1. ISB Annual Report 2009
with some outlooks on 2010
“Excellent opportunity to broaden my knowledge about Social Banking and Finance.”
Ergo Themas, Social Bankers AS, Estonia, participant of the seminar “Social Banking in Practice”.
Institute for Social Banking - April 2010
Katharina Beck - www.social-banking.org

2. Content
About the Institute for Social Banking (ISB).................................................................................................... 3
Mission ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
Members ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Target audience ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Education ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
MA (Master of Arts) in Social Banking and Social Finance ........................................................................ 4
International Summer School on Social Banking ...................................................................................... 4
International Social Bankers Introduction Seminar ................................................................................... 5
ISB Annual Report 2009
First ISB Experts Seminar | Start of the ISB Experts Seminar Series ......................................................... 5
Lecture Series “Responsible Finance” ....................................................................................................... 6
First ISB Round Table ................................................................................................................................. 7
Seminar: “Socially oriented Finance” ........................................................................................................ 7
Seminar: “Social Banking in Practice” ....................................................................................................... 8
Dr. Sven Remer (ISB) lecturing at Pupils’ Academy ................................................................................... 8
Research ........................................................................................................................................................... 9
Launch of the ISB Paper Series .................................................................................................................. 9
Development of first Bachelor Elective on Social Banking worldwide .................................................... 10
Development of the Book: “Social Banks and the Future of Sustainable Finance”................................. 10
Literature, media and research ............................................................................................................... 10
ISB People News ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Katharina Beck (Staff) .............................................................................................................................. 11
Frans de Clerck (Supervisory Board) ....................................................................................................... 11
Mirjam Fochler (Staff) ............................................................................................................................. 11
Julian Kühn (Managing Director) ............................................................................................................. 11
Els Verhagen (Supervisory Board) ........................................................................................................... 11
Olaf Weber (Supervisory Board) ............................................................................................................. 11
General staff information ........................................................................................................................ 12
Awards and communications ........................................................................................................................ 12
ISB awarded as UNESCO project. ............................................................................................................ 12
MA Social Banking awarded the Continuing Education Prize 2010. ........................................................ 12
Increase of (virtual) outreach of the ISB ................................................................................................. 12
Website re-launch and facebook ............................................................................................................ 14
Press ....................................................................................................................................................... 14
Financial Report ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Feedback in 2009 ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Associate with us ........................................................................................................................................... 16
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3. About the Institute for Social Banking (ISB)
The Institute for Social Banking (ISB) is a charitable association, focussing on education and research for
Social Banking.
Mission
Through education and research, the ISB fosters awareness, knowledge and competences regarding
Social Banking and Social Finance. The ISB is a worldwide renowned source of inspiration for change
towards a socially and ecologically oriented banking and finance sector.
ISB Annual Report 2009
Members
In 2009, the ISB had 12 members, all European Social Banks and financial service providers. These are (in
alphabetical order):
• Alternative Bank Schweiz (Switzerland)
• Banca Etica (Italy)
• Cultura Bank (Norway)
• Ekobanken (Sweden)
• GLS Bank (Germany)
• GLS Treuhand (Germany)
• Hannoversche Kassen (Germany)
• Hermes Österreich (Austria)
• La NEF (France)
• Merkur Bank (Denmark)
• Stiftung Edith Maryon (Switzerland)
• Triodos Bank (Netherlands) HERMES-Österreich
Geistgemäße Geldgebarung
Target audience
With our training and research, we address future and current professionals in the banking and finance
sector and other stakeholders, such as academics, students and the interested public.
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4. Education
A central part of the ISB’s activities are its training offers. Two core projects are the MA (Master of Arts) in
Social Banking and Social Finance and the bi-yearly International Summer School on Social Banking.
In addition, the ISB offers shorter seminars on various topics and for different audiences.
MA (Master of Arts) in Social Banking and Social Finance
Since 2009, students can start every semester with this part-time, three-years programme, where professionals
from the banking and finance sector critically reflect on their every day business and academically develop
ISB Annual Report 2009
their practice with an innovative method of action research. Since its launch in 2007, it was only possible to
start with the MA Social Banking and Social Finance every two years. This has now been changed. The MA is
offered in co-operation with the University of Plymouth, UK.
