Founded in Brussels in 2001, FEBEA is the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financiers.
An international non-profit organisation that brings together 32 financial institutions from 17 European countries with the aim of developing ethical and social finance in Europe.
DISCOVER
Ethical Finance empowers people to control how their money is used, supporting local communities, the social economy, and sustainable development. Originating from citizens-led movements 30 years ago, Ethical Finance aims at using savings and investments for the common good.
Ethical financiers mindfully choose where to place their money, always selecting initiatives with transformative social and sustainable perspectives. They commit to excluding harmful sectors, such as fossil fuels, from their portfolios and they avoid seeking short-term profits in their financial behaviour. Instead, they prioritise long-term positive impacts for the common good.
Ethical financiers maintain transparency throughout the entire process, from the collection of the funds to their use. They openly publish and demonstrate how and for what purposes shareholders’ money is used.
Ethical financiers have collaborative and participatory governance structures. Some operate as cooperatives, where each shareholder’s vote has equal value, regardless of the number of shares owned. Others implement participatory systems that involve their social base, customers, or members in the organisation’s management.
How organised civil society can change the world
All FEBEA members are committed to avoiding financing any kind of harmful sectors such as the weapon industry, fossil fuels or tobacco industry. Instead, they are focused on financing the real economy, which positively impacts the sustainable development of local communities.
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Click on the yellow points on the map to learn more about FEBEA’s members.
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“Ethical Finance’s culture views the construction of social justice as the ultimate aim of all our financial undertakings.
This is what we do, it is in our nature; we cannot and do not want to do anything else.”
Pedro Sasia
FEBEA Chairman
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CRESAÇOR
Type of organisation
CRESAÇOR is a cooperative of 33 organisations dedicated to promoting the social economy in the Azores islands. Guided by the principles of the solidarity economy, it addresses 21st-century challenges such as unemployment, poverty, social exclusion, multiculturalism, and territorial cohesion. The cooperative also runs microcredit program to support local and small entrepreneurs. CRESAÇOR originated from the Poverty Combat Project.
FESCOOP
Type of organisation
Network of citizens, professionals, and organisations promoting ethical finance in Portugal.
APS Bank
Type of organisation
Retail BanK
APS Bank is the only Maltese bank owned by Maltese citizens and dedicated to supporting the real economy of the island. In the current financial landscape, this commitment reflects a profound vision of the role of money. As one of Malta’s oldest financial institutions, APS Bank provides a comprehensive array of personal, business, and investment services, all aimed at fostering the economic and social development of the local community.
Colonya Caixa Pollença
Type of organisation
Savings Bank
Founded in 1880, Colonya pioneered ethical savings in Spain. Caixa Pollença, with its strong regional focus on the Balearic Islands, is dedicated to financing the local economy. They serve small communities that larger banks overlook, driven by a mission to support local economies with essential financial services.
Coop57
Type of organisation
Credit Cooperative
Coop57 is a financial cooperative that channels funds from its shareholders to member companies. Based in Barcelona, they operate across Spain with a strong focus on the Social and Solidarity Economy. Coop57 boasts a robust governance system centered on the general assembly and self-management. Unlike traditional banks, Coop57 clients must first become members, ensuring the application of ethical and social criteria.
Fundación Finanzas Éticas
Type of organisation
Foundation
The Fundación Finanzas Éticas is part of the Banca Etica Group. The organisation contributes to the development of the Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Enterprises through complementary financing programmes, in addition to those already offered by Fiare Banca Etica in Spain. It promotes citizen activism for the transformation of the economic system, often collaborating with other social actors directly involved in issues such as combating climate change, addressing energy poverty, respecting human rights, and other related matters.
Seed Capital Bizkaia
Type of organisation
Public financial institution
Seed Capital Bizkaia is a public financial institution based in the Basque region of Bizkaia, Spain. Established in 1989, it operates under the Department of Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. The organization is responsible for administering and managing a variety of financing instruments aimed at fostering business development.
Fundació Seira
Type of organisation
Foundation
Promoted by the Federation of Work Cooperatives of Catalonia, SEIRA Foundation is leveraging smart and relevant financing so that the workers’
cooperative of Catalonia can reinforce their activities and services to their members, as well as their own assets.
Banca Popolare Etica
Type of organisation
Banca Popolare Etica is a transnational cooperative operating in two countries: Italy and Spain. It emerged from the third sector through a mix of different organizations and is the bank of the social economy in both countries. It is a bank focused on building a better society through social and environmental impacts on local territories. It has a very strong social base with many mechanisms to incorporate it into the decision-making process of the bank.
