Crédal

Crédal is a Belgian cooperative active in the field of solidarity finance (finance solidaire) in Wallonia and Brussels. It was created in 1984, with its origins traced to the early 1980s and the struggle against apartheid. The organisation first developed around financing social-economy projects, then expanded into advisory services and support, and later applied microfinance principles in French-speaking Belgium to counter the banking exclusion of micro-entrepreneurs. Crédal operates as a cooperative, meaning its members are also its investors. By 2003 the cooperative counted 700 cooperators who together represented nearly 7 million euros of investment. At the beginning of 2006 it had 891 cooperators and around twenty staff members. In the same year, after having collaborated with Fortis through the 'épargne Cigale' savings product and with the cooperative bank BACOB, Crédal began a collaboration with the Dexia foundation. By the end of 2014, funds placed with Crédal exceeded 27 million euros. In 2013 the organisation granted around a thousand credits. These financings allowed 173 social organisations to develop various projects, 136 micro-entrepreneurs to create their own employment, and 645 people to access consumer credit. By 2021, Crédal claimed more than 3,600 cooperators who together had invested nearly 50 million euros in the ethical finance cooperative. Crédal's activities span solidarity savings, credit for social-economy organisations, microcredit for micro-entrepreneurs, consumer credit for people facing banking exclusion, and advisory/accompaniment services. It is a notable actor in the social and solidarity economy of French-speaking Belgium.

Crédal is a Belgian cooperative created in 1984 and active in the field of solidarity finance in Wallonia and Brussels. Its origins go back to the early 1980s, in the struggle against apartheid. Crédal first developed around the financing of social-economy projects. It then moved into advisory services and accompaniment. It also applied the principles of microfinance in French-speaking Belgium in order to counter the banking exclusion of micro-entrepreneurs. In 2003, the cooperative counted 700 cooperators who together represented nearly 7 million euros of investment. At the beginning of 2006, Crédal had 891 cooperators and around twenty staff members. In the same year, after having collaborated with Fortis through the 'épargne Cigale' savings product, and with the cooperative bank BACOB, Crédal began a collaboration with the Dexia foundation. By the end of 2014, funds placed with Crédal exceeded 27 million euros. In 2013 the organisation granted around a thousand credits. These financings allowed 173 social organisations to develop various projects, 136 micro-entrepreneurs to create their own employment, and 645 people to access consumer credit. By 2021, Crédal claimed more than 3,600 cooperators who together had invested nearly 50 million euros in the ethical finance cooperative.

• 2021

  Crédal claims more than 3,600 cooperators who have invested nearly 50 million euros.

• 2014

  Funds placed with Crédal exceed 27 million euros.

• 2013

  Crédal grants around a thousand credits, supporting 173 social organisations, 136 micro-entrepreneurs and 645 consumer-credit users.

• 2006

  Crédal has 891 cooperators and around twenty staff; begins collaboration with the Dexia foundation after working with Fortis and BACOB.

• 2003

  The cooperative counts 700 cooperators representing nearly 7 million euros of investment.

• 1984

  Crédal is created as a Belgian cooperative.

Ethical and solidarity finance cooperative serving Wallonia and Brussels.

• Solidarity savings

  Savings products through which members place funds with the cooperative.

• Social-economy credit

  Financing for social organisations and social-economy projects.

• Microcredit

  Microfinance for micro-entrepreneurs facing banking exclusion.

• Consumer credit

  Credit accessible to people excluded from mainstream banking.

• Advisory and accompaniment

  Advice and support services for project holders.

1. 1Crédal — Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Crédal — Wikipédia (français)fr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Site officiel de Crédalcredal.be