Numbers
Seven students began the course in 2009. In total, at the end of 2009, there were 16 active students from six
different countries involved in the MA.
www.social-banking.org/masters Be the change.
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org,
International Summer School on Social Banking
In 2009, planning and
organisation for the 3rd
International Summer
School on Social Banking,
taking place from 18 to 23
July 2010 in Florence in Italy,
has started. The School will
focus on „Banking on values“
and ask „what values?“ these
actually are. As banking is
a social interaction, we will
also link these discussions to
our personal values.
Goals
The International Summer
Schools on Social Banking
provide a unique opportunity
for interested and engaged
people to meet and develop new perspectives on banking and finance. In addition to introducing Social
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5. Education
Banking in general, every Summer School addresses a main topic.
Summer School now yearly!
In 2009, we decided to organise a Summer School on a yearly basis (before, it was bi-yearly). After Florence
in 2010, the next Summer School will take place in 2011.
www.social-banking.org/summer-school
Contact
ISB Annual Report 2009
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org
International Social Bankers Introduction Seminar
On 07 and 08 May 2009, the ISB organised an
introduction seminar in Stuttgart for 18 new
employees of socially oriented banks. Participants
of the German GLS Bank, the ASB from Switzerland
as well as the Ethical Banking Initiative of the
Raiffeisenbank in Bolzano/Italy were attendant.
The focus of this seminar was on “values in
the controversy of employees, companies and
customers”. The current relevance of this issue
developed particularly out of the rapid growth of
the value-orientated banking and finance sector. In
consequence, a growing number of employees, who
worked for common bank institutes by then, engage
in this new branch. This causes questions, i. e. regarding the meaning of values for the mode of working in
these companies, or in reference to the relation of customer-, employee- and company-values.
Contact
Dr. Sven Remer, sven.remer@social-banking.org.
First ISB Experts Seminar | Start of the ISB Experts Seminar Series
The first ISB Experts Seminar, taking place on 13 and 14 May 2009 in Rösrath, Germany, brought together
seven ISB member institutions’ experts in personnel development.
This seminar was the first one in the newly launched ISB Expert Seminar Series, an exclusive offer for ISB
members. The new format brings together the leading professionals from the same functional areas in the
respective organisations professionals in the member institutions of the ISB.
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6. Education
Goals of the Series
The Series strives to support the
effectiveness and efficiency of the
success of the ISB members, by providing
them a platform for intensive exchange
and mutual learning. It is planned to
have one Experts Seminar per year.
Up-coming Experts Seminar focusses
ISB Annual Report 2009
on Marketing and Social Media
The next ISB Experts Seminar takes
place on 27 and 28 October 2010 in
Frankfurt, Germany, and focuses on
Marketing and Public Relations.
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
Lecture Series “Responsible Finance”
Together with the student initiative oikos Cologne,
the ISB organised the first Lecture Series “Responsible
Finance” at the University of Cologne, hosted by the
Chair for Financial Management and supported by
the Professional Centre of the University.
The 13 weekly lectures took place in the Winter Term
2009/10 (October 2009 to January 2010). 38 BA
students wrote an assignment on a “Responsible
Finance” topic. The Series started with theoretical
reflections on money, the financial system and the
role of different agents in it and then introduced
practical examples and trends of Responsible
Finance, like regional currencies, Social Banks and
Socially Responsible Investments (SRI).
Selected speakers
• Prof. em. Hans Christoph Binswanger, University of St.Gallen, Switzerland
• Stefan Biskamp, World Future Council Finance Commission, Germany
• Frans de Clerck, Triodos Bank and Global Alliance for Banking on Values, The Netherlands
• Mirjam Fochler, Co-Founder of Chiemgauer e.V. and Institute for Social Banking
• Norbert Matysik, Bundesbank (German Central Bank)
• Prof. Dr. Harald Spehl, University of Trier, Germany
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7. Education
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
First ISB Round Table
On 24 November 2009 in Bochum, twelve invited guests discussed about “the Concept of Sustainable
Development in Banking” in the first ISB Round Table. The focus was on the following three topics:
• The relationship between economic performance and sustainable development,
presented by Rainer Scheiwe, Hannoversche Kassen, Germany
ISB Annual Report 2009
• The role of culture (as on pillar of sustainability) in banking,
presented by Katharina Beck, Institute for Social Banking
• The role of the time dimension in banking,
presented by Julian Kühn, Institute for Social Banking
The next ISB Round Table will take place in Autumn 2010, addressing “The relationship between Biographical
and Financial Consulting”.
