We require transparency and integrity in all business dealings, to avoid any improper advantage or the appearance of questionable conduct by employees or third parties with whom we do business or who act on our behalf (see Combatting Bribery and Corruption). Dedicated CSR policies and procedures, such as the Donations, Membership and Sponsorship (DMS) Policy constitute the mandatory operating framework for all Deutsche Bank Group companies, their employees, and external partners acting on their behalf. CSR is a corporate center function, reporting directly to the CEO. Our global CSR agenda underpins the bank’s ambition to enable economic growth and societal progress by creating a positive impact for clients, employees, investors and communities. Our citizenship is brought to life by our regional units and endowed foundations. New CSR project proposals are evaluated along a standardized framework, and are subject to sign-off by local CSR teams, regional CSR councils, and/or Board members, depending on the value of the investment.
In markets with defined legal or regulatory demands concerning social commitment, our CSR initiatives go beyond the minimum requirements since we enhance our financial support with the professional expertise and networks of the bank and its employees. We welcome the Companies Act 2013 in India, fully embrace the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation in South Africa and have received a consistent “Outstanding” rating for our Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) performance by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Over the last 20 years, we have provided US$ 2.5 billion in loans, grants and investments for affordable housing, small business financing, health-care services, and education initiatives in the US.