ING donates 500,000 euros to the new 'What The Finance' Fund to create a more financially inclusive society
Brussels - ING is proud to announce the launch of the 'What The Finance' Fund. Created in partnership with the King Baudouin Foundation, this Fund aims to promote financial health and inclusion for all Belgians. Donating to this fund is part of ING’s ambition to strengthen its role in society and provide the necessary oxygen for a more financially inclusive society.
Recent research by the University College of West Flanders has shown that many young people feel underprepared for their financial future. Only 5% consider themselves financially well informed. Yet financial health is an essential building block for a stable and resilient society. It goes beyond basic financial knowledge. Attitudes and behaviour are equally important. To address this, ING has established the 'What The Finance' Fund.
ING and the King Baudouin Foundation have been working together constructively for more than 20 years. In order to have the greatest possible impact on Belgian society, they decided to join forces and focus on one Fund. To work towards a more financially inclusive society, the Fund will support both local and national projects of non-profit organisations. In total, ING will donate in 2025 500,000 euros for this purpose.
To select these projects, the Fund will work with targeted calls for proposals. Any Belgian non-profit organisation can submit a project that demonstrates concretely how the financial health of Belgians will be improved. An independent jury selects the organisations who will receive financial support to further develop their projects.
Philippe Wallez, Head of ESG at ING Belgium: “Within our social commitment as a major bank, we recognise that financial inclusion and health are crucial. We are convinced that together with the King Baudouin Foundation we can make a difference. Specifically, the 'What The Finance' Fund will be used to create a more financially inclusive society. We look forward to supporting projects both locally and nationally.”
Stefan Schaefers, Chief Programme Officer at KBF: “The King Baudouin Foundation is building a society that leaves no one behind. With various projects and initiatives, and by promoting financial health & inclusion as a basic competency, the foundation helps young people and their parents to be prepared for the challenges of everyday life.”
About ING
ING Belgium is a universal bank that offers financial services to private customers, companies, and institutional clients. ING Belgium SA is a subsidiary of ING Group SA, via ING Bank SA (www.ing.com).
ING is a global financial institution with a strong European base, offering banking services through its operating company ING Bank. The purpose of ING Bank is: empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. ING Bank’s more than 60,000 employees offer retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 100 countries.
ING Group shares are listed on the exchanges of Amsterdam (INGA NA, INGA.AS), Brussels and on the New York Stock Exchange (ADRs: ING US, ING.N).
ING aims to put sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our policies and actions are assessed by independent research and ratings providers, which give updates on them annually. ING’s ESG rating by MSCI was reconfirmed by MSCI as ‘AA’ in August 2024 for the fifth year. As of December 2023, in Sustainalytics’ view, ING’s management of ESG material risk is ‘Strong’. Our current ESG Risk Rating, is 17.2 (Low Risk). ING Group shares are also included in major sustainability and ESG index products of leading providers. Here are some examples: Euronext, STOXX, Morningstar and FTSE Russell.
