Socially and sustainably committed – CG Elementum AG

A matter of the heart – focusing on people. As an innovative real estate developer, we see it as our responsibility to think beyond the planning and implementation of construction projects. Thus, a great focus is placed on the sustainable and long-term support of social as well as cultural projects.

The separate Social Commitment department deals exclusively and comprehensively with the support of social projects and partnerships. In addition, Wirtschaft kann Kinder e. V. (WKK) was founded in 2020 by Christoph Gröner to promote equal opportunities for children. CG Elementum AG is an active main sponsor of the association and proud of the close partnership.

 

Contact

You can reach our Social Engagement team at:
engagement-cg@cg-elementum.de

„As the owner and CEO of a successful real estate company, I feel a responsibility to invest in our community. It’s about helping the people who need support.“

– Christoph Gröner

What does the work of the Social Commitment department look like?

It is not just one particular cause that is supported; it is a wide range of social issues that are supported. The focus is on institutions and organizations for children and young people, but there is also commitment to the homeless, the socially disadvantaged, cultural assets and many other causes. The team takes care of the company-wide social commitment consisting of 3 pillars:

Support of external projects and sponsoring

Since its foundation, CG Elementum has received requests for support of external projects or support of external organizations in the form of sponsorships. Unfortunately, not every action or association can be confirmed, a small selection of our external engagements are listed here.

Safety and fun – two concepts that are not equally available to every child. Young people who grow up in socially weaker areas often end up on dangerous paths in life. The Safe-Hub therefore offers them a place where they can feel safe. It offers an attractive alternative to spending time in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods: mentors who act as role models, innovative educational, sports and leisure activities, and a strong support network are designed to protect young people from negative influences and open up new prospects for the future. So far, these educational and sports centers have only existed in South Africa. This is now set to change – in the summer of 2022, building permission was granted for Europe’s first Safe Hub in Berlin. Together with AMANDLA gGmbH, the Oliver Kahn Foundation and other partners, we are supporting this project. CG Elementum AG will donate a total of 1 million euros to the project.

An institution with a heart for people and animals: The Harburg-Huus of the German Red Cross. This facility is located in Hamburg and offers people in need of help a place to go during the day for activities, counseling and other assistance. Up to 15 beds can also be occupied here overnight by people who are homeless. The special feature of this shelter is the open door for people and dogs. The facility is the only one of its kind in the Hanseatic city and does not force those seeking shelter to choose between the roof over their head and their four-legged partner. The house has its doors open all year round and is completely financed by donations, CG Elementum AG has already been supporting the facility since 2019 with an annual donation of 62,500€.

The association Wirtschaft kann Kinder was founded by Christoph Gröner, Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Grube and other personalities from the fields of business, law and medicine to campaign for equal opportunities for all children and young people. Because what a child can experience, what it can dream about and who it can be is all too often decided by its social background. This must be changed! Every young person should have fair opportunities for social participation and development, despite difficult starting prospects. The WKK is committed to this as an umbrella organization, but also designs and implements its own projects. CG Elementum AG supports this project as a proud main sponsor and not only covers the daily operating costs, but also ensures the implementation of essential fundraising events such as the WKK Charity Race or the WKK Charity Gala. In this way, 100 percent of the donations reach the children and young people. Supporting the association is part of CG Elementum AG’s social commitment, but it is only a part of it. Because the WKK is an independent organization and acts independently of the company.

Internal promotion of employees

Company-wide sense of responsibility – this includes a fair, open and diverse corporate culture. This means that everyone should feel comfortable in the workplace and that the doors are always open to everyone. Equal treatment is promoted, among other things, by the following 3 focal points of internal commitment.

Thanks to the cooperation with a company-independent Equal Opportunity Officer, every employee has the option of seeking a confidential discussion should the internal route present a hurdle. The company is adapting to changing factors, including the introduction of a standardized gender-neutral approach. This includes, among other things, the specification of a form of writing that not only visibly names women and men, but also recognizably includes people from the LGBTQIA+ community with the help of this formulation.

Everyone is heard, respected and addressed here.

In addition to equality and gender-appropriate language, CG Elementum AG tries to be as inclusive and integrative as possible. For this purpose, the company works together with external experts. These experts not only provide advice and support to the company, they also act as an independent and confidential advisory body for all employees of the company. In addition, a guideline for inclusive language has been developed, which addresses the linguistic treatment of people with disabilities, people with a migration background and the LGBTQIA+ community. This is because a gender-appropriate approach is not enough; general formulations and phrases can also be inappropriate towards employees. This is not only a matter of obvious misuse of language, the guideline also addresses unknowing and unintentional use of language.

The well-being and advancement of employees is important and is actively pursued. Since the company and its managers are interested in long-term cooperation, training and development opportunities are made available throughout the company. For this purpose, there is a portfolio with offers from various external coaches, but also individually adaptable educational opportunities are created as needed.

Enabling active assistance for interested colleagues

Social support is not only practiced by the company, many colleagues are also interested in helping out. Doing something good and contributing to the betterment of society motivates employees throughout the company. Therefore, the 3rd pillar is the commitment to employees.

Internally, too, we receive projects in which the company could possibly provide support. This could be sponsoring an event at a school or procuring children’s toys for daycare centers. We also actively encourage employees to use an internal online form to contact the Social Commitment team with a charitable request.

The Tafel Leipzig e. V. supports needy people by handing out discounted food. This is only possible due to donations from retailers, private individuals and companies. CG Elementum AG also supports the association with monthly funding of €2,000, other campaigns and donations. The employees also actively support the activities of the “Leipziger Tafel”, buying presents for the children of the organization, who hopefully wished for something from Santa Claus. Thanks to these colleagues, all 60 wishes came true during the Christmas campaign. Another event is the handing over of sugar cones to the children of the Tafel Leipzig, at this event school cones are handed over for starting school, also the one or other school bag is given away. The employees of CG Elementum are also actively involved in this event and make it possible for the Tafel in Leipzig to finance the campaign.

We like to let our actions speak for themselves or in this case: a selection of our supported projects and organizations we are very proud of:

  • CaFée mit Herz e. V.u
  • Barrett-Initiative e. V.
  • Der Theater der Keller e. V.
  • KSC TUT GUT
  • Das Sybelcentrum der Heimstif­tung Karlsruhe
  • and many more