The first ethical bank in Croatia, Etična Banka was founded by the Cooperative for Ethical Financing (Zadruga za Etično Financiranje). Etična Banka has as its primary goal investing in community development projects that are socially and environmentally sustainable, and is based on the principles of people before profits, transparency and democracy. The members of the Ethical Bank are its owners with one member having one voting voice, regardless of the initial capital investment.
In addition to low and fair interest rates, and fee-less transactions, the Ethical Bank also provides project planning and development support as part of its goal of producing added-value that benefits all of society. To qualify for a loan at the Ethical Bank, a project must be financially sustainable, ecologically sustainable and have a positive social impact. In addition, it places priority on financing projects in agriculture, and specifically ecological agriculture; renewable energy; information technologies; social enterprises, first time entrepreneurs, and small and medium sized enterprises.
