Trust achieved notable success that solidified the necessity of the partnership with the Society to fulfill their vision of directing the creativity of young people to serve the Rose City environment, and to market Petra as an international landmark and heritage. Local visual artists introduced a new series of functions to train and qualify forty young men and women from the Petra Region to build their abilities and skills to introduce work of art highlighting the beauty of the Rose City. The artwork was exhibited in a dinner banquet inspired by the Nabatian heritage; the revenue of the banquet was allocated to support the activity of Petra National Trust.

INVESTBANK played a leading role in the field of renewable sources of power. The Bank executed the solar power generation project by installing solar panels over the head office’s parking lot. The solar power generation project is a clean source of energy aiming to product a maximum of 386 kilowatt, providing 65% of the bank’s electricity requirements. INVESTBAK is the first bank to utilize renewable sources of power to cover parts of the requirements of the head office of electricity. The bank is currently studying the possibility to expand this successful project to utilize renewable sources of energy by installing solar panels to all branches of the bank.

INVESTBANK enforced 2016 be the start of practicing healthy habits among staff, which contributes to improving their quality of life and their daily performance. The Bank continued holding educational lecture covering various subjects of interest to the staff, as well as conducted free medical test for staff of the head office and all the branches, jointly with Medlab medical laboratories and Jordan International Insurance Company. These tests will be carried out on an annual basis, as continuation of staff health and educational campaign introduced by the Bank last year under the heading “Time to Change”.

INVESTBANK enforced 2016 be the start of practicing healthy habits among staff, which contributes to improving their quality of life and their daily performance. The Bank continued holding educational lecture covering various subjects of interest to the staff, as well as conducted free medical test for staff of the head office and all the branches, jointly with Medlab medical laboratories and Jordan International Insurance Company. These tests will be carried out on an annual basis, as continuation of staff health and educational campaign introduced by the Bank last year under the heading “Time to Change”.

On an environmental level, and within INVESTBANK’s Al Shams fund initiatives, the Bank sponsored the organic farming project as part of Al Shams Farmers’ Market for over five years in Ajloun and the surrounding villages. We provided the financing of organic seeds, pesticides, organic fertilizers and irrigation water. INVESTBANK, jointly with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, trained farmers of Al Kifah Cooperative Society, a community based organization, on methods to reduce waste of products and proper packaging of produce. This enabled the farmers to increase their production on an annual basis to expand their commercial activity in the local market and to serve the markets of Amman. To reinforce the sustainability of the project, INVESTBANK expanded the initiative to include new cooperative societies by training members of these societies to give them proper qualification from an internationally accredited institution, jointly with Um Al Yanabee Association, by introducing them to all the fundamentals of organic farming.

The project managed to double its production in Ajloun and the surrounding areas, and achieved an increase in total sales by 46%.The number of direct beneficiaries of the project reached 305 farmers and the indirect beneficiaries reached 1,153 compared to last year.

In order to integrate its sustainable social and environmental initiatives with education, INVESTBANKsigned a partnership agreement with The Children's Museum Jordan to sponsor a visit to the Children's Mobile Museum inAjlounin May next year. This partnership stems from the Bank’s strong belief in creativity and promoting a culture of early learning, using innovative teaching methods and enhancing creative and critical thinking.

In order for economic empowerment to reach a wider range of local communities, INVESTBANK signed an agreement with Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative to build its brand identity, further enhancing its operations. Early next year, the Bank will focus on two goals: Economic empowerment of the local community and the preservation of the cultural and environmental heritage of Jordan, and providing sustainable job opportunities in the society. This support will strengthen the community's roots and market its products to make a lasting impact on the community as well as inspire similar initiatives throughout the Kingdom.

INVESTBANK has continued to support Petra National Trust’s mission for two consecutive years now, spreading cultural awareness and affirming the importance of innovative integration with surrounding communities. The Bank and Petra National Trust partnered in hosting a Nabataean dinner portraying four sculptural artists inspired by the city of Petra in addition to the talented artwork of 40 youth from the villages of Petra, whose work beautifully reflected the magical colors of the rose city. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Petra National Trust that promotes and preserves the concept of the cultural and environmental heritage of Petra.