Cassa Centrale Banca
Type of organisation
Cooperative Banking Group
Cassa Centrale Banca is a consortium of Italian cooperative banks united by shared principles. Based in Northern Italy, they provide central services for cooperative banks nationwide. The group values diversity and upholds local identity as a core principle. With a strong focus on the regional economy, the network promotes local economic and social well-being.
Fondazione di Comunità Messina
Type of organisation
Social Economy cluster
Cluster of social economy organizations promoting social and economic development in the Messina area of Sicily and dedicated to creating new economic activities in the territory. Comprised of three foundations in one: a microfinance institution (MFI), SEFEA holding, and an additional entity. The original purpose is social inclusion through housing, entrepreneurship, and personal development. It is focused on the promotion and development of the local culture, and it maintains international relations with European and Mediterranean social economy partners. It is also engaged in the development of public infrastructure.
SEFEA HOLDING
Type of organisation
Cooperative
SEFEA HOLDING S.C. is an Italian cooperative financial institution established to advance ethical finance across Europe. Founded in 2002, it aims to foster the growth of financial practices that align with ethical and social values. The company operates from its headquarters in Padova and is dedicated to supporting the development of ethical financial solutions and initiatives.
Banque Alternative Suisse SA
Type of organisation
Founded in 1990, BAS is Switzerland’s only alternative bank. Operating in two languages, it champions environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and transparency. The bank endorses sociocracy, empowering employees to self-organize. BAS prioritizes the common good over profit maximization and opposes speculation and tax havens. While offering standard banking services such as investment, savings, and lending, BAS ensures all operations follow strong ethical principles.
Community Finance Ireland
Type of organisation
Company and Charity
Community Finance Ireland is a transnational financial services charity operating in both Southern and Northern Ireland, envisioning one united island. Focused on boosting local communities, they finance Gaelic sports clubs, social enterprises, and community projects. “Our clients can see what’s missing in their communities and they can dream of the change needed.” – CFI
Community Finance Ireland
Type of organisation
Company and Charity
Community Finance Ireland is a transnational financial services charity operating in both Southern and Northern Ireland, envisioning one united island. Focused on boosting local communities, they finance Gaelic sports clubs, social enterprises, and community projects. “Our clients can see what’s missing in their communities and they can dream of the change needed.” – CFI
Crèdal
Type of organisation
Credit Cooperative
Crédal comprises a credit cooperative and 3 NGOs. It was born from the anti-apartheid Belgian movement of thee 1980s and it now operates in the French-speaking South of Belgium. Crédal’s credit focuses on the Social Economy, the Third Sector, the food chain and agriculture. It also provides microloans to entrepreneurs, impact loans to Social Enterprises, and consumer loans to vulnerable or excluded individuals.
Hefboom
Type of organisation
Credit cooperative
Hefboom is a Flemish credit cooperative that focuses on promoting and supporting social and sustainable investments. Hefboom provides financing solutions and investment opportunities aimed at social enterprises and projects that deliver positive social and environmental impacts in Flanders.
Inpulse
Type of organisation
Investment Fund
Inpulse specialises in social investments and microfinance. It supports alternative investment funds that provide long-term financing to socially driven financial intermediaries. Operating in Belgium, Poland, and France, Inpulse manages four Microfinance Investment Vehicles (MIVs) with a total capacity of EUR 78.2 million, aiming at creating positive social impacts while delivering competitive returns.
Type of organisation
Social Cooperative
The Cooperative for Ethical Financing is a non-profit organization comprising organizations and individuals committed to promoting a democratic, transparent, just, and socially and environmentally responsible economy. It advises social enterprises on business development and financial tools. Members, as co-owners, democratically decide on key issues and elect the governing body.
Cooperative Bank of Chania
Type of organisation
Credit Cooperative
Founded in 1995 in Crete, this cooperative bank gradually expanded throughout Greece. Embracing the theme “Participation makes the difference,” it emphasizes employee participation and collective effort as keys to its success. With a strong focus on the local economy, it supports activities crucial to Crete’s economy: olive oil production, urban development, and the promotion of Cretan food products. The bank emphasizes trust, reliability, and consistency, laying a solid foundation for a shared future.
Cooperative Bank Of Karditsa
Type of organisation
The Cooperative Bank of Karditsa strongly focuses on the local economy, sustainability, social inclusion, local development, and agriculture. Recently described as the “Best bank in Greece” by the governor of the Bank of Greece, it prioritises transparency, security, and reliability. Committed to ensuring financial flexibility, it offers services to citizens with no access to bank accounts, such as temporary workers, and provides its webpage in multiple languages, including Arabic and French. The bank works closely with ANKA, the Development Agency of Karditsa, to address various regional needs.
