Since 1998, Henkel’s MIT Initiative has been supporting the volunteer work of its employees and retirees with in-kind, product and financial donations, paid time off from work, and specialist advice. In 2008, the number of MIT projects grew to over 7,000. More than 5,000 employees and retirees in more than 110 countries have been able to help hundreds of thousands of people worldwide through their engagement in MIT since 1998.

The quality of MIT does not lie in the amount of financial support provided, but in the way the projects are implemented. The engagement of employees and retirees as volunteers, their emotional involvement and ideas, and, above all, the time they invest in their projects attest to the quality of the MIT projects. The employees and retirees are at the heart of MIT, and they form a vital link between the Company and the communities in which we operate. In this way, we ensure that the resources we provide are employed responsibly and transparently, where they are most urgently needed. In May 2008, 120 employees and retirees from all around the world attended the annual Round Table in Düsseldorf, Germany, to mark the tenth anniversary of MIT. The Round Table gives employees and retirees an opportunity to share their experiences and develop MIT still further.

The Henkel Friendship Initiative e.V. (HFI) provides immediate aid for people in need. In a crisis or disaster affecting people and their communities, HFI provides financial or in-kind assistance directly where it is needed most. Besides helping people to help themselves, HFI also supports long-term reconstruction measures in collaboration with the Henkel companies in the affected countries. Since 2003, the independent executive council of this non-profit-association is formed by voluntarily engaged employees and retirees.

Through social partnerships, we mainly support social initiatives in the communities where our sites are located throughout the world. In social partnerships, Henkel and its brands support training and continuing education and facilitate access to knowledge. Social partnerships strengthen the link between the steadily expanding social aspects of our sponsoring activities and our social engagement, while always maintaining a strict distinction between donations and sponsoring. We have been able to inspire numerous partners to join us in assuming responsibility and providing support for social projects.

Through Corporate Donations, we support social initiatives and public institutions around the world. One of the main aims of our donations initiative is to invest in training and continuing education, and to make knowledge accessible. Political parties are not supported.