In line with the Bank's commitment to sustainability and the adoption of renewable energy sources, the second phase of the photoelectric system project was launched last year to provide the remaining requirements of the main building with electricity, becoming completely reliant on solar energy. The Bank’s Amman branches and all their subsidiaries also work on solar energy, by designing, supplying, installing and operating the photoelectric system project via a transport mechanism and with a total capacity of 44,717 kW to generate electricity from solar energy. This step complements what the Bank started last year, as the first pilot phase of the project saw the Bank’s main building using 65% of its electricity through the photoelectric system project. The second phase will include system designs with a capacity of 320 watts, which will contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions by 586,12 tons per year.

INVESTBANK partnered with the Princess Alia Foundation and the Jordanian Company for Environmental Awareness in an initiative that collects the recycled paper from the Bank’s head office and its branches for recycling to obtain new paper packages to be supplied for schools. Consequently, the paper recycling revenues helped the Princess Alia Foundation deliver new papers for disadvantaged schools in remote areas. INVESTBANK is the first bank in Jordan to sign an agreement with Princess Alia Foundation for such a unique initiative.

As a continuation of its efforts to create a motivational work environment for its staff through a health awareness campaign titled “Time to Change,” INVESTBANK continued the preservation of its employees’ blood donations, in cooperation with the National Blood Bank, for their use or their first relatives’ in the case of emergency.

The Bank also organized a campaign for its employees and their families in Dibeento plant 100 forest trees, in the effort to raise awareness on environmental challenges and promote a culture of volunteer work. Everyone came together in a helpful, engaging atmosphere to stand as one in the service of our community. Moreover, in the spirit of promoting healthy lifestyles, the Bank strives to make a difference in employee practices within the workplace and beyond.

The most important of which is the cultural shift in eating habits through the provision of a healthy kitchen early next year in partnership with Books@Cafe. The project is in its final stages, where the kitchen will be providing diverse, high quality meals at affordable prices, aiming at replacing fast-food lunches with healthier choices.

Within the context of supporting charitable projects, and in cooperation with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, the Bank provided donation boxes in strategic locations at six of its West Amman branches, including: Abdoun, Shmeisani, Sweifieh, Emaar Towers, Makkah Street and Dabouq in addition to its Zarqa branch. The first six months saw over 10,500 donations ranging from clothes, household items, toys and more.

INVESTBANK provided support to the Young Muslim Women’s Association Centre for Special Education in a commitment to create a positive impact on the lives of various segments of society, particularly those that are usually marginalized from children, youth and adolescents with special needs. The Bank hopes that through this support, the Association will be able to contribute to improving the scientific and practical performance of young people, helping them become vital members of society.

The Bank provided a donation of JOD 75,000 over three years to the Families of Martyrs of the Armed Forces Fund and security personnel who lost their lives in defense of the Kingdom.

On an environmental level, and within Al Shams fund’s initiatives, the Bank sponsored the organic farming project as part of Al Shams Farmers’ Market in Ajloun and the surrounding villages. We provided the financing of organic seeds, pesticides, organic fertilizers and irrigation water. Along with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, we trained farmers on methods to reduce waste of products and proper packaging of produce. This enabled them to increase their production on an annual basis and to expand their commercial activity in the local market, serving the various markets of Amman.

To reinforce the sustainability of the project, INVESTBANK expanded the initiative to include new cooperative societies by training members of these societies to give them proper qualification from an internationally accredited institution, jointly with الخيرية الينابيع سيدات جمعية, by introducing them to all the fundamentals of organic farming, preparing their land for an organic farming certificate. This year, all the lands of the Al-Kifah Society were awarded with twenty-five farms located on an area of 20 hectares to recognize organic agriculture from an internationally accredited body. These achievements have contributed to raising production and sales rates in addition to the number of beneficiaries each year.

In addition, with sustainable development in mind, the Bank has supported the rehabilitation of classic farming in the Ajloun Reserve, which is an integral attraction for all visitors aiming to experience agricultural tourism using traditional practices.

With its continued efforts to enrich Ajloun with more sustainable projects, and the Bank's commitment to educational and environmental awareness, INVESTBANK has joined forces with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature to create educational and recreational spaces in the Ajloun Reserve within safe and environmentally friendly standards. The project will include interactive games to develop children's mental and physical abilities and develop their social skills while having fun. The games were chosen based on specific criteria that elevate the educational approach from a traditional frame to a more interactive one, taking into account the ages of children and their different physical abilities.

