ERSTE Foundation
ERSTE Foundation is based in Vienna, Austria, and is active in Central and South Eastern Europe, where it aims to create fairer, more open and more future-oriented societies. The Foundation’s roots go back to 1819, when the first savings bank was founded in Austria to help poor people save money with interest. In the years that followed, the institution developed into what is known today as Erste Group and ERSTE Foundation, with the Foundation being the main shareholder of Erste Group. Each year since 2005, ERSTE Foundation has been investing the dividends from Erste Group into creating a better future in the countries of this part of Europe.
ERSTE Foundation aims to create support networks for building stronger societies where nobody is left behind. Its projects, implemented alone or in collaboration with partners from the Central and South Eastern European countries, generally follow three strategic directions: social development, contemporary culture and European integration. The Foundation tries to enable people to shape their own lives and actively contribute to building a more inclusive society. Contemporary culture is approached as a link between different linguistic and geographical regions, while European integration is supported through different exchange projects for these countries. ERSTE Foundation encourages open dialogue among the countries that have experienced similar challenges in the past, and brings them together in projects aimed at the common good.
