In a year marked by the public health emergency and social crisis caused by the pandemic, the foundation redoubled its efforts to adapt its activities in every area to the new circumstances.

We have facilitated access to culture by offering the public digital content from the initiatives that we were forced to cancel due to the spread of the virus, including the temporary exhibition ‘My Cartography. The Erling Kagge Collection’ and the Biografías e Historia lecture series. To provide entertainment during the lockdown, we offered several online tours of the Colección Banco Santander and free downloads of the latest titles in the Obra Fundamental literary collection.

We also helped the artistic and musical institutions with which we collaborate to make their exhibitions and concerts available in a virtual format.

There is no doubt, however, that our social outreach work allowed us to make the biggest impact in mitigating the consequences of the public health crisis. Firstly, we helped Banco Santander to organise charity events to raise funds to fight COVID-19; secondly, we supplemented our existing support for the third sector with special editions focusing on the groups worst affected by the crisis.

Over the last year, the foundation has also worked to extend its environmental programme with new projects. The current situation has boosted our commitment to this area, highlighting the importance of looking after the environment and preserving biodiversity.

We trust that we have fulfilled our mission to enhance social well being by taking effective, responsible action in response to this immense global challenge.