About us

Making sense with money
INAISE (the International Association of Investors in the Social Economy) is a global network of socially and environmentally oriented financial institutions. Created in 1989, INAISE grew rapidly as social finance gained importance, volume and visibility in a number of European and non-European countries.

Through INAISE, social investors from all over the world have been joining forces to exchange experience, disseminate information and show that money can actually used to achieve positive social and environmental change. INAISE members, through their respective investment policies, foster and promote the following sectors:

• Environment and sustainable development: renewable energy (wind, solar and hydro power); organic agriculture, food processing and retail; nature conservation; eco-building; clean technologies;  
• Social economy: co-operatives; community enterprises; employee participation; employee buy-outs; micro and small enterprise creation and development, especially among the unemployed, the poor, migrants and women; 
• Health-care: health centres; community care; clinics and hospitals; programmes for the disabled; preventive therapies;  
• Social development: social housing; community housing; employment generation; social services, community transport; charities; community groups and the voluntary sector; 
• Education and Training: school buildings; training courses; organisational development; alternative schools; 
• North-South: fair trade; small-enterprise start-ups through micro credit programmes; small business training and counselling; crafts, farming, small-scale industries; 
• Culture and arts: artists; exhibitions, theatre; film; dance; local radios.

 
INAISE...  
 
INAISE is a not-for-profit association under Belgan law. At our Annual General Meeting, INAISE members elect a Board of Directors, to  provide the guidance, while the daily management of INAISE is delegated to the INAISE Coordinator.
As an organisation, INAISE...

• encourages and supports international (including North-South) co-operation between investors in the social economy.
• serves as an information desk for organisations and individuals interested in the field of social economy financing.
• plays an active role in representing the movement of social investors,
• disseminates information on its members, new publications, conferences and training courses
• organises and facilitates international conferences
• contributes to and co-ordinates research projects in the field of social economy financing, sponsored by national and international institutions.
• facilitates and co-ordinates joint projects by members.

Membership
Membership of INAISE is open to any organisation that takes an active interest in the furtherance of INAISE's goals. For further information on the types of membership available, please consult the Members Page.
The membership of INAISE includes banks, co-operative financial institutions, not-for-profit associations, foundations, venture-capital and guarantee-funds, demonstrating a great diversity in organisational and legal structures, size, policies and financial instruments. INAISE makes this wealthy experience and diversified toolkit available to all who are involved in finding new financial solutions to today’s social and environmental problems. INAISE members do not just invest in different sectors; they approach investment and depositis differently from traditional financial institutions, keeping the tenets of transparency, consumer engagement and supporting social/community impact while tailoring their services to their customer base.
As deposits collectors, they try to be as transparent as possible so as to let individuals see what is actually going on with their money, thus generating consumer awareness and involvement. As investors, they provide not just money but also information and advice, while offering generally more creative and flexible terms and conditions, particularly for not-for-profit projects and enterprises which are short on collateral, but with a high social impact and community support.