The philanthropy is an engine that moves a far reaching part of the world. There is no doubt that the role catalyst of the philanthropic sector is fundamental to promote good changes and create long-lasting effects in the company, contributing to tackle generalinterest challenges. In Europe, the welfare state has been complemented with philanthropic stock. So that the European philanthropy has been gone constituting starting from the relationship between the State, the private sector, the NGO and the foundations.
The Spanish Academy defines the philanthropy as a “love to the humankind ”. In this line, can say that the philanthropists are people or institutions that are characterised for developing projects with social ends and promote initiatives for the good of the community to local level, national or international. Thus, dedicate actively its time, its resources and its efforts to support causes and projects that they contribute to the well-being and to the progress of the humanity. Therefore, would be able to define the philanthropic foundations as those non-profit organisations that they have as a main end help to people of altruistic way.
Social and economic contribution
According to the Analysis of the economic contribution and social of the Spanish foundations of the Spanish Association of Foundations, elaborated by AFI, the impact of the foundation sector in the Spanish economy represented 27,000 million euros in 2020, figure that supposes 2.4% of the Spanish GDP for that year. These magnitudes demonstrate the solid contribution from the foundations to the economy, but they contribute a lot more value in areas so various as the education, the culture, the creation of talent or the research and the technological innovation . In addition, such as agents committed to the social cohesion and the fight against the inequality, are the best formula to establish collaborations public-private.
The stock that they promote these institutions are closely linked with the securities of philanthropists whose motivations can be very disparate, but they have in common the fact of understanding that the solidarity is necessary to build a better life . In Spain, the sector CECA is an essential actor that demonstrates this skills transcendental that possesses the philanthropy to promote a positive impact in the people and in its environment.
The sector CECA - made up of nine credit institutions (CaixaBank, Kutxabank and Cajasur Bank, ABANCA, Unicaja, Ibercaja Bank, Caixa Ontinyent, Colonya Pollença and Cecabank) and more than thirty foundations that they emphasise for its philanthropic company character, aimed at the local developmental promotion and with a social end - has been consolidated as the private social largest investor of Spain.
The Obra Social of the companies associated with CECA, that comes partner historically to the savings banks, has been moved in recent years towards foundations of the sector that develop initiatives of character charity-social. A commitment that has supposed a crucial component in the social fabric during decades, carrying out a key role in the construction of stronger and sustainablecommunities, and that, from the approval of the Act 26/2013 of Banking Savings Banks and Foundations, has destined an investment of 7,800 millions across the Whole of Spain to promote 930,000 activities that reached an annual average of 31 million payees, just as is given off of the Report of Obra Social 2023.
In these ten years, have lived a pandemic, humanitarian crisis, natural disasters, a war in Europe and geopolitical changes, among others challenges that they have generated an instability and a permanentuncertainty. During this time, the Obra Social has been very current, helping to the company in the moments more difficult and especially to anyone who more it need. An assistance that is translated in programmes directed to promote the improvement of the well-being, promote the equal opportunities and the inclusion, mostly the directed to the senior group, people at risk of social exclusion or for the Spain emptied. The Obra Social of the CECA companies not only it remains at the top of the private social investment in Spain, but instead that it is considered one of the principal operators in the promotion of the social inclusion. A major work that it has been possible thanks to the companies and human resources that in these years have followed professionalising and maintaining its commitment to society , with an enormous capacity of adjustment and flexibility in its programmes