Credit Cooperatif
Type of organisation
Retail Bank
Credit Cooperatif was born as the bank of the third sector in France. It is a retail bank that offers its services throughout the whole country. Focused on the local economy, social economy, and sustainability, it is a cooperative bank with its governance based on citizen participation.
Femu Qui
Type of organisation
Investment company
More than 2,000 “subscribers,” as they call the shareholders. People, professionals, and organizations focused on local economic development and employment. Based in Corsica. Long-time members of FEBEA.
La Nef
Type of organisation
Cooperative Bank
La Nef is a banking cooperative that has been bringing together professionals and individuals since 1988 to build a more just and sustainable society. It advocates for healthy and transparent finance, choosing to only fund projects that have ecological, social, or cultural added value.
France Active
Type of organisation
Social Economy financier
France Active is an organization dedicated to solidarity finance, which involves using financial resources to promote social and economic inclusion. For over three decades, France Active has been assisting and providing financial support to businesses, focusing on those that contribute positively to society.
SIDI
Type of organisation
SIDI is a French organisation that supports sustainable development through finance. Founded in 1983, it focuses on providing funding and support to microfinance institutions and social enterprises in developing countries, aiming at promoting economic growth, financial inclusion, and social progress.
SOCODEN
Type of organisation
Cooperative
Socoden is a French cooperative financial institution established in 2001, dedicated to funding and supporting social enterprises with a positive societal impact. It focuses on ethical and responsible finance, prioritizing social and environmental benefits over purely financial returns. Socoden mobilizes resources from members and partners to support sustainable development and social inclusion projects.
Cultura Bank
Type of organisation
Cultura Bank stands out as the sole Norwegian bank that provides depositors with detailed information on where their money is invested, with each loan evaluated based on social and environmental criteria. Offering a wide array of banking services such as current and savings accounts, business loans, and mortgages.
Erste Social Finance
Type of organisation
Private Company
Erste Social Finance Holding is a collaborative effort between Erste Group Bank AG and ERSTE Foundation. Operating as a social enterprise, its focus lies on generating positive social impact alongside sustainable financial outcomes.Serving as a social finance investor and intermediary in Central and Eastern Europe, Erste Social Finance Holding invests in financially viable social business models and pioneers innovative social finance instruments.
Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl
Type of organisation
Cooperative
Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl (“the Cooperative for the Common Good”) contributes to changing the monetary and financial system in Austria. They provide financial, educational, and democratic services. GfG offers operating bank accounts for responsible citizens concerned about the use of their money.
European Center for Social Finance
Type of organisation
The European Center for Social Finance was created to help establish best practices and distribute knowledge in financing social services provision and in developing social innovation. The research center is specialized in EU policies, social finance, Social Economy, and impact investment. It is a partner of FEBEA in research, training, and capacity-building activities.
TISE
Type of organisation
Non-banking financial institution
Towarzystwo Inwestycji Społeczno-Ekonomicznych TISE SA (Social and Economic Investment Company TISE) provides loans to micro, small and medium enterprises as well as social economy entities. The Company was established in 1991. It is fully owned by Poznański Bank Spółdzielczy. In the first years of its activity TISE focused on financing small and medium enterprises through venture capital, credit guarantees and subordinated loans. Since 2008 TISE’s main activity consits in providing loans to SMEs and NGOs. Funds for the loans come primarily from various EU programs aimed at supporting both small businesses and the social economy. TISE is one of the biggest intermediaries for such loan programs in Poland. It is a long standing and verified partner for the Polish Development Bank (BGK) and the European Investment Fund.
European Center for Social Finance
Type of organisation
The European Center for Social Finance was created to help establish best practices and distribute knowledge in financing social services provision and in developing social innovation. The research center is specialized in EU policies, social finance, Social Economy, and impact investment. It is a partner of FEBEA in research, training, and capacity-building activities.
Merkur Bank
Type of organisation
Retail Bank
Merkur is Denmark’s value-based financial institution – they work for a better world for people, nature, and the environment.
Social Innovatori
Type of organisation
Investment cooperative
Sociálni Inovátori created in 2017, is a cooperative that acts as an intermediary in securing financing for social enterprises in Slovakia. They have the goal of creating a functional infrastructure and ecosystem for impact entrepreneurs and all future solvers of societal challenges.
Romania
Social Finance Association (SFA)
Type of organisation
Non-banking financial institution
SFA (Social Finance Association – Association for Social Financing) was established with the purpose of complementing AFIN’s financial pillar with specialized assistance and know-how in the field of social financing. The Association aims to support local entrepreneurs in overcoming financial barriers through financial education and consultancy for easier access to financing.