In 2015, Fundación Banco Santander launched the Santander Ayuda programme to work with non-profit organisations to develop local social projects.

Four calls for applications are held throughout the year, allowing 80 organisations across Spain to benefit from a total of 400,000 euros. The organisations are selected by a committee of representatives of the foundation and Banco Santander, based on the following criteria: the technical and economic feasibility of the project, its innovative nature, its social impact and the ability to include different social actors in the project.

Two editions of the programme in 2020 focused on alle- viating the social and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among the most vulnerable groups.

In 2020, more than 70,278 people benefited from the Santander Ayuda programme. Among the 80 pro- jects selected, 25 aimed to fight social exclusion and 55 aimed to improve the autonomy and care of elderly people, disabled people and severely ill people.

In 2019, the foundation launched the Santander Social Tech programme with the aim of supporting social organisations that have made little progress on dig- italisation to increase the impact and efficacy of their actions.

The programme comprises three phases: training, advice and economic grants.

Fundación Banco Santander offers online training for participating NGOs so that they can acquire digital skills and competences to improve their communica- tion, fundraising and internal management. Once they have completed the training, interested organisations receive personalised advice online for two months, allowing them to progress with their digitalisation. In 2020, a total of 137 organisations participated in the courses and 47 received subsequent guidance.

To help them to implement what they have learned, the organisations participating in the training phase can opt for a 5,000 euro digital development grant for purchas- ing hardware and software, hiring professional services, etc.
In this edition, 54 organisations received   grants and were able to make significant progress in their digitalisation.

Santander BEST Africa is the first development coop- eration programme to be launched by Fundación Santander. It aims to contribute to social and economic development in Africa by supporting female entrepre- neurs and their families in the tourism sector, which has been badly affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Santander BEST Africa encourages the creation of a sustainable tourism network based on technical and financial assistance for ventures that meet certain requirements relating to women’s employment and social and environmental sustainability. The beneficiar- ies of the programme are women, many of whom are vulnerable, who have created or participate in ventures that help to preserve the environment and encourage inclusive development in their communities.

During the pandemic, the programme offered support to ensure the continuity of employment and promote training and exchanges of experiences and knowledge between female entrepreneurs. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, it will stimulate responsible tourism as a driver of economic and social growth in Africa.
Since the programme was launched in October 2020, 17 projects employing 504 people in Gambia, Senegal and Morocco have begun to receive technical and finan- cial support.

In 2014, the foundation launched the Santander Emplea Cultura programme to create quality employment for young people specialising in contemporary culture and to help organisations in this sector to grow sustainably.

The programme consists of two consecutive calls: the first is aimed at organisations who need to hire a new employee and the second is intended for young, unemployed people who would like to apply for these positions. An independent committee selects ten organ- isations and a Human Resources consultant advises them as they select the ten candidates best suited to the positions available.

Due to the difficulties faced by the cultural sector as a result of the pandemic, the foundation took exceptional measures in 2020 to ensure the continuity and success of the programme.
The 7th edition, launched in November 2020, received applications from 120 organisations. The ten organisa- tions selected were Alarcón Criado, ARKO Promociones Culturales SL, ARTransforma, ConArte Internacional, Concomitentes, Daniel Canogar SL, Hamaca, La Escoc- esa, Ventrículo Veloz and Urbanbat.

Each organisation will receive 18,000 euros, which will be used solely to pay for the new employee’s salary for a year. Moreover, up to five organisations will receive an additional grant of 10,000 euros to allow them to remain in the programme for a second year.