Die Erste österreichische Spar-Casse Privatstiftung, Endowment Arm

What Die Erste österreichische Spar-Casse Privatstiftung, Endowment Arm does

ERSTE Foundation (Die Erste österreichische Spar-Casse Privatstiftung) is an Austrian private savings bank foundation (Privatstiftung) headquartered in Vienna at Am Belvedere 1, 1100 Vienna, on the Erste Campus. Created in 2003 as the direct legal successor of Erste Österreichische Spar-Casse Anteilsverwaltungsparkasse, the foundation traces its institutional lineage to Austria's first savings bank (Erste österreichische Sparkasse, founded 1819). The foundation operates with a dual mandate: charitable action and conservation of the savings bank philosophy, coupled with a special structural role as the main shareholder of Erste Group, one of Central and Eastern Europe's largest financial services institutions. Investment income and dividends from this shareholding constitute the endowment funding base that is redeployed into civil society programmes across Austria and Central/Southeast Europe. The foundation is the largest Austrian savings bank foundation by this dual mandate and balance-sheet positioning.

The foundation's programmatic portfolio spans financial inclusion, financial education, civil society capacity building, social finance, cultural preservation, and digital social innovation. Operating initiatives and subsidiaries include Zweite Sparkasse (a volunteer-staffed, non-profit bank for financially excluded individuals operating eight branches across Austria with 380 active Erste Bank volunteers); Erste Financial Life Park (FLiP), an interactive financial education centre; NGO Academy, co-founded with the Vienna University of Economics and Business in 2013 and supporting 500+ CEE civil society organisations; Erste Social Finance Holding, a joint venture with Erste Group for inclusive finance products and the Marc Impact Programme; Alles Clara, a free digital counselling app for family caregivers operated with seven Austrian care organisations; Two Next, a digital social innovation programme; Open Future Lab for financial well-being research; the Foundation for Economic Literacy for school-based economic education; the European Forum Alpbach; and the Kontakt Collection of Eastern European neo-avant-garde art. Revenue is generated exclusively through investment income from the Erste Group shareholding and is not publicly disclosed; the foundation does not sell products or services, distributing all programme funding as grants, capacity-building support, social finance instruments, and direct service delivery through charitable operations.

Name

Die Erste österreichische Spar-Casse Privatstiftung, Endowment Arm

Legal name

ERSTE Stiftung – DIE ERSTE österreichische Spar-Casse Privatstiftung

Website

https://erstestiftung.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ERSTE Foundation (Die Erste österreichische Spar-Casse Privatstiftung) is Austria's largest savings bank foundation and main shareholder of Erste Group, deploying endowment/dividend income into civil society programmes spanning financial inclusion, education, social innovation, and culture across Austria and Central and Southeast Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Grants

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG)

Keywords

• Philanthropic foundation services
• Financial education programs
• Civil society development
• Social enterprise support
• Social finance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Investment income from Erste Group shareholding: ERSTE Foundation generates revenue through dividends and investment income from its role as the main shareholder of Erste Group, one of Central Europe's largest financial services institutions. This income is then deployed as grants and program funding for social development initiatives in Austria and Central/Southeast Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ERSTE Foundation is a private Austrian savings bank foundation (Privatstiftung) that holds the principal shareholder stake in Erste Group Bank AG and deploys the resulting investment income into social development initiatives across Austria and Central and Southeast Europe. It funds and operates a portfolio of programs in financial inclusion, financial education, civil society capacity building, social enterprise support, social finance, cultural preservation, and European policy dialogue.

