Making a big impact with small contributions

More donation program options

Employees can donate directly at any time or regularly by having the cents after the decimal point deducted from their pay slip each month. What is new in 2025 is that employees in Germany can now choose from various options via the HR portal on the intranet as to how they would like to participate in the donation program.

Making a big impact with small contributions

With heartfelt thanks to everyone who supports the WACKER Relief Fund, Mirko Kappelhoff, member of the foundation’s Board of Directors, emphasizes: "The additional options of the donation program are crucial to securing the income that is essential for our partner schools." He expressly thanks all those who are new to the donation program. With currently around 3,500 participants at Wacker Chemie AG in Germany, there is still room for improvement. He is especially grateful to all those who have already joined and are now opting for monthly payments in euros instead of cents: "By our standards, these are only small amounts, but in the regions where our schools are located, even small sums go a long way."

Employees from international locations and external parties can make contributions via the foundation's bank account.
https://www.wacker.com/relief-fund

"I'm delighted with the success of the WACKER Relief Fund, because the joint commitment of employees and the company has a very positive impact," emphasizes Dr. Maximilian Peter, head of HR and an active member of the WACKER Relief Fund's Board of Trustees.

Together with partner schools, the WACKER Relief Fund gives children and young people a springboard to a bright future. Here are some impressions of the lighthouse projects.

Sri Lanka: Hope after the tsunami

In Kosgoda, after the devastating tsunami of Christmas 2004, the WACKER Relief Fund built the WACKER College – a school center for kindergarten through high school, including a vocational school. The school has become the central point in many children’s lives because it provides opportunities for a better future in a poverty-stricken region. Thanks to school meals, the children get a warm meal every day. The need was especially acute during the coronavirus pandemic – back then, the school distributed rice to families.

Nepal: Help after the earthquake

The WACKER Relief Fund has been supporting people in Nepal since the severe earthquake in 2015, first enabling the construction and then the maintenance of the school in Gati. This village, where the people live very simply, lies many arduous hours away from Kathmandu airport in the Himalayas. Travelers who are inevitable impressed by the warmth of the people there unanimously report: "Gati has changed us and shown us what really matters."

Barbara Kraller, Chairperson of the Group Employee Council and member of the foundation's Board of Trustees, visited the village of Gati a few months ago to see for herself that the donations are put to good use. She emphasizes: "The WACKER Relief Fund is close to my heart because misfortune – whether caused by war, natural disasters or personal tragedies – deserves our attention and support. Making a contribution to greater solidarity with their donations is important to many employees – many thanks for that."

Togo: Solar-powered water kiosk

Access to clean drinking water without having to scoop muddy water from a hole in the ground – for many people, this is a given, but unfortunately, this is not the case in Togo. The WACKER Relief Fund changed things for the better with a solar project: An energy-efficient water kiosk provides clean drinking water for the school children of Adjegan and their families. A second water kiosk in Kpessi treats drinking water in a clean and energy-efficient way.

Haiti: Education beyond the school gates.

The Don Bosco School Riobé in Gressier, some 25 kilometers from the capital Port-au-Prince, was rebuilt after the devastating earthquake in 2010. Since then, poverty has been exacerbated by frequent hurricanes and earthquakes, as well as political unrest and gang crime. The school has had to close repeatedly as a result of these escalations. The team stays in touch with the children and their families, always with the mission of providing hope for a better tomorrow through education.