Employee Foundation of the VKR Group – information from board meeting on 7-8 Oct. 2025
The board meeting was held in Kronhede Nature Hostel, Holstebro and LKR Innovation House, Østbirk. This made it possible to see two spectacular sites which are of importance to the Employee Foundation.
The Strategy – Let’s work it out together
The Board discussed the progress of the “Let’s Work It Out Together” strategy, launched two years ago. This strategy has yielded significant achievements, evident in the increased visibility of the foundation, marked by a 25% rise in applications and a steady growth of followers on LinkedIn and Facebook. Furthermore, employee engagement has been notably enhanced, fostering collaboration in initiatives such as the “Live a Dream” volunteering activities and shelter-building projects. The outreach efforts have also become more relevant, holistic, and proactive, as demonstrated by the planned delivery of approximately 12,000 health screenings for employees and their partners across 34 locations over the next six months.
The Board recommends continuing this successful strategy and proposes its expansion to incorporate strategic programs focusing on children’s education and climate actions, thereby reinforcing the commitment to societal impact and sustainability.
Year-to-date development 2025
Costs are aligning with the budget projections, while grants have exceeded expectations. This outcome is viewed positively, reflecting the foundation’s enhanced visibility and relevance. The favorable financial results enable the foundation to effectively manage and integrate additional grants. Despite ongoing volatility in the financial markets and persistent macroeconomic and political concerns, the foundation remains resilient and well-positioned to navigate these challenges.
Grants
At the meeting, the Board decided on 261 grants: Approx. DKK 3.7 million for employee purposes (114 grants related to unfortunate incidents, and 75 educational grants), approx. DKK 7.7 million for 68 community projects 4 Reconnect with Nature projects.
New guidelines have been approved concerning dental treatment, aimed at enhancing relevancy and visibility. These guidelines will soon be communicated to recommendation committees and published on the website.
Reconnect with Nature
A successful shelter test build was completed with volunteers at Kronhede Nature Hostel in Denmark, offering valuable insights for future initiatives.
The foundation received 18 applications for town parks or VKR shelters within the Reconnect with Nature program. The Board approved grants for four projects distinguished by exceptional locations or substantial employee involvement. Additionally, further investigation into a few more applications was sanctioned, with potential grants to be discussed at the November board meeting.
Reconnect with Human Nature
The Movement
The Movement, our proactive health initiative, is scheduled to launch in mid-February 2026. This program encompasses both global and local activation initiatives, designed to foster and sustain commitment among employees and their families. These efforts are scientifically proven to yield positive health benefits, underscoring our dedication to enhancing well-being across the organization.
Health screenings
Previously, 35 grants were made for proactive health screenings, and local recommendation committees have now begun planning and implementing the health screenings.
Live a Dream
In September 2025, a dedicated team of employees volunteered in the successful Live a Dream event in Piaseczno, Poland, marked by strong team spirit and collaboration. Parallel to this, employees across the company engaged in a step-tracking initiative, recording over 93 million steps, resulting in a EUR 100,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity.
The foundation is planning future volunteering opportunities, with application deadlines expected by May 2026. More details will be available on the intranets and the website.
Dare to Dream
The “Dare to Dream” program which aims to provide employees’ children ages 16-25 with a memorable experience that fosters personal growth has been launched with communication materials and online inspiration meeting for all interested parties. The application deadline is 14th October 2025.
Honorary awards
The board is pleased to have received 43 proposals for award recipients of the Villum Kann Rasmussen Award and the Lars Kann-Rasmussen Safety Award 2026. The board discussed and selected award recipients for the awards in January 2026. Companies with award recipients will be informed soon, so that the preparations for the awards on 23 January 2026 can begin.
2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Villum Kann Rasmussen Award. Therefore, the Board decided to offer extended celebration opportunities to all recommendation committee.
The next board meeting is scheduled for 26 November 2025.
