However, in addition to facing the devastation on the ground, organizations also had to confront a parallel storm: disinformation. From the earliest days of the emergency, false information and rumours spread widely, casting doubt on their work and generating confusion.

Data in context: the real scope of the response

The Spanish Association of Fundraising (AEFr) notes that in times of high emotional impact, it’s easy to turn to simplified explanations for complex situations, but that information needs context in order to be truly useful and truthful.

It has compiled a set of key data in an infographic that reflects the coordinated humanitarian effort carried out by NGOs during the emergency. This analysis required meticulous work and highlights the solidarity demonstrated by these organizations at the most critical moments.

The figures presented are based on data collected up to February 1, 2025, and were provided by AEFr member organizations. While not all activity is captured—especially that of local entities—the numbers reflect the scale of an unprecedented mobilization.

An unprecedented response

• Over 322,000 people received humanitarian assistance in the first few weeks.
• 75,000 families were supported with essential resources.
• More than 160,000 food kits and 40,000 hygiene kits were distributed.
• 5,000 kg of medical supplies were delivered, along with blankets, beds, mattresses, household appliances, and furniture.
• 28 shelters were set up in 21 municipalities, providing refuge to 953 people who had lost their homes.

The power of volunteers and logistics

• Over 9,000 volunteers and 500 trained professionals were deployed on the ground.
• 400 rescue and relief teams were mobilized.
• More than 60 logistics hubs were activated to coordinate aid distribution.
• 48 trucks, 20 mud-clearing vehicles, 19 water pumps, and 14 ambulances were used to ensure a rapid and effective response.

The obstacle of disinformation

The emergency brought not only destruction but also a wave of misleading claims and hoaxes aimed at discrediting NGOs and undermining trust – right when help was most urgently needed. Disinformation slowed down the response, created confusion among potential donors, and jeopardized fundraising efforts at a critical time.

The Spanish Fundraising Association notes that these false narratives “not only disrupted field operations but also undermined public trust, weakening social solidarity in one of the most delicate phases of the crisis.”

Ongoing reconstruction: a long-term commitment

The actions described here belong to Phase 1 of the emergency response, focused on meeting the most urgent needs. But, the association adds, the work of NGOs is far from over: “Today, long-term recovery programs are being implemented – vital for rebuilding communities and restoring lives.

“Solidarity doesn’t end when the headlines fade. It takes the shape of long-term support, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. And for that work to continue, trust in NGOs is more essential than ever.”

Main picture by Victor Moragriega on Pexels

However, 40% of Spaniards have never contributed financially, highlighting a significant growth opportunity for the third sector.

The Spanish Fundraising Association (AEFr) has released the data from its 2024 Donor Profile Study in collaboration with Tuinkel, a strategic design laboratory.

Most popular causes

The study also highlights the causes that resonate most with donors, and therefore receive the highest levels of support. These include medical assistance and access to basic health services (82%), support for elderly people without family assistance (82%), and research on diseases and epidemics (80%), along with support for children and assistance for people with disabilities, which also garnered the same percentage.

Donation motivation

In Spain, the main motivation for donating is the desire to make a difference, reflecting a strong connection between solidarity and a sense of self-efficacy. However, the lack of financial resources, cited by 33% of non-donors, remains one of the main barriers, followed by distrust and a lack of transparency in organizations (20%).

On a positive note, over 13 million people in Spain have placed their trust in a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to channel their solidarity, as highlighted in the 2024 Donor Profile Study, according to Fernando Morón, director of AEFr.

The report underscores the crucial role of NGOs as agents of social cohesion in a context of increasing polarization.

Picture by Altamart on Pexels

The mean average individual legacy donation received in 2023 was €89,000, and the median was €23,000. In 2022, the mean was €126,000.

These gifts came from 582 wills – an increase of 31% since 2022.

The AEFr says that the increase in legacies has been driven by the Haz Testamento Solidario campaign.

Last year, a total of 742,123 wills were registered in Spain – an increase of 16% since 2022 – suggesting that there is significant potential for the sector to further develop its legacy income.

Separately, AEFr has released ¿Cómo son los donantes en España?, a report bringing together findings from three recent studies it has undertaken into separate aspects of giving in Spain – including its Barómetro de la filantropía privada en España, which was published for the first time last year; and its long-running Realidad del Socio y Donante report.