In order to integrate sustainable environmental initiatives that promote environmentally friendly practices among children, the Bank inaugurated a new interactive station during its sponsorship of the Children's Mobile Museum in Ajloun, in partnership with the Jordan Children's Museum.

The new "Plantation Station" was created to promote environmental responsibility, which highlights the importance of recycling and its impact in combating environmental pollution in general, as well as the environmental and health benefits of organic farming. Moreover, the attending children participated in scientific activities, in which they planted organic seeds in recycled plastic bottles, igniting their interest in being part of positive change for the future.

In support of strengthening the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Society brand, INVESTBANK has offered its support by filling the marketing gaps the society faces, aiding its recycled paper and chemical-free textile production, the restaurant and the pottery workshop.

Additionally, the Bank offered working women training in packaging and photography to boost their sales via social media. The society consequently achieved higher sales numbers in Jordan and abroad, contributing to the sustainability of the Iraq Al-Amir women. The new brand identity was inaugurated under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor Al Hussein

In line with its commitment to sustainability and the adoption of renewable energy sources, INVESTBANK was the first bank to launch a photoelectric system project with its main building using 65% of its energy through photo-electricity, in hopes to become completely reliant on solar energy in the near future. The Bank’s Amman branches and all their subsidiaries also work on solar energy, by designing, supplying, installing and operating the photoelectric system project via a transport mechanism and with a total capacity of 44,717 kW to generate electricity from solar energy.

Stemming from its belief that positive change is the responsibility of every individual, the Bank sponsored Earth Hour, organized by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and encouraged the adoption of positive daily behaviors and habits to preserve the environment and its biodiversity in the face of climate change. This event was commemorated by the breaking of the Guinness World Records for the largest mosaic plate made of 11,000 black and white candles in the form of the 60th World Earth Hour logo.

As a continuation of its efforts to create a motivational work environment for its staff through a health awareness campaign titled “Time to Change,” the Bank urged its employees to pursue healthy and environmentally friendly behaviors through many events attended by employees and their families.

Firstly, the Bank organized a campaign to clean up the Ajloun Forest Reserve in which employees and their families participated, thereby promoting the ethics of environmental conservation, sustainable development and the consolidation of an environmental culture in the next generation.

Furthermore, the Bank signed an agreement with "Green Wheelz" to take concrete steps towards environmental conservation, under an umbrella of humanitarian values and noble goals. Through this initiative, the Bank distributed containers to collect plastic covers at its headquarters and branches, and then sent them to “Green Wheelz” for selling and recycling. Revenues went to support disadvantaged children with special needs, especially children with Cerebral Palsy whose wheelchairs require the collection of three tons of plastic sheeting to provide one single wheelchair.

Moreover, the Bank continued its partnership with the National Blood Bank for the third consecutive year via its bi-yearly donation campaigns. All employees participated through donating blood, where INVESTBANK preserved its employees’ donations for their use or their relatives’ in the case of emergency. The bank also arranged for its employees to receive a medical checkup in cooperation with the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, and hosted experts to educate them on conducting self-examinations and the importance of early detection in an awareness lecture. Furthermore, in the spirit of promoting healthy lifestyles, the Bank strives to make a difference in employee practices within the workplace and beyond, the most important of which is the cultural shift in eating habits through the opening of a healthy kitchen earlier this year in partnership with Books@Cafe called B@c at INVESTBANK. The kitchen offers diverse, high quality meals at affordable prices, aiming at replacing fast-food lunches with healthier choices.

Within the context of supporting charitable projects, INVESTBANK has renewed its partnership with the Charity Bank of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization following the success achieved in its first year. The Bank provided donation boxes in strategic locations open around the clock. Over 30 thousand items were donated, ranging from clothes, household items, toys, and others. Donation boxes are located in Shmeisani, Abdoun, Sweifieh, Emaar Towers, Mecca Street, and Dabouq, as well as in Al Zarqa Branch.

