Strategy for 2021 to 2024

Mission

The mission of the Guarantee Foundation is to help prevent and solve citizens’ debt problems by improving their chances of taking control of their own finances.

Values

• Initiative
• Expertise
• Humanity
• Courage
• Co-operation

Vision

In 2024, the Guarantee Foundation will be the leading player in its field, with an even stabler financing base. Our operations are based on the continuous assessment of our operational environment and activities, as well as their proactive improvement.

Strategic Target Programme 1: Preventing and solving financial problems by knowledge-based, proactive and effective work

1.1. Financial inclusion enables financial wellbeing

The starting point for financial management is to be included in your own financial matters. Everyone living in Finland must have equal and reasonable opportunities, as well as the required knowledge and skills to act independently in matters concerning their own finances, taking into account people’s different situations in life. For the people facing these issues, there should be easily accessible solutions available that take into account people’s unique situations and all parties’ interests in a fair way. When developing services and legislation, we should consider people’s real-life experiences and try to understand different perspectives. After all, long-term financial problems are not in anyone’s interest.

1.2. Economically, socially and ecologically sustainable financial decisions are made consciously

The well-being of households should be seen as a combination of economically, socially and ecologically sustainable choices and activities. This is made possible by promoting healthy and direct dialogue between different individuals, communities, social actors and institutions. Households should be supported by providing them with information, guidance and tools regarding finances and decision-making that make it possible to make conscious and sustainable choices in everyday life. The role of the structures of society is to provide everyone with economically, socially and ecologically sustainable welfare that is based on scientific information and systemic co-operation between different sectors.

Strategic Target Programme 2: The best solutions to financial problems of households

2.1. The Guarantee Foundation’s debt adjustment operations play a major role as part of the larger debt adjustment system

For the past 30 years, the Guarantee Foundation’s debt adjustment activities have played an important part in solving debt problems in Finland. The nature of financial and debt problems has changed dramatically during that time. That is why it is important, at the beginning of the 2020s, to review the Guarantee Foundation’s entire debt adjustment system, assess its role in relation to other debt problem solutions, and plan the most important steps of development for the coming years. How big a share of society’s debt problem-solving do the Foundation’s debt adjustment operations produce? What type of people in what types of situations can the Foundation’s debt adjustment operations best serve? What will be the Foundation’s operational preconditions and success factors in the coming years?

2.2. Modern and improved services reach people at the right time and strengthen their financial abilities

Improving our operations should not be done by ourselves and for ourselves, but instead we should grow as a part of a larger whole, offering and seeking opportunities for partnerships. The Guarantee Foundation is opening more doors for partnership with not just organisations in the voluntary sector but also those in other sectors of society. The financial matters of households are spread across society, which is why financial issues should be presented in places where people in different situations in life can be reached. The Guarantee Foundation can use networking to help professionals in other lines of work to see the part that financial problems play in their work as a whole.

In the coming years, the focus of service improvement will be on the further development of our electronic services, as they make it easier to cover more ground. Any additional improvement operations will be done based on need and with appropriate partners. During the span of this strategy programme, these operations will focus on, for example, opportunities to develop the service selection and methods for people whose addictions have led to the incurring of debts.

Strategic Target Programme 3: Operational capacity is secured in a changing operating environment

3.1. The Foundation is highly responsive to changes

In order to be responsive, the Guarantee Foundation must have competent personnel, information on the financial problems that households face and their causes, as well the ability to use this information. Together with its customers, the Foundation produces unique information on financial and debt problems. We are also in a great position to use our network to gather information produced elsewhere. The available information is used to steer and manage operations and for the common good, as part of our networking and social activities. Change does not always happen quickly, and new information is produced all the time. When choosing the focus of our operations, we must consider both long-term strategic needs for change and, when necessary, the ability to remain highly responsive to changes. The Foundation’s personnel are highly competent, but with the environment and needs in a constant state of flux, they too must be able to keep learning new things and honing their skills. The need to train the Foundation’s personnel is based on the continuous assessment of our operational environment and activities.

3.2. The Foundation’s operations are financially secure

At the beginning of the 2020s, Finnish organisations in the voluntary sector are in a situation where they need to assess their financial preconditions. There is a greater societal demand for voluntary sector services than before, but at the same time their financing base is undergoing a major transformation. The Guarantee Foundation must also assess the funding model of our operations for the coming years and seek to broaden our financing base. Developing and broadening the financing base requires new kinds of expertise and new thinking. It is the basic precondition for the Foundation’s existence.