The be able to of the philanthropy to transform companies

Selfless assistance drives major changes and nurtures the fabric of the community. Over the last decade, the Obra Social of the CECA sector, comprising several foundations and credit institutions, has invested €7.8 billion in activities directed at 31 million beneficiaries

Philanthropy: 'love for the human race'. This is how the Royal Spanish Academy defines a concept that is associated with generosity without consideration, giving something without expecting anything in return. In Europe alone, the assets of public benefit foundations exceed €647 billion and the sector brings together 186,000 non-profit organisations, according to Philea, the benchmark organisation. Philanthropy is therefore an important part of the world. And it is one of the sometimes lesser-known ingredients of the welfare state. Some of the world's biggest donors are well-known names such as Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, or the financiers Warren Buffett and George Soros. In Spain, prominent figures include Elena Foster, Marta Ortega, Carmen Thyssen and Juan Roig. Their mission: identify causes in which to invest resources and energy so that humanity can progress.

And what issues does philanthropy focus on? Historically, the sector has addressed major concerns of general interest, such as health, education, the environment, culture and cooperation between nations. Challenges that today, perhaps more than ever, have names and surnames: climate change, the fight against inequality, the right to housing, digitalisation, the defence of democracy from reactionary waves, universal access to education...

Given the magnitude of the problems philanthropists address, this practice has always relied on public-private cooperation. There are four main stakeholders in this relationship: States, the private sector, NGOs and foundations. Therefore, the actions promoted by philanthropists and the various institutions they support go hand in hand and often have a common motivation: solidarity as the driving force for building a better future.

Contribution to the Spanish economy

This is especially true in Spain, where the impact of the philanthropic sector stood at €27 billion in 2020, nearly 2.4% of GDP, according to a report by the Spanish Association of Foundations prepared by AFI. These figures demonstrate a solid contribution of foundations to the economy, although the value goes beyond what is purely economic: these investments serve to strengthen the educational fabric, cultural creation networks, the promotion of talent and research and technological innovation. As agents committed to social cohesion and the fight against inequality, philanthropists are also one of the best allies for establishing public-private partnerships.

In this context of public-private cooperation, the CECA sector - which represents the credit institutions CaixaBank, Kutxabank and Cajasur Banco, ABANCA, Unicaja, Ibercaja Banco, Caixa Ontinyent, Colonya Pollença and Cecabank - is working to demonstrate the far-reaching capacity of philanthropy to improve people's lives and transform their environment. Together with more than 30 philanthropic and social foundations, the CECA sector is consolidating its position as the largest private social investor in Spain, with an investment of €7.8 billion over the last decade, allocated to 930,000 activities reaching an average of 31 million beneficiaries per year.

This is a vital contribution considering the complicated global situation of recent years, during which a pandemic, a climate crisis and several armed conflicts have shaped the pulse of humanity. Faced with situations such as these, the Obra Social of CECA's members has set up support programmes targeting those citizens most in need, such as the elderly, people at risk of social exclusion and the inhabitants of the emptied Spain.

Actions for which CECA's Obra Social is today considered one of the main agents in the promotion of social inclusion. Work that is progressing thanks to the entities and human teams that continue to professionalise and train themselves to adapt to the social circumstances of our times. And without losing their philanthropic commitment, their love for the human race, to the world to which they belong.