This report is designed to support Spanish fundraisers in understanding the profile of potential donors, and shows that four in 10 Spaniards (39%) gave money to a nonprofit in the last year, with 17% of those being casual donors and 22% being ‘socios’ (members) making regular gifts. An additional 22% has made a donation to a charity previously, but not in the last year.

Men and women are equally represented among casual donors, while 60% of ‘socios’ are women. The average age of the casual donor is 49, a decade younger than those who make regular gifts.

Photo by Danielle Suijkerbuijk on Unsplash

Carlos Molina, analyst and writer for MultiVersial.es newsletter, will discuss trends and innovation in digital business and how it will impact the NGO sector.

Jimena Tormo, head of gaming and interactive IPs by DeAPlaneta Entertainment, will share innovative examples of how XR and gaming can transform fundraising and take a look at the tools needed to change marketing and communication strategies to attract more donors and partners.

Frederic Bardeu, Simpolon.co co-founder, is going to talk about how to introduce AI into activism and fundraising, and taking advantage of new opportunities whilst at the same time minimising the risks that AI brings.

All news and registrations are available on the Digital Fundraising Hub website.

Commenting on the event, Fernando Morón, director of the AEFr, said: “Digital Fundraising Hub offers a valuable space for Third Sector professionals to learn about the latest trends in economics, marketing and digital fundraising.”

Picture by mikoto.raw Photographer on Pexels

This is according to Fundación Lealtad, a nonprofit organisation which evaluates NGOs. Published ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March), its data covers the boards and leaders of the 277 nonprofits holding its ‘Dona con Confianza’ (Donate with Confidence) accreditation.

In addition to 54% having female CEOs, 44% have a woman as chair or president, and boards or governing bodies are 48% female.

This contrasts with the boards of listed companies, which are 32% female – although that figure has risen rapidly from 14% in 2014. In Spain’s central government administration, 42% of senior roles are occupied by women, while only 26% of university professors are women.

Charity caveats

While the third sector’s numbers are better than others, Fundación Lealtad says that women are still underrepresented in leadership, given that they make up 71% of all employees in these organisations.

The data reveals that there are fewer women in leadership among larger organisations – it says that 80% of female-led NGOs have a budget of less than €3.6m, while 80% of male-led NGOs have a budget of more than €7.3m.

There is also a higher proportion of women on boards in nonprofits where the chair is a woman, while 25% of female chairs and 18% of female board members have a relative who is affected by the issue which the nonprofit exists to tackle. Fundación Lealtad argues that this is “no coincidence”, given the high proportion of women who care for relatives, for whom a natural next step might be to get involved in a relevant nonprofit, and take on more responsibilities.

Ana Benavides, CEO of Fundación Lealtad, comments on the report:

“As we continue to move towards more just and inclusive societies, it is essential to recognise and celebrate these advances, while working together to overcome remaining challenges. Although an initial look at this data might lead us to think that parity has been achieved in the third sector, when you look more closely certain issues do come up, and we must give these more attention.”

Picture by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash

The number of people making donations of €3,000 and higher rose to 8,381 over the period, according to the first Barómetro de la filantropía privada en España. The study was prepared in collaboration with the University of Alcalá’s Institute of Economic and Social Analysis, and consultancy Diagram Consultores, using data from 16 NGOs in the country.

It notes that one in four of these donors also volunteers for an NGO, versus one in five in the rest of the population. It also shows that many philanthropists would like to collaborate with these nonprofits in other ways such as offering their professional advice and consultancy on a pro bono basis.

However, the study notes too that many nonprofits are not taking advantage of those opportunities, in particular the potential for philanthropists to help with networking or to act as campaign ambassadors.

The report suggests that NGOs could do more to include these donors in conversations about strategy and planning, without forgetting that smaller donors make up the majority of their supporter base and income.

Building a picture

Although these bigger donors only make up a very small portion (1.8%) of charities’ income, the AEFr says that this report will help the sector to understand this group better. Fernando Morón, managing director of the AEFr, says:

“We want to identify the characteristics of a donor profile that is mythologised on some occasions, questioned on others, but rarely listened to and analysed objectively. With this publication, we seek to identify mechanisms that allow us to strengthen the relationship of organisations with these donors, improve the effectiveness of collaboration, try to promote alliances with other key actors in the strategic planning of impact capital and promote a greater culture of strategic philanthropy in our society.”