The Bank continued its support of autistic children by providing new scholarships and training opportunities through its partnership with the Gifted Autistic Children Organization for the third

consecutive year. In recognition of its commitment to support various groups of society, particularly the disabled, the Bank provided more scholarships and new training opportunities to autistic children to help them achieve their goals and ambitions and make them active members of society.

For 9 years, and as part of the Shams Fund, INVESTBANK has cooperated with its strategic partner, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), to change the agricultural landscape in Ajloun by launching Souq Al Shams, a farmers’ market providing healthy, chemical-free organic produce.

This year, INVESTBANK continued to replenish the model farm in Ajloun Forest Reserve, frequented by the reserve visitors for traditional agricultural tourism purposes. INVESTBANK supported Al-Kifah Cooperative Society to reobtain the Organic Certification, an essential component of the process, from an internationally acclaimed entity, which increased the number of beneficiaries as well as the production and sales rates.

To expand the scope of beneficiaries in the local community and ensure project continuity, INVESTBANK embraced Um Al-Yanabee Women Association in the project. This year, it prepared their farms for applying for Organic Certification at the beginning of next year. The women were trained in beekeeping and honey production. The training included the theory of beekeeping principles, how to deal with and examine hives, as well as how to use the tools and equipment necessary for the project. The practical side included direct contact with beehives and the use of tools to examine different types of hives, in addition to various other project management details.

To complement the touristic attractions in the Ajloun Forest Reserve, INVESTBANK built the second-longest zip-line in Jordan and third-longest in the Middle East in partnership with RSNC.

Expected to launch at the beginning of next year, this robust project aims to create job opportunities for Ajloun local community. On the one hand, this will decrease the high unemployment rates and increase the local residents’ income. On the other, it will promote adventure tourism and provide new places for the local community and visitors to enjoy nature in Ajloun. The project’s revenues will go into supporting the other projects targeting the reserve’s local community.

The project that started in July 2019 will be managed by the local community to create a sustainable income that enables it to face present and future challenges. It will also contribute to achieving the region’s social and economic goals through training programs, capacity building and the involvement of youth and women, in particular.

To achieve its vision of a more environmentally sustainable country, INVESTBANK cooperated with RSNC to launch the first educational entertainment area for children that adheres to environmental standards in Ajloun Reserve, reflecting the highest forms of investment by enhancing positive environmental behaviors.

Situated near Ajloun Nature Reserve Restaurant, the play area features ‘green’, educational and entertainment games, such as climbing, swings, tree houses and others. They were picked to suit different physical abilities and ages. The area was built in harmony with the surrounding nature and provides opportunities for play and education in a fun and lively environment to different groups in the local community.

INVESTBANK’s sponsorship of the Future Food/ Future City urban agriculture exhibition, held under the Amman Design Week 2019, embodied its goal to support innovation and creativity and provide innovative solutions for comprehensive and sustainable development in Jordan. In the exhibition, INVESTBANK presented an urban agriculture solution designed and implemented by Greening the Camps, a non-for-profit that develops, builds and maintains gardens on rooftops in Gaza Camp in Jerash.

In partnership with Amman Design Week and in cooperation with Greening the Camps, a new model was reassembled and built on a rooftop in Gaza Camp. This model for sustainable living was adopted by many of the families living in the camp. Designing and building gardens on house rooftops aim to connect the families to their agricultural heritage, secure a part of their food requirements and provide them with sustainable income.

This project aims to empower local communities and enhance sustainable economic development in Jordan. Designed to fit in tight spaces, the gardening units supply families with part of their food requirements. Each unit has its own irrigation system that reduces water waste and evaporation to a minimum. The project focuses on improving life quality by developing the agricultural skills of camp residents, which promotes food security and enhances their lives in general as they transition from depending on foreign aids to producing safe and healthy food themselves.

Similarly, INVESTBANK partnered with the Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE) in cooperation with Greening the Camps to support building a productive garden in Algeria Elementary School for Girls, Jabal Al Hussein. Five gardening units were installed, two of which are plastic greenhouses for plants that need a warm climate. Through this project, INVESTBANK aims to create a role model for schools in Jordan to use agricultural spaces and train students in urban gardening.

After the success achieved in the first year of the partnership with the Children’s Museum in Ajloun, INVESTBANK expanded it to Jerash, with the aim of recreating the interactive and entertaining museum experience for the largest number of children in other areas in Jordan.