Product overview

ERSTE Foundation operates as a large Austrian savings bank foundation with a portfolio of social programs and initiatives focused on financial inclusion, social innovation, civil society development, and cultural support. The foundation's programs include Zweite Sparkasse (banking for the unbankable), Erste Financial Life Park (FLiP) for financial education, NGO Academy for civil society capacity building, Erste Social Finance Holding with the MARC impact program, Open Future Lab for financial well-being research, Foundation for Economic Literacy for school-based economic education, Two Next for digital social innovation, Alles Clara for caregiver support, European Forum Alpbach for dialogue, and Kontakt Collection for Eastern European art preservation. These initiatives work together to promote social inclusion, financial participation, and democratic values across Austria and Central and Eastern Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Erste Social Finance: A joint venture between ERSTE Foundation and Erste Group that develops inclusive finance products and services for high-impact organizations and marginalized groups, offering grants, social banking, and social finance instruments.
• NGO Academy
• Two Next
• Alles Clara
• Open Future Lab
• Zweite Sparkasse
• Foundation for Economic Literacy (Stiftung für Wirtschaftsbildung)
• MARC Impact Programme

Products and services

• Zweite Sparkasse A volunteer-staffed social savings bank serving people in difficult financial situations across Austria, providing current accounts without overdraft, insurance, personal counseling, and financial education through eight physical branches staffed by 380 active volunteers from Erste Bank.
• Erste Financial Life Park (FLiP) An interactive financial education center that teaches economic and financial topics through hands-on experiences, designed for children, youth, and adults to strengthen money management skills.
• NGO Academy Central and Eastern Europe's most comprehensive management training program for civil society, supporting 500+ civil society organisations with tailor-made programmes including Social Innovation and Management Programme, Regional Programme, Community Led Events, and MSc Social Innovation & Management.
• Alles Clara A free digital counseling app connecting caregivers with professional counselors including certified nursing staff, clinical psychologists, and psychotherapists to support people caring for loved ones across Austria.
• Two Next Digital innovation program addressing social challenges in the care and social sector by combining research, innovation, and digitalization with user-centered approaches; operates the Alles Clara app and Frag Tobi.
• Open Future Lab A lab dedicated to advancing financial well-being and autonomy through long-term thinking, proactive initiative, and innovation to drive cultural and social change.
• Foundation for Economic Literacy (Stiftung für Wirtschaftsbildung) A platform supporting schools and teachers with programs that teach economic, financial, and future-oriented skills in an inspiring and application-oriented way, aligned with the Ministry of Education, co-founded with seven partners including Chamber of Labour, Federation of Austrian Industries, Oesterreichische Nationalbank, and Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
• MARC Impact Programme An impact program supporting social ventures and organisations in Hungary, Romania, and Austria with tailor-made training and customized consulting to increase business resilience, improve investment-readiness, and develop scalable business models.
• Erste Social Finance Holding A joint venture between ERSTE Foundation and Erste Group that develops inclusive finance products and services for high-impact organizations and marginalized groups, offering grants, social banking, and social finance instruments across Central and Eastern Europe.
• European Forum Alpbach Annual European Forum held in Alpbach bringing together leaders, thinkers, and practitioners to discuss European futures, democracy, and social challenges.
• Kontakt Collection Collection of significant works of Eastern European neo-avant-garde art, curated and preserved by the foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28,000 people supported over 20 years through Zweite Sparkasse
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien) - Competence Center for Nonprofit Organizations and Social EntrepreneurshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiator of the NGO Academy since 2013, providing academic expertise and research support for civil society capacity building programs across Central and Eastern Europe.
• PorticusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funding partner for NGO Academy programs supporting civil society organizations in CEE.
• Caritas, Diakonie, Hilfswerk, Rotes Kreuz, Samariterbund, VolkshilfecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCare organizations collaborating on Alles Clara digital counseling platform for family caregivers. Seven major Austrian care organizations provide professional counselors for the free app.
• Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer ProtectioncoreOthersFederal ministry sponsor for Alles Clara care counseling platform, providing public funding for the initiative.
• State of Lower AustriaminorOthersRegional government sponsor for Alles Clara platform.
