Supporting causes related to our business by partnering with NGOs
I am a strong believer that business, not only can but must have a positive impact on the environment and the society. Knowing that achieving this is not an end in itself, or a tick on a box, but a path one commits to take. I see Luko has embarked in this path by taking different approaches throughout its business. In this article, I will share one of them, exploring a bit of how creating significant partnerships with local associations has enabled us to support causes that are central to our clients and the business itself.
Commitment at the heart of our business model
It all starts with the Giveback, which was the way Luko found to incorporate a collaborative chain between clients + insurance + associations, fighting the traditional lack of transparency among the insurance products available in the market, while literally giving back to society. The Giveback works as follows:
The result of this is a virtuous positive cycle. The more we grow and fulfill our mission to protect and prevent our clients from having issues at their homes, the more we collectively donate to our partner associations.
A key piece of this process are the NGO’s we chose to partner with: Simplon, Terre & Humanisme, Emmaüs Défi and Habitat & Humanisme. When a client joins Luko they have to pick one out of the four that they feel most connected with. In case you are wondering: no, this was not a random choice. Each one of them was precisely selected by Luko’s team, given their connection to a specific cause that represents the change we want to see in the world.
The easiest way to demonstrate how their operations complement the positive impacts Luko stands by is by sharing our 2021 Giveback cycle of donations, and the projects within them we were able to support.
Supporting inclusion in the tech world
To know your way through technology is becoming a more and more basic skill to access work opportunities. The digitalisation phenomenon is playing a big role in the world of work and it has important consequences in terms of gender equality.
Only 20 % of graduates in ICT-related fields are women and the share of women in ICT jobs is 18 %
European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender Equality Index 2020 p.14
Simplon’s mission tackles the roots of this issue, accelerating digital inclusion through the training of ICT professionals, especially for individuals with access barriers to this type of opportunity. Women being one among many others. This year with the giveback we were able to support the SAS#Hackeuses training. This program will form 24 women through an immersion in the tech ecosystem, going from the concepts of the digital culture to the practical application in project management, the coding languages etc. Supporting participants to develop their own project, to be evaluated by a jury of ICT professionals from the market.
Being a neoinsurance with a strong tech DNA makes the challenge very close to our reality. We ourselves have to work on the diversity of our tech team especially as we grow. Knowing that our partnership with Simplon allows us to support more female professionals at the start of the career is a way to be active in this cause.
Taking care of our shared home
Although Terre & Humanisme is less connected to our business, it remains the favorite pick of most of our customers. Their focus is to spread agroecology as a way to regenerate our environment and society. However, if part of our business is making homes more safe and sustainable, we could not lose sight of our planet, our collective nest. It is no news that our current system represents a real threat to the environment, and this is a fight we all need to take part in. We support Terre & Humanisme in this fight using knowledge and an inclusion tool, spreading agroecology in France and in various countries in West Africa. The reconnection and respect for nature is a key transformation we (and a big part of our clients) want to see in the world.
A decent place to live to all
It is hard to accept that having a home and a job is still a privilege, and that many people are deprived of these basic needs. Considering just the french context with the attenuating factor of the Covid Crisis:
4,1 million people suffer from inadequate housing or lack of a personal home. In addition to these most serious situations, 12.1 million people are affected by varying degree of the housing crisis
From L’état du mal-logement en France 2021, Fondation Abbé Pierre,
Finding a roof
In the world of home insurance this is a problem we can not ignore. The sector itself has an important role to play considering the daily work with home incidents, that in the most aggravated cases put people into the eye of this crisis.
Habitat & Humanisme is a reference organisation with representatives all around France in the full front of this issue. They work not just converting available spaces into homes, but also re-integrating people to the community through initiatives such as the Escale Solidaire. This is a place where residents and volunteers can share meals, while cooking together or share knowledge through participatory workshops, among other activities. This year the giveback will help fund part of a new Escale Solidaire in Villeurbanne.
Fulfilling basic equipment needs
Our other partner in this fight is Emmaüs Défi. Known by its model of social innovation through giving a second life for objects as it generates work opportunities for vulnerable communities. With the 2020 Giveback donations we were able to support the project of Banque Solidaire De L’Équipement (BSE). This project is focused on supporting people accessing their first permanent social housing by equipping their homes with the basic appliances and utensils that are 2x to 10x cheaper than in the usual market. A home is much more than a roof over our heads, therefore accessing a decent place to live also entails accessing basic equipment that makes our life’s healthy and comfortable. With the help of the Giveback, the BSE will be able to support 2050 families in this new step of their lives.
It is incredible to me to acknowledge that the growth of Luko means that we will be able to support more and more initiatives like the ones I just mentioned. This year € 102.000 were donated, and this is just our 3rd year of operation. That sets an important precedent for change, that is not only ours, but from the system as well. I started this article re-affirming my belief that business has the power to promote positive change in the world. However I would very much like to finish by acknowledging that EVERY organisation has a role to play in change, and perhaps the most powerful one, is the change that comes like the Giveback, as a collaborative effort between a diverse set of agents. Without our partner NGOs we would not be able to reach the root causes of major issues that surround our work and our world. That is an inspiration and a reality check, that helps us keep our mission to be a home companion to our customers and a better business to the world more alive than ever.
So thanks to all policyholders at Luko that picked a cause to fight with us;
Thanks to the incredible work and the people that are in the forefront of these fights;
And thanks to the Luko team that operationalised the Giveback!
I already can’t wait for next year to come…