This included introducing children to the Agriculture Station launched in 2018, which highlights the importance of recycling and its role in reducing environmental pollution, as well as the environmental and health benefits of organic farming. The children conducted a scientific experiment where they planted seedlings in recycled plastic jars as part of the bank’s efforts to mainstream environmental responsibility and reinforce green behaviors to change the world for the better.

In partnership with The Arab Group for The Protection of Nature (APN), INVESTBANK sponsored planting 1,000 lemon trees in Jordan Valley, as part of the bank’s efforts to empower local communities and protect the environment. This initiative aims to expand the green landscape and reduce the rate of desertification resulting from urban sprawl and overgrazing. This will help increase the community awareness of the importance of tree planting as a sustainable cultural wealth for future generations and encourage students to volunteer in tree planting and environment protection activities.

The Green Caravan program seeks to promote food security in local communities, reduce desertification and the effects of climate change while providing an additional and sustainable source of income for farmers. This will help reduces poverty and unemployment rates, especially in marginalized and less fortunate regions throughout Jordan.

In the fourth year of implementing the electricity project at INVESTBANK Headquarters’ parking for employees and clients, up to 65% of the electricity needs were supplied using renewable solar energy with a peak capacity of 386 kW.

The second stage was completed and launched in early 2019. It included installing and operating the solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation through wheeling with a total capacity of 717.44 kW to cover 100% of the electricity needs at the HQ, branches in Amman and the Central Region and some subsidiaries, reducing harmful CO2 emissions by 1100 tons.

Through the in-house health awareness initiative, “Time to Change”, INVESTBANK continued to encourage its employees to adopt positive and healthy behaviors in and out of the workplace.

In partnership with the National Blood Bank and for the fourth year in a row, INVESTBANK organized the in-house biannual blood donation campaigns. Blood was kept in the employee blood bank to be used by first-degree relatives in emergencies.

For the second year in a row, INVESTBANK partnered with Books@Cafe (B@C) to provide the healthiest meals in the HQ healthy kitchen. This initiative was received so well by employees that the loyalty program “TReatS” was launched to enable employees to earn points and get free food and drinks.

The healthy kitchen provides a variety of fresh and healthy foods at affordable prices, replacing fast food delivery and becoming widely popular among employees.

As part of its corporate social responsibility program, “INVESTBANK for Life”, INVESTBANK continued its effective and unique partnership with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization’s Charity Clothing Bank for the second year in a row. Seven donation containers were placed in different strategic branches, five of which operate 24/7.

Placed in Amman branches; Shmeisani, Abdoun, Swefieh, Emmar Towers, Mecca St. and Dabouq, in addition to a branch in Zarqa, the containers collected over 60,000 in-kind donations, such as clothes, household items and toys.

In continuation of its support to autistic children and to highlight its commitment to all segments of society, especially people with special needs, INVESTBANK provided new scholarships and training opportunities to autistic children to help them achieve their goals and ambitions and become effective citizens, through its 4-year-long partnership with the Society for the Care of Gifted Autistic Children.

INVESTBANK's zipline project, launched in partnership with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in the Ajloun Forest Reserve in 2020, has continued to generate more revenue, which amounted to JOD 55,000 by the end of 2021 and was injected to support the Organic Farming Project launched by the Bank since the beginning of its partnership with RSCN. The project's revenue has also helped cover the salaries of the reserve's staff.

The Bank signed an agreement with the 7Hills non-profit organization to build accessible paths for seniors and people with special needs, as well as an amphitheater to host events and free training and educational activities, especially for skateboarding.

The Bank has studied the project of installing a solar energy system for the association in 2022 to minimize energy costs and preserve the environment.

The Bank supported the Rahma Initiative which is aimed at giving English and Arabic lessons to orphaned children, especially those in the SOS Children's Villages in Jordan. The Bank rehabilitated a teaching space in the SOS Children's Villages to accommodate 20 students per classroom, complete with chairs and desks, smart boards, and stationery.

INVESTBANK has renewed its partnership with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization's Clothing Bank for the second year in a row, with seven donation bins located in strategic branches, five of which are available around the clock.