The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) launched its 2021 Annual Report, featuring the main highlights of the network during the year. The report was shared with the member banks during the 2022 Annual General Meeting that took place on 10 March 2022 as part of the GABV 2022 Annual Meeting, hosted by co-founder BRAC Bank (Bangladesh).
The 2021 Annual Report looks at the GABV membership, consisting of 61 full members and five associate banks from 44 countries. It includes an activity report and a summary of the financial accounts.
Last year’s activity report highlighted the GABV’s 2023 Strategic Goals in last year’s report: to Strengthen, Lead and Expand. They are at the heart of the GABV’s work and 2021 was a crucial year in taking all three forward.
The GABV invested significantly in strengthening its members and the network infrastructure during the year, took meaningful steps to bolster its position as the leading body for the Banking on Values movement, and expanded with the addition of two new member banks.
“The world needs our movement”, explains David Reiling, Chair of the GABV, who sees 2021 as the year in which the mission and movement of the GABV proved to be the most resilient and relevant it has ever been.
Highlights in 2021
In a year in which the Covid-19 pandemic was still very much so impacting our daily routines, life turned to the virtual side, and most of our interactions were behind computer screens from our makeshift home offices. One event that took place in such form was the Annual Meeting. 2021 marked the year in which the Annual Meeting was held virtually for the first time, reaching more people than any previous iteration of the Annual Meeting. The event was hosted by Minnesota’s Sunrise Banks, featuring diverse voices paving the way for a fairer, greener financial future. The event furthermore featured a change of guard, as the role of the GABV Chair passed on from Peter Blom, former CEO of Triodos Bank and founder of the GABV, to David Reiling, CEO of Sunrise Banks.
Other success stories include the 2021 edition of the GABV Leadership Academy, attended by a record 39 participants; the publication of a Position Paper on Climate Finance, or the signatory of two new members to the Climate Change Commitment making 34 in total. Furthermore, the crucial Banking on Values Day 2021 resulted in the highest engagement to date, with social media impressions more than doubling compared to the numbers from 2020.
The GABV continued its expansion through the joining of two new members, Finca DRC, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Credo Bank, in Georgia. The network is delighted to welcome our latest members, Finca DRC being the leading microfinance institution in the country, and Credo Bank proving to be a striving member, using innovative financial technology and digital literacy approaches.
2021 marked the launch of the new online GABV Community space. The community space is a platform for all members of the GABV, with a clear message of Learn, Share and Collaborate. This goes hand in hand with the preparation of the new website to be launched at the beginning of 2022. These improvements, although more on the practical side, have drastically improved the outlook of some of the network’s channels, resulting in more practicality for all employees and members.
The launch of the 2021 Annual Report and the recent 2022 Annual Meeting, convened between 8-10 March, allowed for reflection upon the challenges encountered, but also recognition of the fruits of the community’s labour. The 2021 Annual Report is available to read on the GABV’s website, in both English and Spanish.
2021 Annual Report in English:
2021 Annual Report in Spanish:
