The meetings have set objectives of the Institute for the next few months, with special attention to the digital transformation, the innovation, the sustainable finances and the institutional matters

The Social and Philanthropic Board serves as a platform so that the members of WSBI exchange ideas and they share the best practices, promoting specific investments that they strengthen to the communities and empoderan to the most vulnerable people

In the meeting were presented advances in social initiative multitude of the companies associated with the WSBI of countries as an India, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Peru, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, Morocco, the United States, Belgium and Germany, between lots others

The WSBI allocates 3,500 annual million dollars to social projects all around the world, figure that foresees increase until 5,000 million euros in two years

 

The chairman of the Worldwide Institute of Savings Banks and Banks Retailers (WSBI), Isidro Fainé, has chaired this week in Brussels the 61º Chairmen's Committee, the 44th Board of Directors and the third meeting of the high-school Philanthropic and Social Board international. The meetings have brought together to more than 30 high-level delegates of 23 countries, on behalf of nearly 20 institutions member, and they have served to set objectives of the company for the next few months, with special attention to the digital transformation, the innovation, the sustainable finances and the institutional matters.

The event also has allowed put a day the main activities, achievements and initiatives on-going from the last general assembly of the WSBI held in October 2024 in Rome. During this period, the WSBI has maintained its commitment of supporting to its members through the promotion, the training and the exchange of knowledge.

Similarly, the participants have analysed how deepen in the exchange of knowledge, through initiatives as international study visits projected for 2025, as well as a new initiative, the Social Week of the WSBI, that they will serve to promote the practical dialogue and exchange on innovation, digitisation, cybersecurity and sustainable development.

Additionally the importance of the finances has been emphasised inclusivas with gender perspective, with the growing participation of members in the Code of Finances for Entrepreneurial Women of the World Bank, that is had become a key element of the overall efforts of the WSBI.

The next statutory meetings of the WSBI will be carried out October in Washington C.D., coinciding with the annual summit of the IMF.

 

III Social Board and Philanthropic

Within the framework of the meetings, celebrated the III Social Board is had and Philanthropic of the WSBI, chaired by Isidro Fainé. This Board embodies ingrained principles in the savings banks and the retail banks associated with the WSBI, as the social investment and the contribution to the philanthropy. Similarly, constitutes a road map for its members aimed at the generation of innovative solutions that promote the social investment and the contributions to philanthropic projects.

In turn, the Board serves also as a platform so that the members exchange ideas and they share the best practices. Following on from this, promotes specific investments that they strengthen to the communities and empoderan to the most vulnerable people. Its labour camp covers six areas: reduction of the poverty, support to the young, improvement of the education, empoderamiento of the woman, attention to the great and environmental sustainability.

In the meeting, were presented advances in social initiative multitude of the associated countries companies as an India, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Peru, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, Morocco, the United States, Belgium and Germany, between lots others. Out of the presented initiatives emphasise the programme Work for Progress, a programme of creation of employment for young and women, result of the alliance between the Fundación ”la Caixa ” with Caja Huancayo (Peru), Fundación Social Group (Colombia) and To the Barid Bank (Morocco).

Additionally social projects developed by were announced the Peruvian Caja Huancayo, as the community kitchens for vulnerable families or the sustainable development of Amazonian communities, among others initiatives of banks as the State Bank of India or the Botswana Savings Bank.

Isidro Fainé, chairman of WSBI, of CECA and of the Fundación “la Caixa ”, stated: “The Social and Philanthropic Board is a platform for the collaboration and the exchange of ideas, that it allows improving the impact of the social programs that carry out our associated companies all over the world and us remembers that, together, have the be able to of promote a change transformer and create a brighter and equitable future for the oncoming”generations.

Furthermore, Antonio Romero, CECA's Managing Director, has participated for the first time as a member of the Board Of directors of WSBI and deputy chairman of ESBG.

The companies of the WSBI allocate annually 3,500 million dollars to social initiatives all around the world. This figure, that has been duplicated from Isidro's previous mandate Fainé as a chairman of WSBI (1,800 annual million dollars in 2021), highlights the commitment of the saving's sector and the retail banking with the support and the channelling of private fundings towards the sustainable economic development. In the last general assembly of the WSBI, held in Rome in October 2024, Isidro Fainé stated the willpower of increasing this figure until 5,000 million dollars in the next two years.

As part of this organisation, relevant actors are found international as the Fundación “la Caixa ” and CECA of Spain, the Fundación Social Group of Colombia, the To the Barid Bank of Morocco, the Fundación GSB of Savings banks of Thailand, the State Bank of India and the Sparkassenstiftung of Germany, among others companies.

 

Social week of the WSBI, adalid of the worldwide philanthropy

The Social Week of the WSBI is an overall new initiative, that it will take place from 8 to 12 September of 2025, with the aim of ampliflying the members' philanthropic efforts of WSBI via a shared commitment in favour of the voluntary work and the community action.

The initiative is inspired in the Bangkok declaration , adopted during the first meeting of the Social and Philanthropic Board (CIF) held in the capital of Thailand in April 2024. This document emphasises the importance of the collaboration, the sustainability and the inclusion, such as guiding principles of the role that the financial institutions can carry out when dealing with the worldwide challenges and promote the progress.

The Social Week will hone in on the work areas of the Social Board and Philanthropic: commitment with the young, relief of the poverty, education, empoderamiento of the woman, care of the older people and sustainability. Similarly, will highlight how the collective efforts of the savings banks and the retail banks of WSBI can contribute a greatest improvement from the company.

Conceived as a structured and flexible platform, will allow to the companies associated with the Worldwide Institute adapt its share to specific objectives and priorities. Those associated will be able to choose organise various activities throughout the week or centre its efforts in an only project of major repercussion.

Be which is the approach, the main goal is promote the successful best practices and stock with social impact that the companies of WSBI develop in the local communities in which have presence, contributing at the same time to the construction of a worldwide movement philanthropic that allows to the associated companies increase its impact beyond its territories.

The initiative will be catalizadora for the long-term change, promoting the collaboration and the exchange of knowledge that drive a significant progress in the financial inclusion, the social development and the sustainability.