About us
ERSTE Foundation is a philanthropic foundation and focuses its activities on Financial Health as well as strengthening democratic values and principles. As core shareholder of Erste Group, it safeguards the independence of one of the biggest banking groups in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.
Our Statement of Purpose
The ERSTE Foundation advocates for a free, open and resilient society in which all people participate equally and with self-determination. We believe that democracy and a strong economic base are mutually dependent: without a vibrant democracy, prosperity cannot be justly and equitably distributed, and vice versa.
Ahead of us are three tasks upon which we want to focus our knowledge and resources.
- Financial health This is the economic basis for a functioning and resilient society. That is why we want to promote the development and maintenance of financial health at all levels of society, with a particular focus on enhancing access to knowledge.
- Democratic values and principle Through our social, economic, societal, and cultural activities, we want to strengthen and expand democracy based on fundamental rights, together with our partners from civil society.
- Independence As core shareholder, we safeguard the independence of Erste Group and provide its management with the support to think long-term and act innovatively. We reinvest our share of the profits in the common good, in line with our Foundation’s charter.
What we do
ERSTE Foundation is the core shareholder of Erste Group Bank AG. It owns a stake of 12.41% and together with its syndicate partners 26.42% of Erste Group shares.
ERSTE Foundation’s total project expenditure 2005–2025: EUR 187,4 mio. More than 2,500 projects have been implemented or supported since 2005.
Our areas of work
Our history
No age, no gender, no class, no nation shall be excluded from the advantages which the Savings Bank offers to every depositor.
From the founding charter of the »Erste oesterreichische Spar-Casse«. Vienna, October 1819
Our story begins in October 1819 with this message of confidence. It stated that access to prosperity should be open to all people in the future. It should no longer be dependent on the arbitrariness of a ruling class. In this deeply human spirit, our founders opened the first inclusive monetary institution in our region: the »Erste oesterreichische Spar-Casse«.
ERSTE Foundation is the legal successor of the institution established in 1819 and was founded in its present form in December 2003. ERSTE Foundation is also the core shareholder of Erste Group, carrying the values inscribed into the founding charter of 1819 into the future.
1819
Liability or operating fund constitutes a special fund but is not a separate legal entity
Sparcassen Verein Special Funds1844
First separation (legal and operational) of the association and the savings bank
Sparcassen Verein Sparkasse (Savings Bank)1993
Business operations transferred to a stock corporation (AG); the original savings bank continues to exist as AVS
Sparcassen Verein Anteilsverwaltungssparkasse Aktiengesellschaft2003
AVS is transformed into the ERSTE Foundation, which thereby becomes the legal successor to the original savings bank
Sparcassen Verein Die ERSTE österreichische Privatstiftung Aktiengesellschaft
