It supports social participation and civil society engagement; it aims to bring people together and disseminate knowledge of the recent history of a region that has been undergoing dramatic changes since 1989.

[1] ERSTE Foundation established the biennial Igor Zabel Award for Culture and Theory in 2008.

[8] Winners: Since 2018 ERSTE Foundation publishes stories and reports from media in the region (e.g. Dennik N, Political Critique, Gazeta Wyborcza) as well as original articles in its bilingual online magazine (German/English).

It supplies images and concepts on topical issues, encourages discussion and contributes to current debates.

[14] The foundation is a member of the following national and international umbrella organizations: Founded in 2007, the ERSTE Foundation Library[20] advances knowledge by building collections and providing open access to materials and information resources that support its projects.

Topics include art and media theory and history, minority and gender issues, cultural theory and policies, economic and political developments, social banking, innovation in foundations, philanthropy, demography, migration, education, and the art of memory.