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items and various other resources . Similar COVID-19-related in-kind donations , such as free testing kits , hygienic face masks or medical equipment , were made by around half of the DAX companies .
Whether this rate of increase will persist remains to be seen , as long-term and impactful in-kind donation programmes have so far been limited mainly to the pharmaceutical industry and a few other companies . Viewed from the outside , the extent to which in-kind donations are actually impactful is not always apparent . In the best case , in-kind donations can provide important goods that would otherwise be available to those in need or to non-profit organisations only at a higher cost or not at all . In the worst-case scenario , the logistics and coordination of in-kind donations may lead to more costs than benefits , or the gifts may even undermine local markets .
One outstanding example is Merck , which has worked in partnership with the World Health Organisation since 2007 , donating 1.3 billion tablets for the treatment of the tropical infectious disease schistosomiasis . BASF , Bayer and Qiagen also have long-term partnerships , by means of which medical supplies are donated or made available at significantly reduced cost . Deutsche Telekom donates access to products and services on a large scale . It has so far provided around 22,000 schools in Germany with free broadband connections . During the pandemic , it has also provided internet access for distance learning in the USA as well as a range of services for senior citizens and the catering sector .
The amount donated is extremely unevenly distributed between the individual corporate groups . The two largest donors alone – Deutsche Telekom and Bayer – donated more than € 300 million in 2020 , over € 200 million of which was in kind . At the other end of the spectrum , Infineon spent € 1.8 million . Vonovia and Deutsche Wohnen each donated less than € 2 million , though this also shows the fuzziness of the reported figures : the money value of services , such as accommodation provided free of charge or at reduced cost , is not published by these two property companies .
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