Can I ask for funding?
You can share your innovative ideas with us if they fit within the scope of ERSTE Foundation’s programmatic areas tackling social, cultural or European topics and if they are located in one or several countries of the region in which we are active (Central and South Eastern Europe including Austria).

I am an artist or a scientist. Can I apply for a personal fellowship?
No. We do not fund individuals, political parties or their affiliates. ERSTE Foundation only supports non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or non-profit organizations (NPOs).

My project raises crucial environmental issues. Can I apply?
Sorry, we have no environmental programme.

ERSTE Foundation particularly committed to three programme themes.

Why Social Development?
Our social commitment is based on the tradition of the savings banks. What’s more, the greatest challenges in this respect are found in Central and South Eastern Europe – also compared with the rest of Europe. In the rapidly changing societies of the region many do not manage to keep up. In particular ethnic minorities and socially weak individuals are often left out. Social integration, however, is important for the political and economic stability of a country and of a region.
In the Social Development programme we focus on the two main themes “Social Integration” and “Societal Transformation”, i.e. on initiatives for increased participation in society aimed at people who have previously been disadvantaged, and on the question about the social consequences of social change. We not only want to provide short-term support but seek to contribute to sustainable structural improvements.

Why Culture?
In trying to catch up with other economies, there is hardly any time left to further develop awareness of one’s own culture and history, although at the same time people make an effort to distinguish themselves from other “cultures” that, up to now, have been part of their own (e.g. the language policy on the Balkans). It is however important to know and get to the bottom of one’s own culture, in particular when societies are changing so rapidly.
In the Culture programme we promote interaction between different cultural scenes of the region and elaborate projects on contemporary culture and history in the former communist countries of Central and South Eastern Europe.

And why Europe?
All the countries in the region are young democracies; civil rights and civic duties, the accomplishments and freedoms of civil society have not yet become part of a regular practice. Democracy however needs democrats, Europe needs Europeans.
The programme Europe supports civil society in the young democracies of the region. The projects are to arouse young people’s interest in Europe. We want to strengthen freedom of expression. Despite the visa regime and Schengen borders, we seek to enable encounters and networking. We still know only little about our neighbours (how often do we still confuse Slovakia and Slovenia), and even in the region knowledge about one another is limited. We are working on increasing this knowledge, for example by establishing a library, which is to be accessible to the public.

Why is an Austrian foundation that much engaged in Central and South Eastern Europe?
We do not regard ourselves as an “Austrian foundation” even if officially we may be one. 4/5 of the money we spend is not earned in Austria but in Central and South Eastern Europe. Our staff is international. We work with the region in the region for the region.

Why is Erste Group’s major shareholder a foundation? Isn’t this unusual?
Yes, this is unusual! The reason is the almost 200-year-old history of the savings banks, which were founded as associations and originally evolved from a social initiative of the early 19th century. The existence and the social commitment of the foundation go back to the savings bank association and the charitable idea of the savings banks.