One stereotype the report dispels is that philanthropists are likely to be from a rich family, noting that in most cases, their main source of income is earned.

The average donor here is a male between 50 and 70 years of age. This contrasts to donors more widely – 60% of regular donors in the country are female, although the average age is similar, at 59.

Tax incentives are not usually a decisive factor in Spanish philanthropists’ decision to donate, the study says.

Picture by geralt on Pixabay

The new Realidad del Socio y Donante 2023 report, prepared by AEFr and consultancy Sinergiacrm, shows an average annual contribution of €149 in 2022, up from €144.64 in 2020.

The report is based on data from 15 of the most active fundraising charities in Spain, who together have a total of four million members who account for €599m in annual fees, as well as 2.68m donors who contribute €89m in voluntary income.

This year’s report also shows that the average length of a member’s relationships with a charity is 9.38 years, up from 9.18 two years ago. Members are getting older – the mean average age is now 59 years, and 61% are aged 55 and upwards while only 19% are aged 45 and under, compared with 58% and 21% in the last report. Women are more likely to donate than men, with 60% of members being female.

The membership cancellation rate for last year was 7.6%, a similar figure to the previous report. The figure has never dropped below 6% in the report’s history. In 2012, it rose slightly above 10% for the only time.

Looking at geography, the report shows that the country’s two largest cities, Madrid and Barcelona, are slightly overrepresented among charities’ membership. Madrid has 14.2% of the country’s population and 18.6% of participating charities’ members, while Barcelona has 12.1% of population and 12.86% of members.

Fernando Morón, managing director of the AEFr, says that the report shows that Spanish society is “increasingly committed to social causes”.

He says:

“Since its first edition in 2012, which AEFr initiated to understand trends in fundraising, average annual subscriptions have increased by more than 20 euros. This growth and consolidation has coincided with the greater professionalisation among nonprofits, NGOs and foundation, and their adaptation to economic developments.”

The conclusion of Morón and AEFr is complemented by new data released by the Spanish Tax Administration Agency. It shows that the number of people making a donation which is eligible for tax relief increased by nearly 14% between 2017 and 2021, totalling more than four million donors in the 2021 financial year.

Picture: Setabia via Pixabay

Before the announcement, the reform was moving through the approval process, with the changes set to come into force at the beginning of 2024. They include the widening of the definition of donation to include non-financial donations such as professional services, advertising space, and real estate. In addition, donors will be able to receive goods or services in recognition of their donation, provided these do not exceed 15% of the value of the gift, up to a maximum ‘thank you’ value of €25,000.

The law reform was approved in late April in the Congreso de los Diputados, the lower house of Spain’s parliament, and was being processed in the Senado (upper house) when the announcement of a general election saw both chambers dissolved.

In this scenario, sector bodies say, the only possibility for the patronage reform to go ahead is if the government processes it through a Decree-Law.

President of the Spanish Association of Foundations AEF Javier Nadal says:

“Being realistic, retaking this reform will mean starting the parliamentary process again, which would take more than a year and would delay its entry into force until at least 2025.” 

Highlighting the reform’s importance, Glòria Oliver, president of the Spanish Fundraising Association (AEFr) adds:

“A fiscal framework that encourages philanthropy is justified because it increases the social benefit that the government could otherwise have achieved through direct spending. Philanthropic donations strengthen civil society, foster solidarity and reduce inequality, and should therefore be encouraged.”

Other key changes in the Patronage Law reform highlighted by AEFr are:

1. Increasing tax relief on donations. Currently, donors can claim 80% tax relief on the first €150 of donations, and 35% on the rest. Under the new law, 80% would apply to the first €250, and 40% would apply to the rest. Increased deductions will apply for individuals or organisations making repeated donations.
2. Research & development; social and employment services for those at risk of social exclusion; and teaching or training for high-performing students are added to the list of operations for which non-profit organisations can receive tax exemptions.
3. Nonprofit organisations will be exempt from certain taxes on their assets.

The country’s third sector has been lobbying for reforms to the law, which was created in 1994 and last updated in 2002, for a number of years.

Oliver says:

“This new law presents us with a unique opportunity to improve Spain’s global positioning in philanthropy, increasing tax incentives for millions of citizens and companies. We are sure that these citizens and companies will respond by again increasing their level of contributions to nonprofit entities.”

