How we work
Active
We take the initiative. As opposed to many other foundations, we place great emphasis on playing an active role in developing and supporting projects. Around 80 per cent of our budget is dedicated to projects we develop in our Factory ourselves; around 20 per cent go towards supporting initiatives proposed to us by others.
Cross-border
ERSTE Foundation is committed to fostering the civil societies of Austria as well as Central and South Eastern Europe. We take particular interest in projects that build bridges between different countries. Our work provides opportunities for people to meet and share their ideas across borders. We export findings and help people perceive the discovery of both commonalities and differences as an enriching contribution to diversity.
Interdisciplinary
We value projects that go beyond the apparent limits of their fields of activity and social environments. We believe that this is the only way to solve the problems of tomorrow. We regard the cooperation of various individual factors – of a geographic, scientific or organisational nature, for example – as a challenging and sometimes laborious, yet mostly rewarding process, which serves to enhance quality. Ideally, our projects aim to create an inspirational fusion of the competences of our three programmes Social Development, Culture and Europe.
Network-oriented
We view ourselves as a learning organisation. Our ideas can only be as effective as our relationships with the people they target. We do not implement ideas; we develop them collaboratively. The foundation is a platform for discussion and sharing experiences. Building on local competences and joining forces with local institutions is one of the fundamental principles of our organisation. In structural terms, this means being a fleet instead of a tanker, showing commitment, instead of making demands.
Sustainable
Our schemes are investments in development. We are not involved in making donations or sponsoring activities. Foundation projects are contributions to social and cultural infrastructures that have a lasting impact on the civil society of the respective region. We therefore focus on educational projects, on reinforcing democratic structures and on working with young people.
Creative
In its present form, ERSTE Foundation is a young organisation. With all the advantages and disadvantages that come with it. The environment within the foundation feels much more like a crossover between a Viennese coffee shop and a research laboratory than a venerable charity dating back 200 years. We boast flat hierarchies, short decision-making processes and multilingualism. Originality is seen as an asset; the willingness to risk errors, a quality. Although we are growing accustomed to the necessary task of documenting our work digitally and comprehensively, we still feel that brainstorming is much more fun than filing.
Independent
ERSTE Foundation is independent in political, ideological and economic terms. We do not belong to the assets of a wealthy private person. Nor are we the property or department of a company. As the main shareholder of ERSTE Group, we own the largest individual share in the largest retail bank in Central and Eastern Europe. We are democratically managed, our decision-making processes are transparent and we are skilled at protecting our independence from non-project-related influences in all of our project regions.
Accountable
Transparency in our targets and figures! Information on the origin and utilisation of our funds is accessible to everyone. Each year, we publish a comprehensive business report on the activities, facts and figures of the past 12 months. ‘No hidden agenda’ means that the descriptions of all our projects and activities can be viewed at any time. We do not promise more than we can deliver. We deliver on our promises.