1st Business and Non-Profit Organizations Conference at the University of Andorra

Last October 6, together with the University of Andorra, we organized the 1st Non-profit Companies and Entities day with the aim that it could be a meeting point and exchange between companies and non-profit entities where participating institutions can share existing collaborations between the private sector and the third sector and tackle new collaboration projects. At the same time, I wanted to highlight these actions in view of the fact that from next year, donations to NGOs, cultural patronage and sports sponsorships will enjoy tax deductions that we hope will have the effect they had in other countries which tripled when similar measures were put in place a few years ago. The event also served as the end of the cycle of seminars for the 2022-2023 academic year and the presentation of the new cycle for the 2023-2024 academic year which will focus on presenting the opportunities but also the obligations that this new regulation introduces.

In a first talk, which was shared by Grup Heracles and the Andorran Red Cross, they highlighted the importance of giving back to society through collaborations between the private sector and the third sector and that when the company and the social entity you share values and strategy it is easier to find a way of collaboration. Grup Heracles has been funding the PAPI first aid training program in all schools in the Principality since 2021, which more than 2,000 students go through each year. The NGO thanked the trust in the project as it is very valuable to have the financial support but also the moral support, or the trust that Grup Heracles shows in the PAPI project is just as important. Regarding possible improvements in collaborations in general, transparency, efficiency in management and monitoring of project results and impact with set objectives and indicators are valued from the private sector, and from the side of the NGOs, emphasize the importance of continued support over time to guarantee the success of the project.

In the second talk, hosted by the NGO GosSOS and the company Anicura Món Veterinari, corporate volunteering was introduced as another form of collaboration between companies and ENL. In this case, the company spent a day at the GosSOS shelter where they take in abandoned dogs waiting to be adopted, taking a long walk with the furry ones and sharing time with the team that manages the kennel. From AniCura Món Veterinari they emphasized that it was a very interesting day because some members of their team had never visited the kennel and it made them know the facility first hand. And he added that during the previous days, the whole team was really looking forward to the day of the visit, that during the walk they helped each other and that even today, two months later, they talk about it and want to repeat the experience On the part of GosSOS, they appreciate the visits from companies as it makes them known and after the corporate day, they have noticed an increase in collaborations whether from the companies themselves or from their employees who become private volunteers and return. Therefore, a win-win for both parties and with a great benefit for the dogs that reside there.

In the third part, Unicef Andorra and the Morabanc Andorra Basketball Club explained the good fit between the values shared by sports organizations and sport, in general, with those of NGOs and how you can build community and create synergies. They explained that their collaboration has been going on for ten years and that some events, such as the Champions for Unicef match has already become a classic and that politicians and sportsmen of other types already ask for the date months in advance so that they can participate in it They once again highlighted the importance of companies and ENL walking in the same line since when collaboration comes naturally because it is part of the DNA of the two entities, success is more easily achieved. The Morabanc BCA commented that they want and give space to the maximum number of social actions they can because they want to take advantage of the speaker they have become to make more visible the causes that the ENLs of the country defend. From Unicef Andorra, the collaborations with companies and entities, both at the Andorran and international level, were valued, not only in the regular programs they finance but also when there are emergency campaigns, such as in happened with the crisis in Ukraine, and which counted on the involvement of the private sector to be another channel for collecting donations.

The last talk with the participation of an expert in taxation from the OCPS team and the person responsible for information to the taxpayer of the customs and taxes department of the Government of Andorra served to briefly introduce the main changes introduced by the new tax framework that will come into force next financial year, focusing mainly on the deductions that companies and individuals will enjoy for donations to NGOs, cultural patronage and sports sponsorships. It was also commented that these changes will entail certain obligations that will be detailed in the future regulation that will be published shortly. The two speakers highlighted that the objective of these changes is to increase and make collaborations between the private sector and the third sector more attractive and they hope that these measures will achieve the same results as they had when they were implemented in other countries that tripled donations.

At the end of the talks, the new course was presented, which will start on November 7 and whose objectives are to explain the opportunities that the new taxation opens up and to grow the resources of non-profit entities, without forgetting the new obligations that will entail and explore different ways of collaboration between NGOs/ENLs and companies or individuals to know the needs and expectations of each party and to be able to find win-win actions.

This course is aimed at managers and technicians of public administrations, private institutions and companies, non-profit institutions and associations, in charge of the management of the entity or more defined areas such as project management of communication, fundraising, finance, CSR, ... or anyone interested in supplementing their personal training to intervene in social projects in Andorra and/or international cooperation and humanitarian action as a tool for social transformation.

It will have speakers with proven expertise and experience in each of the areas that will be discussed.

You can consult the program and pre-register here