Fundraising Europe recently reported that Spain’s third sector grew its total income by 10.5% in 2021 as it diversified fundraising streams, although it remains marginally smaller than it was 10 years ago.

Picture: Henrique Ferreira on Unsplash

This is according to a new report which also shows that the sector’s public funding has dropped significantly over the past decade, with nonprofits increasingly creating their own income.

The Third Sector Barometer is published by Plataforma de ONG de Acción Social, a national organisation which supports the country’s nonprofit sector. The Barómetro is based on a survey of 703 nonprofits across Spain.

Total income for the sector in 2021 was €17.4bn, up from €15.8bn in 2020. Back in 2010, it was slightly higher at €17.5bn, before it dropped to just €14.5bn in 2013. Those figures are not adjusted for inflation.

The report says that around a fifth of the sector’s total income goes to three major NGOs: Cáritas, the Red Cross and ONCE (the Spanish National Organisation of Blind People).

Income sources change

In 2010, 60% of the sector’s income was from public funding, 18% came from private giving (individuals, private foundations and businesses) and 22% from income generated directly by organisations’ operations.

At this time, the vast majority of nonprofits (93%) received private funding – by 2021, that figure dropped to 73%.

For 2021, public funding is 47% of total sector income. Private giving has increased slightly to 22% of the total, while generated income has grown to 31% of the total.

During 2021, 49% of organisations recorded a surplus, while 28% broke even and 24% recorded a deficit in their annual account.

Spanish nonprofits are getting smaller, the Barómetro shows – in 2010, 29% of them had five or fewer staff. In 2021, it is 48%. The proportion having 50 or more staff has gone from 23% in 2010, to 12% in the latest year.

National significance

The Barómetro says that the sector has 528,220 workers, down from a peak of 644,979 in 2013.

The sector today accounts for 3% of all salaried workers in the country, and 80% of the sector’s workforce is female. Women make up 60% of nonprofit organisations’ governing bodies, compared with 33% of boards in the private sector.

Alongside the quantitative data, the report outlines three large-scale opportunities which the researchers see as critical to Spanish society. These are areas in which the third sector can contribute significantly, potentially by working in collaboration with other sectors.

The first is technology-based innovation to support independent living, regardless of an individual’s needs, health or age. The second is supporting the transition from a linear to a circular economy, which involves inclusive employment opportunities and moves away from carbon-intensive industry. The last is harnessing and channelling the goodwill and innovation of the population as a whole, in particular with relation to digital capabilities, in order to create a more resilient society.

Picture by Julien Troumeur on Pixabay

The 1,200-person study, a collaboration with data provider Kantar, shows that 39% of the country or 15.9 million Spaniards made a donation during 2022. While this is one million more than in the previous version of the report (in 2020), AEFr says that Spain is still behind countries including France, Germany and the UK, where the equivalent figure is greater than 50%.

Nearly a quarter (22%) of the Spaniards who gave money in 2022 did so through a monthly, quarterly or other regular donation – a number which has dropped from 24% in 2020.

AEFr’s report also shows that of those who did not donate to a cause in the past year, 13% intend to do so in the next six months.

It finds that face-to-face fundraising was the primary method of recruitment in 2022, accounting for 19% of new donors. Other successful sources of new donors were online (16%), and events (14%).

The most important causes for those surveyed this year are children (53%), the elderly (49%) and those with ill health (45%) ­­– the same top three as in 2020 and 2018. The number of respondents citing the environment has dropped from 39% last time around, to 35% this year. As for specific events, the war in Ukraine, the 2021 volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands, and the Covid-19 pandemic were also popular causes.

Concerns for the future

Of those who did not donate, 39% said they couldn’t afford it, 36% said it was because of distrust towards nonprofits, and 9% said they had other priorities. 7% said they supported the sector in other ways, a further 7% said they thought donating was the responsibility of others, and 1% said they didn’t think donating was necessary.

Even among those who did donate in 2022, there are signs in the study that the nonprofit sector’s reputation and relevance in Spain is declining slightly. In response to this, AEFr president Glòria Oliver says it is important for fundraisers to “continue to educate [the public] in order to make clear the value which the third sector brings to society”.

The data also shows that the average age of Spanish donors is 49, leading Oliver to highlight the importance of increasing efforts to engage younger people to in the work of the sector.

The findings are available on AEFr’s website.