Addressing our broader responsibility to society

Summary of the year

Strong, sustainable and inclusive communities are of utmost importance to us as a bank. We take a long-term view, knowing our success and that of the communities in which we operate is inextricably linked.

Our primary areas of community focus are youth and education as well as social and financial inclusion. Our external NAB Community Advisory Council helps us understand the best role we can play across these areas, ensuring our resources have the greatest impact possible.

We've made good progress. Despite the challenging economic environment, we have exceeded our goal of investing 1% of cash earnings before tax in our communities. This year we invested ¹ $58.0 million, a 73% increase over 2008, equating to 1.05% of cash earnings before tax.

2009 has been a year of substantial expansion across our community programs. In Australia we established the Schools First program, launched our Reconciliation Action Plan, further expanded our microfinance programs, and strengthened our involvement in our local communities through programs such as NAB AFL Auskick, Dance the Dream, Better Buddies and 112 other local sponsorships. Our employees also participated in 6379 volunteering days.

In the UK, employee participation in payroll giving reached 17.5%, while support for Help the Hospices was expanded and the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation gave more than £720,000 to worthy causes. In New Zealand, Save The Kiwi Trust continued to receive our support and Great Western Bank donated more than US$300,000 to community groups with its Greater Than Certificate of Deposit promotion.

Of course the year was not all highlights. The devastating Victorian bushfires took a profound toll on our customers, our employees and the communities we serve. Our response was extensive and dynamic, reinforcing the importance of supporting local communities (see below).

1 'Invested' includes both incurred and committed funds.

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