The idea is in the biblical name: With the “DAVID”, the Savings Banks Finance Group established an annual prize 18 years ago for projects run by its own foundations that achieve great impact even with small budgets. At the same time, DAVID enables the winners to present their projects to a wider public.
The DAVID was conceived to honour outstanding smaller projects with a total volume of up to EUR 25,000 each, which are either implemented by Savings Bank foundations themselves or supported by them. With 771 foundations throughout Germany, it is difficult to choose from the many good ideas every year. However, the DAVID is not just about the award itself, but also about publicising the innovative approaches. “With the DAVID Award, we make regional projects visible nationwide. Imitation is expressly encouraged here. Because the projects are easily transferable to other regions, especially due to their manageable budgets,” says Professor Ulrich Reuter, President of the German Savings Banks Association, explaining the Savings Banks Finance Group’s approach.
Every year, one project is honoured in each of the categories “Operational Projects” and “Funded Projects”. An optional special prize can also be awarded. In 2023, the winners came from Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg and Berlin. In the capital, the Berlin Sparkassenstiftung Medizin received the special prize for its project “Optimisation of geriatric psychiatric treatment through the use of digital technologies”, which sounds very scientific at first glance. However, the project is based on a very practical approach to increasing the enjoyment of life for dementia sufferers who have been trained in the use of digital technologies. The project “Spuren vor Ort – Jüdisches Leben in der Grundschule erforschen” (Local traces – exploring Jewish life in primary schools) was recognised as worthy of sponsorship. The Dahme-Spreewald Foundation of Mittelbrandenburgische Sparkasse from Potsdam supported the project week of a Year 5/6 class in the “Sponsored Projects” category, in which the children explored Jewish life in the past and present and the persecution of Jews in their home town of Luckau.
Learning in the “fast lane”
Finally, the “Operational Projects” category is for projects initiated and implemented by a
foundation itself. Here, the project “Fast lane – catching up on corona-related learning deficits”
convinced the DAVID jury. The Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung zu Lübeck had a simple idea with a
particularly big impact on the future: bringing together young people who have fallen behind due to
coronavirus – regardless of their origin or social background – with tutoring professionals who help
them to catch up on their learning. This has been in place since 2021 with pupils in the 9th and
10th grades, who are now graduating from school. Of the 140 participants to date, all have passed.
This success was rewarded with the DAVID.