Sparkassen were founded in Germany over 200 years ago as microfinance institutions for low-income earners. Since then, they have developed into one of the largest financial groups in the world – one that successfully combines outstanding professionalism with a strong social mandate. With the task of taking this successful model to developing and emerging countries, German Sparkassenstiftung brings financial services to local people. The aim is to help them increase their prosperity and build up their own stable economic structures.
German Sparkassenstiftung supports local financial institutions to in conducting their business according to economic principles while at the same time fulfilling their social responsibility.

German Sparkassenstiftung proactively supports to financial institutions that sustainably foster economic and social development at local, regional or national level through demand-oriented banking services. German Sparkassenstiftung’s aim is to assist its partner institutions to become more professional and thus provide their customers with sustainable access to financial services. The main target groups are small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), as well as poor and socially marginalised groups. This focus on SMEs and low-income earners also benefits our partners, as serving these customer segments ensures stable and satisfactory returns in the long term.

By strengthening local and regional financial structures, German Sparkassenstiftung not only generates development opportunities for wide sections of the population and local businesses, but ultimately also contributes to job and income creation.

This complies with the approach and objectives of Germany's Sparkassen. Moreover, it has a stabilising effect on the respective financial sector and, as a result, on the country's economic development. With their 200-year history, Germany's Sparkassen demonstrate that sustainable microfinance is only feasible if it is organised efficiently and professionally. German Sparkassenstiftung communicates these success factors to its partners in its project work.