In 2015, the foundation created the Santander Ayuda programme to help non-profit organisations develop social projects that improve the quality of life of vulnerable individuals.

In 2023, its focus was narrowed to combating child and teen poverty in Spain. Proposals submitted by candidate organisations must aim to break the vicious circle of poverty by promoting the holistic development of children, adolescents and their families. In the selection process, priority will be given to projects that pursue the following courses of action: tutoring and academic and vocational orientation; socio-educational support via informal learning and recreational and leisure activities; family orientation and guidance; and psychological and emotional therapy for minors and their families.

The results of the first call for proposals were announced in April 2023, and the thirty selected projects benefited a total of 6,216 people, of whom 4,967 were children and teens.

The submission period for the second call began on 6 November 2023, and the results will be announced in April 2024.

The year 2023 marked the fifth edition of this programme, created by the foundation to support the digitalisation of non-profit organisations and consequently increase the impact and efficacy of their actions.

Santander Social Tech has three phases: training, advice and financial aid. There are two calls for submissions: the first, issued during the first quarter of the year, is for organisations in need of training and expert advice; and the second, held in December, is for applicants seeking funding.

In the initial phase, members of the selected NGOs are given training workshops to acquire the digital skills and abilities that will allow them to improve their communications, fundraising and internal management. Once they have completed this training, they are offered personalised advice to guide them through the digitalisation process. Twelve workshops were held in 2023 for a total of 132 organisations, seventy-six of which also requested advisory services.

Finally, the NGOs that participate in the training phase can apply for financial aid to implement their digital transformation (acquiring hardware and software, hiring professionals, etc.). In 2023, fifty-two of the organisations that participated in the training workshops offered during the fourth edition received financial aid. The fifth-edition grants will be awarded in 2024.

Santander BEST Africa aspires to contribute to the socio-economic development of this continent by supporting women entrepreneurs and their communities in the sustainable tourism sector.

The programme promotes a network of inclusive businesses, preferably led by women, related to tourism products or services. Beneficiaries receive technical and financial assistance to support their enterprises and are chosen based on their commitment to promoting jobs for women and social and environmental sustainability.

Santander BEST Africa currently operates in Gambia, Senegal, Morocco and Mozambique.

During the past year, the programme supported twenty-three projects that are improving professional skills and employability, creating jobs and generating income for 731 individuals, the majority of whom are at-risk women.

Additionally, in partnership with Banco Santander’s Human Resources Department, the foundation has instituted an awareness programme that promotes the sharing of knowledge and experiences between bank employees and the female entrepreneurs of the Santander BEST Africa network. In the course of 2023, thirty Banco Santander professionals took part in three trips to different destinations in Senegal and Gambia.

The foundation set up this programme to create quality jobs for young people trained in the contemporary arts and to drive the sustainable growth of cultural organisations.

To this end, it issues two consecutive calls for submissions each year: the first for organisations interested in hiring, and the second for candidates who want to fill those positions.

A panel of culture industry professionals chooses ten organisations whose activity revolves around the visual arts, performing arts, cultural mediation and management, or communicative and participatory arts. Each receives a stipend that must be used to pay the new hire’s annual salary. Five of them may also be granted additional funds to keep the employee on for a second year.

The candidates selected in the ninth edition began their new jobs in May 2023. The tenth call for applications from interested organisations was issued in November 2023, and the results were published in January 2024.

The foundation also organised three encounters with organisations and three with professionals so that both can create a labour network, trade experiences and suggest improvements to the programme.