Cultura's roots date back to an initiative from 1982 from a group of Norwegian anthroposophists including Sophus Clausen and economics professor Leif Holbæk-Hanssen, that sought to establish an ethical bank.
One of the banks projects is the establishment of support accounts where part of the interest rate is transferred to one of the organisations World Wildlife Fund, Regnskogfonded, Save the Children, Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature or Kvinne- og Familieforbundet.
Another large area is education where the bank finances primary and secondary schools as well as university level institutions.
Owing to alternative ways of collateralising loans, such as using larger groups of guarantors, many good projects rejected by normal banks have materialised.
The bank is also active in the public debate, offering information about alternatives to mainstream economic thought.