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
Seminar: “Socially oriented Finance”
In this two days seminar, taking place on 04 and 05 December 2009 in co-operation with the Alanus Werkhaus
in Alfter, Germany, the seven participants reflected on their personal relationship to money, banking and
finance. With input, interactive and creative artistic sessions, they challenged their basic assumptions about
money and its systems.
Moderated by
• Michael Lieberoth-Leden, tutor in the MA Social Banking
• Sven Remer, Institute for Social Banking
In February 2010, the group meets again to go on with their learning experience.
Contact
Dr. Sven Remer, sven.remer@social-banking.org.
7

8. Education
Seminar: “Social Banking in Practice”
This two days seminar, organised on 11 and 12 December 2010 in Bochum and Cologne by the ISB in co-
operation with oikos Cologne, aimed to enable the participants to be change agents towards Social Banking.
In case studies, elevator pitches, lectures, reflective sessions and creative exercises, the 16 participants,
students and professionals from three different countries, learned how Social Banking works in practice.
Speakers
• Katharina Beck, Institute for Social Banking (moderation)
• Dr. Sven Remer, Institute for Social Banking
ISB Annual Report 2009
• Stephan Schaller, triple innova consultants, Germany
• Dr. Olaf Weber, Alternative Bank Schweiz, Switzerland
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
Dr. Sven Remer (ISB) lecturing at Pupils’ Academy
On 26 March 2009 in Brückeberg, Germany, Dr. Sven Remer (ISB) talked and discussed with approx. 50 pupils
about “Trust vs. greed” and what role “soft factors” play for banks and consumers. His contribution was
embedded in the Pupils’ Academy Schaumburg on the topic “Crisis, what crisis?”. The co-operation with the
Pupils’ Academy is carried on further and will go on in 2010.
Contact
Dr. Sven Remer, sven.remer@social-banking.org.
For all seminars, visit the website: www.social-banking.org/en/isb-seminars/
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9. Research
Beyond practical experience in existing Social Banks, theoretical and empirical research on Social Banking
and Social Finance is very scarce until today. The ISB tries to fill this gap between practice and academic
research and teaching on Social Banking and Social Finance.
www.social-banking.org/en/researchteaching/
Launch of the ISB Paper Series
In July 2009, the “ISB Paper Series – Selected Research Papers on Social Banking and Social Finance” was
launched. This Paper Series strives to promote a deeper understanding of the topic of Social Banking and
ISB Annual Report 2009
Social Finance and to inspire discussions with the published working papers. The published papers in 2009
were:
• No. 1: “How moves to stabilise credit markets in the UK have prioritised mainstream finance over
social finance”, by Stuart Field.
• No. 2: “Discussions and recommendations for the enhancement of annual reporting by a public
company with an innovative shareholding structure”, by Christian Hiß.
• No. 3: “The lifestyle of health and sustainability as challenge to the customer dialogue concept of a
specific social-ecological institution”, by Axel Bend, Karen Faust, Benjamin Mettbach.
The Paper Series is published on a bimonthly basis.
www.social-banking.org/en/researchteaching/isb-paper-series/
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
Characteristics of the MA
Social Banking and Social Finance
9

10. Research
Development of first Bachelor Elective on Social Banking worldwide
In 2009, Dr. Sven Remer started to develop the first Elective Module on
„Social Banking“ in a Bachelor Programme worldwide. He based his work
on existing literature, but also designed new approaches.
Starting in the Spring Term 2010, it will be taught to Business Students at
the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Germany.
www.social-banking.org/en/researchteaching/bachelor-module-social-banking/
ISB Annual Report 2009
Contact
Dr. Sven Remer, sven.remer@social-banking.org.
Development of the Book: “Social Banks and the Future of Sustainable Finance”
In a joint effort, ISB Supervisory Board president Prof. Dr. Olaf Weber and Dr. Sven Remer in 2009 developed the
idea for an edited publication on “Social Banks and the Future of Sustainable Finance”. The book that will be
published in 2010 by Routledge, addresses students and experts who want to understand the basic concepts,
products and services of social and ethical banking. It contains chapters on the history and background of
Social Banking, products and services, organisation and human resources and on future developments. Thus
the book will deliver the basic academic background for the main aspects of social banking.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Olaf Weber, oweber@uwaterloo.ca.
Literature, media and research
Also in 2009, we were constantly involved in writing and research about Social Banking and Social Finance,
both on an academic level and also in relevant media. The written assignments of the MA Social Banking
students additionally contribute to the further development of academic papers on Social Banking and Social
Finance.
Part of our work is the constant up-date of a literature list on Social Banking.
www.social-banking.org/en/researchteaching/literature-articles/
Contact
Dr. Sven Remer, sven.remer@social-banking.org.
10

11. ISB People News
Katharina Beck (Staff)
Since February 2009, Katharina Beck is working for the Institute for Social Banking where she is
responsible for communications, develops and manages several projects and organises the
Summer School 2010. She started with a 50% job and now works 80% for the ISB.
Before joining the ISB, in 2008, she was president of oikos International – students for
sustainable Economics and Management in St.Gallen, Switzerland. In 2007, she graduated
in Regional Sciences of Latin America (Political Sciences, International Law, History and
Languages) at the University of Cologne.
Katharina writes at www.kathas-welt.de about sustainable lifestyles and
ISB Annual Report 2009
lives in Cologne.
Frans de Clerck (Supervisory Board)
At the ISB Supervisory Board Meeting on 05 May 2009 in Bochum, Germany, Frans de
Clerck, former president of the ISB Supervisory Board, resigned from his office. We thank
him a million for his incredible engagement for the ISB.
Mirjam Fochler (Staff)
In July 2009, Mirjam Fochler, Economics student at University of
Witten/Herdecke, Germany, joined the team. In 8 hours per week (20%), she supports the
ISB in establishing a contact data base, up-dating the website and organising the Summer
School 2010.
Mirjam has co-founded the regional currency Chiemgauer e.V., during her time at high
school.
Julian Kühn (Managing Director)
Julian Kühn, since the foundation of the ISB in 2006 being in a double-role as
Member of the Board of GLS Treuhand (80%) and as Managing Director of the ISB (20%),
decided to abandon its task at GLS Treuhand and to concentrate on his work at the ISB,
starting on 01 July 2010.
Els Verhagen (Supervisory Board)
At the ISB Members Meeting on 05 May 2009 in Bochum, Germany, Els
Verhagen, HR manager at Triodos Bank, was elected as new member in the ISB Advisory
Board.
Olaf Weber (Supervisory Board)
At the ISB Supervisory Board Meeting on 05 May 2009 in Bochum,
Germany, Olaf Weber, representing the Alternative Bank Schweiz, was
elected as new Chairperson of the Board.
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12. ISB People News
General staff information
• Dr. Sven Remer, Academic Director, Project Management (60%, 20% training and 20% parental leave).
• Anja Hauser, Masters Coordinator (33%).
Awards and Communication
ISB Annual Report 2009
ISB awarded as UNESCO project.
In September 2009, the Institute for Social Banking was awarded by the German UNESCO
Commission as official project of the UN Decade “Education for Sustainable Development”.
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
MA Social Banking awarded the Continuing Education Prize 2010
Already in December 2009, the news reached us: On 18 March 2010, the MA in
Social Banking and Social Finance (MASB) will be awarded the Special Prize of
the Continuing Education Innovation Awards 2010 by the Federal Institute for
Vocational Education (BIBB) for „accessibility between vocational training and
higher education“. The award’s patron is the Prime Minister of North Rhine-
Westphalia, Dr Jürgen Rüttgers.
www.social-banking.org/en/news/article/nr/278/
Contact:
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
Increase of (virtual) outreach of the ISB
In 2009, the ISB became more visible, according to the amount of requests received throughout the year.
This trend can best be seen in the increase of the visits of the ISB’s website www.social-banking.org and
its subpages. Also regarding in-going phone calls and requests via email, there has been a huge increase
of interest for the ISB compared to 2008, even though we have no recorded numbers on phone calls and
emails.
