BY UE STUDIO

Updated Monday, February 19, 2024-15:24

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Work, effort and commitment. These three words summarize the 25 years of the Endesa Foundation. On the occasion of its anniversary and because culture is one of its main legs, the Royal Theater of Madrid was the setting chosen on February 8 to celebrate its 25th anniversary with an event attended by numerous representatives of different NGOs, public social entities and private and corporate foundations to talk about the present and future in a round table on 'Trends and Challenges of the Third Sector'.

Much has happened and changed since the Endesa Foundation started in 1998, illuminating, of course, more than 700 monuments inside and outside our borders. However,

their scope of work increasingly covers more and they are now focused on five main lines

: the promotion of quality education, the improvement of the employability of vulnerable people, culture to make it more accessible to all audiences and putting into practice value our historical-artistic heritage, volunteering, with nearly 40,000 people served, and the conservation and protection of biodiversity, hand in hand, for example, with the Complutense and Autonomous universities of Madrid with projects that raise awareness among students and teachers close to the importance of preserving our environment.

From left to right, José Bogas, CEO of Endesa, Juan Sánchez-Calero, president of Endesa and its Foundation, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, mayor of Madrid and Gregorio Marañón, president of the Teatro Real.

25 years of commitment and social work that have gone a long way and that were materialized through an emotional video that opened this event in Madrid that also

featured the presence and words of Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida

: "In order to continue growing "A cohesive society is needed. I believe we can draw some lessons from these 25 years of the Endesa Foundation. Issues that will help us better guide our common future. We will be better and stronger if we do it together and if we do it with everyone." . To which the president of the Teatro Real, Gregorio Marañón, added that the Foundation is "the example of how to do good and, also, be successful."

Third sector trends

Once the path taken by the Endesa Foundation was highlighted and remembered, the present and the future were in the focus of an interesting round table, the main focus of the event, where alliances, innovation and transparency were the three main keys. Moderated by

Marta Coromina

, general director of the PwC Foundation (a leader in the study and analysis of the social field), she began by highlighting that "trust in institutions is essential", hence the necessary transparency, as well as "economic sustainability", which is not always easy and especially in times of financial fluctuations. Hence, in fact, "collaboration is essential." Without forgetting, of course and more so now, "innovation and technology incorporated into social problems (...) Artificial Intelligence is essential, but its risks must also be assessed."

Challenges that are gradually being addressed in the third sector and on which

María Malaxechevarría

, general director of the Endesa Foundation, focused on the area of ​​alliances and collaboration in the five areas that we mentioned at the beginning where it is located. Endesa Foundation working: "

We are based on the co-design and co-creation of projects with the help of leading entities in each field of action

" and "the most important thing is to do it with our employees, through the different volunteer activities in which can participate." In fact, since 2021, the Foundation has channeled the solidarity concerns of more than 2,000 Endesa employee volunteers who, with their commitment, have contributed to preserving the environment and improving the lives of nearly those 40,000 people who are an essential part of its impact. social.

Future challenges

And that is what the Endesa Foundation is about, helping, collaborating and making the daily lives of all people easier, with special attention to those who are at risk of exclusion. Hence, your collaboration with the Integra Foundation is essential. Both entities have been carrying out the Changing Lives program for nine years, which seeks the job placement of people in vulnerable situations. For its general director,

Ana Muñoz de Dios

, also present at this round table, "one of the biggest challenges is digital transformation, being more efficient through technology and also for our beneficiaries, since there are increasingly more digital jobs.

One fact to keep in mind:

in the last decade, the educational programs of the Endesa Foundation have reached more than 300,000 students and teachers of all training cycles,

promoting STEM vocations and technological entrepreneurship, care and commitment to the environment. . And the younger sector has to be in the spotlight to move forward, as well as the need to connect with them. According to Colomina, "young people seek to get directly involved and demand an immediate impact."

Among the greatest concerns of this sector is the environment, the basis of social well-being and health.

Elena Pita

, director of the Biodiversity Foundation, explained in the round table that its goal is to "reverse the loss of biodiversity" in several ways, which entails changing the production and consumption model. "We all have to get involved. The Endesa Foundation, in this sense, is an example of collaboration with the private sector."

To conclude and in line with new challenges, Malaxechevarría mentioned three fundamental fronts for the Foundation: "Align our program with that of the company, delve into public-private collaboration models and impact measurement, which I believe is the great challenge."

Made by UE Studio

This text has been developed by UE Studio, creative branded content and content marketing firm of Unidad Editorial, for ENDESA