Translations

CAISSE D’EPARGNE NORD FRANCE EUROPE furthers microcredit through the “Path of Trust”

7. Community involvement

Social investment

Sector Finance / Bank / Insurance

Year 2012

Country France

Transmitter

Context

CAISSE D’ EPARGNE NORD FRANCE EUROPE is historically a community bank lead by a social vocation. It committed itself in a social responsibility approach for which it dedicates 3.240.000 € per year. In 2006, it was one of the first CAISSE D’ EPARGNE to create “Parcours Confiance” in the Nord Pas de Calais region on its territory to contribute to fight banking exclusion, which acts both as a consequence and a factor of social difficulties.

Objectives

-Finance micro- projects, social as well as professional
- Allow people in precarious situations to access credit
- Develop a specific banking product offer and provide beneficiaries the financial capacity to conduct their insertion project.

APPROACH

Parcours Confiance in the Nord Pas de Calais region is accessible to CAISSE D’ EPARGNE clients and non clients, oriented by social or enterprise creation guidance organizations.

After having examined their needs and social situation, recipients are granted with a bank account and a microcredit. The activity is managed by a CAISSE D’ EPARGNE team dedicated to progressively accompany its clients to get a classical banking relationship again, especially by creating chain with Finance and Instruction.

Best Practice selected by World Forum Lille in 2010 and updated in 2012 for its evolution.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

- An important financial contribution which reinforces the responsible positioning of the CAISSE D’ EPARGNE’s main activities
- Signature of partnership agreements with the Mons-en-Baroeul and Arras CCAS offices, as well as with the SSTRN office (Northern Regional Occupational Health Department).
- Organization of a daylong event devoted to microcredit, in conjunction with the municipality of Grande-Synthe.