• Deloitte, ÖBB, Erste Bank, Wiener Städtische, EY, Magenta Telekom, IBM, and other employersminorOthersCorporate employers sponsoring Alles Clara as employee support benefit, helping provide free access for caregivers in their workforce.
• Impact Hub ViennacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Austria for Marc Impact Program, providing tailored consulting and support to Austrian social enterprises.
• Simpact (Hungary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact-focused consulting firm in Hungary that manages Hungarian participants in the Marc Impact Program.
• Synerb (Romania)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian partner managing Marc Impact Program participants in Romania with expertise in social enterprise support.
• Ifua Nonprofit PartnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHungarian non-profit consulting partner for Marc Impact Program.
• Karl Landsteiner UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Alles Clara platform, contributing healthcare research expertise.
• Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient SafetyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner contributing to digital health innovation for the Alles Clara platform.
• Chamber of Labour (AK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Foundation for Economic Literacy, supporting economic education programs in schools.
• Federation of Austrian IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Foundation for Economic Literacy, supporting financial and economic education initiatives.
• Oesterreichische NationalbankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Foundation for Economic Literacy, providing expertise in economics and finance education.
• Austrian Federal Economic ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Foundation for Economic Literacy, supporting economic literacy in Austrian education.
• tranzit.sk, tranzit.hu, tranzit.cz, tranzit.rocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent contemporary art spaces in Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Romania supported by ERSTE Foundation for over 20 years to promote artistic freedom and civil society.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Open Society Foundations: US-headquartered but deeply active across CEE/SEE supporting civil society, democratic governance, and economic justice. Directly competes for the same high-impact NGO partners and grant recipients in Hungary, Romania, and across the Western Balkans.
• Fondazione Cariplo: Italian banking foundation (originally linked to Cassa dei Risparmi di Milano) with a large philanthropic endowment deployed across social, cultural, scientific, and environmental programs. Directly comparable governance structure and grant-making model to ERSTE Foundation.
• Stiftung Mercator: Major German foundation with significant activity in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly civil society development and democratic participation. Operates similar cross-border grant-making and capacity-building programs overlapping with ERSTE Foundation's NGO Academy and Marc Impact work.
• Compagnia di San Paolo: One of Europe's oldest and largest banking foundations (founded 1563), holding a major stake in Intesa Sanpaolo. Closely comparable to ERSTE Foundation in structure: savings/banking foundation combining a core shareholding role with large-scale philanthropic grant-making in cultural, social, and research domains.
• Fundación Bancaria "la Caixa": Spanish banking foundation created from CaixaBank's transformation, one of Europe's largest philanthropic entities. Combines a banking-group shareholding legacy with extensive social programs (poverty, education, research) closely paralleling ERSTE Foundation's dual mandate.
• KfW Stiftung: Foundation affiliated with KfW Group (German state development bank). Comparable model: institutionally anchored foundation with capital derived from a banking relationship, deploying programs in financial education, social innovation, and international development.

Broad incumbents

• Fondation de Luxembourg: Independent public utility foundation in Luxembourg that hosts and advises philanthropic initiatives across Europe. Comparable in being a large, professionally managed European grant-making entity, though broader in scope and cross-border structuring.
• Robert Bosch Stiftung: One of Germany's largest corporate-affiliated foundations, operating across education, social, and international programs including in CEE. Larger scale and broader thematic remit than ERSTE Foundation, but overlapping portfolio of civil society and democratic participation work.

Others

• Caritas Austria: Core partner organization in the Alles Clara caregiver platform and recipient of broader foundation support. Comparable as a major Austrian civil society actor addressing financial inclusion and social welfare, but operating as the recipient rather than funder side of the relationship.

Emerging players

• Impact Hub Vienna: Local implementation partner for ERSTE Foundation's Marc Impact Program in Austria, with broader social-enterprise incubation services across the Impact Hub global network. Comparable as a regional impact-venture support platform, with overlapping portfolio and beneficiary set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ERSTEFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ERSTEFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erstefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/erstefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Die Erste österreichische Spar-Casse Privatstiftung, Endowment Arm