12

13. Awards and Communication
Website numbers
Comparing December 2008 with December 2009, we can resume the following numbers for the website
www.social-banking.org:
Unique visitors
No. of client hosts (IP addresses) who came to visit the site (and who viewed at least one page), (see fig. 1):
Increase by 295 % (Dec 2008: 539 => Dec 2009: 1.590)
ISB Annual Report 2009
Figure 1: Unique visitors (No. of client hosts (IP addresses) who came to visit the site (and
who viewed at least one page)) of www.social-banking.org and its subpages from Dec 2008
to March 2010. Source: own elaboration on the basis of website statistics.
Page views
No. of times a page of the site is viewed (sum for all visitors for all visits), (see fig. 2):
Increase by 266 %
(Dec 2008: 2.716 => Dec 2009: 7.215)
Figure 2: Page views (No. of times a page of the site is viewed (sum for all visitors for all
visits)) of www.social-banking.org and its subpages from Dec 2008 to March 2010. Source:
own elaboration on the basis of website statistics.
13

14. Awards and Communication
Website re-launch and facebook
In June 2009, the website www.social-banking.
org was partly re-launched. In the focus stood the
introduction of a third, interactive column on the
right side, a new news item and in general, a more
coherent online style using the same colours, more
pictures, movies (when possible) and bullet points.
ISB Annual Report 2009
www.social-banking.org
In addition to the ISB’s website, in December 2009
a facebook fan page was created. In April 2010, the
ISB has 201 fans.
Go to the ISB Facebook page
Press
Mostly in German speaking newspapers and platforms, there have been several articles and interviews
about and with the ISB in 2009. Amongst them are the BNE-Journal (magazine of the UN-Decade Education
for Sustainable Development), Deutschlandradio Kultur, Glocalist, Die Wochenzeitung (WOZ), www.
nachhaltigkeit.org and Sozialimpulse.
www.social-banking.org/en/the-institute/press/
Contact
Katharina Beck, katharina.beck@social-banking.org.
Financial Report
Income 201.000 EUR
• Member Institutions 81.000 EUR
• Foundations 43.000 EUR
• Seminar Fees 73.000 EUR
• Other 4.000 EUR
Epenses 199.000 EUR
Contact
Julian Kühn, julian.kuehn@social-banking.org.
14

15. Feedback in 2009
ISB Annual Report 2009
• “We would come again next year!”
Participants of the ISB Experts Seminar Personnel
Development.
• “Excellent opportunity to broaden my knowledge about social banking/finance
subject.”
Ergo Themas, Social Bankers AS, Estonia, participant of the seminar “Social Banking in
Practice”.
• “You help to create a better world with a social and responsible banking sector.”
Moufid Damane, banker and student of Economics at the University of Cologne, Germany,
participant of the seminar “Social Banking in Practice”.
• “To reflect on yourself and your work on an academic level provides an incredible
potential for change.“
Andrea Valdinoci, financial consultant at GLS Trauhand, Germany,
and student in the MA Social Banking and Social
Finance.
15

16. Associate with us
Get involved
• As a member (if you are an organisation closely linked to Social Banking)
• As a financial supporter (donation or official support)
• As a participant in our programmes
• Registering for our newsletter (at newsletter@social-banking.org)
• Staying up-to-date at www.social-banking.org
• Joining the ISB fan page on facebook
ISB Annual Report 2009
• Or just write or call us personally (see addresses above) or at info@social-banking.org or
0049 (0)234 5797-185.
Bank account
The Institute is a charitable association under German law.
Institute for Social Banking e.V.
Support us
Account number: 4018 783 400 • BLZ: 430 609 67
GLS Gemeinschaftsbank eG Bochum
IBAN: DE74 4306 0967 4018 783 400 • BIC: GENODEM1GLS
Address
Institute for Social Banking e.V.
Christstr. 9
44789 Bochum
Germany
www.social-banking.org
Questions on this Annual Report?
Get in touch with Katharina Beck at katharina.beck@social-banking.org or 0049 (0) 234 5797-185 or
sending a letter to the above mentioned address.
Content, concept and design: Katharina Beck (katharina.beck@social-banking.org) and Patricia Ciecierski, June 2010.
This Annual Report has been printed on 100% recycled paper and is carbon neutral. All CO2 emissions generated during paper manufacture and printing have been neutralised.
Photograph and image credits: Institute for Social Banking.
We intended to indicate the photographs and image sources as completely as possible.
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