Civil society organisations step in where public and private sectors fall short. They provide essential support when people lack resources, offering community spaces and basic services. They counter discrimination by fostering dialogue and creating pathways into employment. They fill gaps in public provision through care services and emergency assistance. And when political systems lack information or responsiveness, they gather data and amplify marginalised voices. By addressing these and other systemic failures through advocacy, community building and service delivery, civil society organisations play a vital role in fostering stable and resilient societies.

Some systemic challenges remain unresolved because they are deeply complex and require new approaches. We foster the conditions for civil society to develop those solutions or acts as a catalyst to develop solutions through our accelerator.

The NGO Academy strengthens civil society in Central and Eastern Europe through management development and training. Implemented together with the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), it offers high-quality capacity-building programmes tailored to NGOs and social enterprises, sharing knowledge, building skills and networks to empower organisations to create social innovations.

Complex challenges can require cross-sector collaboration and here ERSTE Foundation acts as a solution builder, bringing together partners to create inclusive processes for greater impact. Alles Clara, a digital coun selling service for family caregivers in Austria, does just that. It offers free, data-secure and flexible online sessions with nurses and psychologists, reducing burdens and strengthening family caregivers. Alles Clara is carried by a nation-wide cross-sector collaboration between care sector, academia, public hand and employers. With families covering up to 80% of all care needs in Austria, Alles Clara strengthens and supports informal carers, reinforcing the healthcare and social sectors.

Our roots lie in social innovation – and we continue to work towards innovatively solving current social challenges today. We are committed to ensuring that civil society organisations have the skills, tools and space they need to innovate and address social problems in a meaningful and sustainable way.