Spanish foundation sector’s development & impact revealed in new report

The Spanish foundation sector has expanded over the last decade, providing an increasing number of jobs as well as supporting greater numbers of people.

Almost 44 million people in Spain received support from foundations in 2019, with the number of beneficiaries increasing 2.45 times since 2008, according to The founding sector in Spain: Fundamental attributes (2008-2019) report, from AEF – the Spanish Association of Foundations.

The report provides an overview of the Spanish foundation sector’s evolution, as well as its impact in the country, both past and present, and shows that the sector plays an increasingly important role in Spanish society, providing social and economic value, as well as employment.

In 2019, the report reveals, Spain had 14,729 foundations, an increase of 1,395 from 2008. This means there are currently around 20 foundations for every 100,000 inhabitants. Half are relatively new – established between 2003 and 2019, and a similar percentage (9,218 foundations) is regularly active.

Overall, the sector employs more than 475,000 people both directly and indirectly, with almost 50% of Spanish foundations headquartered in Catalonia or the Community of Madrid.  These two regions, along with Andalusia, have the highest number of net beneficiaries, at 16.3m, 7.7m and 3.5m users respectively.

Overall, the sector had an estimated €22,500 million in assets in 2019, and expended an estimated €8,500 million. The majority (74%) of their income comes from the private sector, while 16% comes from the public sector and 10% from their own resources.

The report reveals too that in 2008, 38% of foundations served more than 1000 people, increasing to 65% in 2019. For three-quarters in 2019, the main beneficiaries were the general public, followed by people suffering from social exclusion, students, and the sick. 26% supported legal entities, while 33% supported non-profit organisations.

While the data is pre-pandemic, the report also addresses its impact on the sector, acknowledging that it has put great stress on the sector. However, it finds to that this past year has also revealed the sector’s capacity to meet challenges and drive the changes necessary to reinvent itself for the future.

The full report can be read here.