GLS Bank

The GLS Bank eG is a cooperative bank. GLS stands for community bank for lending and giving.

The GLS Bank is a member of the Federal Association of German Cooperative Banks ( BVR ) and its safety device. Their headquarters is located in Bochum, further offices in Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Freiburg and Berlin.

The Community Bank has received many awards. She was named for example with the German Sustainability Award and the Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation for sustainable bank of the year in Europe. In broad surveys of the magazine Börse Online, the news channel n-tv and the German Institute for Service Quality GLS Bank was chosen since 2010 regularly with distance from the bank of the year. When a large German bank test with more than 100,000 customers in the spring of 2011, she received high marks in service and the most popular home financing attested.

  • 3.1 Lend- Schenk Communities
  • 3.2 Microcredit
  • 3.3 Foundation on Future Farming
  • 4.1 Customer magazine
  • 4.2 Internet

History

The GLS Bank was founded in 1974 and was the first bank that operates according to socio-ecological principles. The GLS Bank was founded by Anthroposophists sees itself not only as the Bank of anthroposophy. In early 2003 took over the business of the GLS Bank in difficulties Ökobank. Through the acquisition of Integra Bank ( Munich) in 2008 reinforced the Bank's commitment in the Christian church area.

Business principle

The Bank supports more than 11,000 companies and projects per year, which are active in areas such as free schools and kindergartens, renewable energy, Disabled facilities, housing, sustainable building and living in old age. The business activities thus not aimed at a pure financial profit maximization. Not to be financed in alcohol, nuclear energy, embryo research, genetic modified organisms, arms, tobacco, child labor and animal testing. As part of the corporate philosophy, the Bank sees the transparency in their lending. To be awarded to all business loans in the customer magazine " The Bank Mirror" published.

For transparency and participation is one that customers can determine when opening an account where their money should be created. Some of the projects are also presented on the website. The deposits can be introduced in the following industries:

  • Organic Farming
  • Sustainable Building
  • Housing projects
  • Renewable Energies
  • Organic sector and other companies
  • Free schools and kindergartens
  • Health
  • Facilities for the disabled
  • Life in Old Age
  • Culture

Since 2012, it is now possible that the co-operative bank distributes a portion of the net income to its members. The amount of the dividend will be decided at the annual general meeting.

The company is certified to Stop Climate Change, in order to improve the carbon footprint steadily, and regularly publishes the environmental impact of its activities. It also acts as a trustee for climate compensation as part of the Stop Climate Change program.

International Covenants

Together with other alternative banks founded the GLS Bank in 2009, the international Global Alliance for Banking on Values ​​( GABV ). The aim of the international alliance is " the joint development of a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable and successful alternative to the crisis-ridden global financial market in its current form. "

She also has global partners such as the International Association of Investors in the Social Economy ( INAISE ), the Institute for Social Banking, Oikocredit, the World Future Council or La Société Financière de la NEF.

Special offers

Lend- Schenk Communities

The Lend- Schenk community of GLS Bank enables nonprofit organizations to finance larger projects on a credit basis. Such a community is a group of up to 30 supporters, each of whom has personally committed, in monthly installments of up to 50 euros - a maximum of five years - to contribute to the repayment of the loan.

Microcredit

With the micro-credit fund Germany, the federal government wants to facilitate micro-enterprises and start-ups access to capital. It can be awarded because it is often difficult for small businesses to get loans from major banks microloans of less than 20,000 euros. Objective of the program is to build a comprehensive micro- credit supply in Germany. The granting of micro-credits is performed by GLS Bank, on the recommendation of microfinance institutions that are involved in the success.

The microfinance fund for which the federal government has provided 100 million euros, safeguards from potential loan losses to the bank. The GLS Bank has been awarded since 2000, as part of pilot projects Microfinance, promoted the practice of research, venture capital provided and thereby involved both public authorities and private initiatives.

The microcredit GLS Bank are so successful in the first year that she has already awarded nearly twice as many as planned, in the second year, there were almost three times as many as initially estimated.

Foundation on Future Farming

The Foundation on Future Farming is a foundation of GLS Bank. The management of the Foundation is the GLS Treuhand. The Foundation supports initiatives to contribute to the dissemination and development of organic agriculture. Among other matters to the promotion of seed research and animal welfare. The Foundation is also in their own words to the active support of members we have had enough! Demonstrations.

Media

Customer magazine

The customer magazine of the GLS Bank Bank mirror is published three times a year. It reports on the work of the Bank and individual topics in the area of ​​sustainability. In addition, in each issue a list of recently awarded credits will appear. The magazine can be downloaded free from the Internet as a PDF file or can be ordered in a subscription for twelve euros per year ( non-customers ).

Internet

The GLS Bank exploited over the Internet, particularly social networks to transparent information about themselves and to get in touch with interested parties. It maintains a weblog on blog.gls.de, backed with a iPhone App Mobile Banking and uses the Internet services Twitter ( the Bank held in 2009, according to the Social Media Newsroom most successful Twitter profile among financial service companies), Facebook, YouTube, Google , and Flickr.

Company figures

Awards

  • Sustainable Bank of the Year in Europe - awarded by the Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation
  • German Sustainability Award as Germany's most sustainable company
  • Bank of the Year 2012 ( Exchange Online and n-tv )
  • Bank of the Year 2011 ( Exchange Online and n-tv )
  • German Fairness Prize 2011 for Thomas Jorberg
  • German Sustainability Award, among the top 3 in the categories of Germany's most sustainable brands and Germany recycled paper -friendly company - the only bank she was nominated from nearly 700 participants
  • European Business Award in the category of corporate sustainability - Selected from 29,000 European companies it was among the top ten players in the category.
  • Bank of the Year 2010 ( Exchange Online and n-tv )
  • BAUM Environmental Award to CEO Thomas Jorberg in the category of Small and Medium Business
  • Bank21 Innovation Award of GAD for the concept for the award and administration of microcredit
  • German Sustainability Award: "Top 3 Most Sustainable Products / Services "
  • Social Entrepreneur of the Council for Sustainable Development Sustainability 2010 Zientz Falk, the founder of micro-credit fund Germany
  • European Business Award in the category of corporate sustainability
  • Marketing Award Bochum
  • Fair Company ( karriere.de )
  • Sustainable Bank of the Year 2009 Germany (New Economy )
  • Future Award 2009 (future e.V. )
  • Award through the online portal portfolio institutionally as "the best sustainable investor "
  • Utopia Award in the category "Company"
  • Award by the Association for company and family as an excellent company in North Rhine -Westphalia (NRW) - With family for our future
  • Certificate Stop Climate Change 2008
  • Awarding the quality label Top Job for outstanding personnel work by Wolfgang Clement
  • Rating as "A- class " companies by the evaluation scheme of the rating agency ethibel ( the first bank in Germany )

Others

The Board sits amongst Götz Werner, founder of DM drugstore market and an avowed anthroposophist billionaire.

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