How we work
Like the bee of its logo, the old ‘heraldic animal’ of the savings banks, ERSTE Foundation is part of a hive of activity for social good. Founded in 2003, we began our work two years later by developing three strategies of action that became three programmes: Social Development, Culture and Europe.
For us, the foundation is a creative factory for ideas and innovation, a laboratory to explore the topics of the future. Creating strong networks is key to this, so we started to develop programmes in three different areas.
We provide the means for people to shape their own lives and contribute to building an active live and a fairer society. We also believe in culture as a driving force for an open society, and in its ability to forge links between diverse linguistic and geographical regions. Finally, we promote the process of European integration by providing a platform for exchanging ideas, knowledge and initiatives.
Two questions show ERSTE Foundation’s practical and sustainable approach:
• How can we create supporting networks to build stronger communities that do not leave anybody behind?
• What impact has the enormous political, economical and social change in Central and South Eastern Europe on social coherence, cultural life and democratic values?
In short: Who can be our partners? And for what reason? Answers are given by the projects we do.