ING For Something Better

Our “Financial Education & Entrepreneurship” initiatives are aimed at children, women, micro- and small business entrepreneurs. We believe in the financial empowerment of people and that it will lead to a better financial future and stronger communities.

Financial education

Supporting financial education fits directly with our business goal of providing products and services that are accessible and easy to understand. It aligns with our commitment to enhance our customers’ financial capability so they can make better financial decisions and become self-sufficient individuals.

At ING, we put special emphasis on educating youth about financial issues. We believe it is important that good financial habits are developed early and that confidence is built from an early age. Without knowing how to manage their money, children can miss out on great opportunities. Or worse, make mistakes that take a long time to undo.

We also engage in improving the financial literacy levels of adults, both in mature and developing markets. We have a special focus on women from low income groups in developing markets where we teach them about saving or where we stimulate and support them to set up their own company. This way we also contribute to building stronger local communities.

Our initiatives take place on group level but also on local level.

Read more about our financial education best practices

Entrepreneurship

We stimulate entrepreneurship as it empowers individuals and their families, expands their economic opportunities and contributes to building stronger communities. We put special focus on supporting micro entrepreneurs, Micro Finance Institutions and starting businesses, in both developing and developed markets. Our initiatives align with our commitment of promoting financial inclusion and our business initiatives in the area of microfinance.

ING has been active in supporting microfinance initiatives through knowledge sharing since 2005. In the Netherland over 3,000 employees support microfinance and in Belgium 500 employees are involved in the local micro finance network. ING has invested in raising awareness about microfinace by organizing events and conferences and continues to pay attention to the topic as part of the broader Corporate Responsibility agenda.

Since 2005 more than 100 ING volunteers, mainly from the Netherlands, have been engaged in capacity building projects from two up to four weeks at local microfinance institutions all over the world.

Read more about Microfinance. 

Volunteering

Through our volunteering activities, employees are encouraged to share their knowledge, for example by coaching micro entrepreneurs or by assisting schools with financial education. It is a natural way for us to support communities by sharing our knowledge and skills.

ING volunteers can get involved for example by coaching entrepreneurs with their business ideas and their business plans. We hereby work together with the BiD Network Foundation. BiD Network is constantly looking for volunteers who will become active as a coach or an expert and assist entrepreneur in emerging markets with writing a business plan. Read more

We are also involved in teaching entrepreneurial skills to children and work with local organisations that support micro entrepreneurs. If you would like to know how you can get involved in your own business unit or country, please go to your Local Chapter

Donations

Our giving in the are a of Financial Education and Entrepreneurship is geared at projects that have a particular focus on educating children, vulnerable groups and micro and small entrepreneurs about the basics of finance and entrepreneurship. For our global giving programme GiveforSomethingBetter we have partnered with the following organisations: Going to School, Technoserve, MelJol and ASA Grama Vidiyal. ING contributes to these causes by matching the donations of our employees to these organisations.

Do you want to make a gift? Visit our donation platform.