The future of patronage in Catalonia finds on its horizon a natural evolution from classical philanthropy towards citizen participation, and from economic donation towards collective commitment; a path that is already being drawn in recent years through technology, greater instruments of public initiative —such as the proposed Catalan patronage law— and the democratization of patronage and, consequently, of micropatronage. That is, through new formats, new rules, and new voices.
After a week X-raying patronage in Catalonia in the cultural, social, and scientific research fields, it is evident that patronage is not something that belongs only to remote eras —although there is much literature on the subject on the Internet—. The bourgeoisie of the late 19th and 20th centuries has left a list of patrons who, with names and surnames, have sustained and promoted initiatives and institutions —especially cultural ones— that will endure in our society for generations. And the examples overflow any list: the Palau de la Música Catalana or the Gran Teatre del Liceu, in the cultural field; the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques or the Institut d'Oncologia de Vall d'Hebron, in the scientific field; or the Obra Social Sant Joan de Déu, in the social field.
Over the last two centuries, patronage has found different ways to express philanthropy: first, it was led by great personalities who made very generous economic contributions; later, during the decades of oppression experienced by Catalan culture after the Civil War, it flourished through cultural projects promoted by patrons who watched over the language and identity of the country. Some of them began to organize through associative movements. And by the 1980s and 1990s, patronage made the leap to the corporate world and professionalization, with the emergence of new foundations, cultural entities, and the sponsorship formula.
The result? More than 2,000 active foundational entities today, an economic contribution representing 1.7% of Catalonia's total GVA, and more than 45,000 active volunteers collaborating. Their areas of action are mainly culture (49%), social action (39%), education (8%), and scientific research (4%).
A new way of understanding patronage: accessible, immediate, and emotional
Foundational entities are today the instrument with which 21st-century patronage is structured and coordinated, adapted to new generations —and their demands— and to new digital formats. Digitalization has opened the door to a new way of understanding patronage: more accessible, more immediate, and more emotional. And platforms like Verkami or Migranodearena are a good example of this, where, by the way, donors are on average between 25 and 45 years old.
The first is a cultural crowdfunding platform founded in 2010 in Mataró which, with a 75% success rate, has managed to finance 13,000 projects with 66.8 million euros and the support of 1.8 million patrons. The second, Migranodearena, is a Barcelona-based social and solidarity crowdfunding platform that allows involvement in social causes through solidarity challenges. If before patronage was an act reserved for a few high-purchasing-power pockets, today any citizen can become a patron with a single click, as long as the cause inspires them.
This new model, more open and traceable, allows for establishing a direct link with the causes one wishes to promote. It is no longer just about donating money, but about participating, feeling part of the project, and following its impact. And a zero-kilometer example can be found in the Magic Line, organized by Sant Joan de Déu. This solidarity walk, which in its last edition raised 500,000 euros, is "a celebration of solidarity and an invitation to society as a whole to be part of the solutions," highlights the director of Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials, Salvador Maneu.
To love what is known
"It is difficult to love what is not known," recalled Eloi Planes, president of the Fundació Catalunya Cultura and executive president of Fluidra, during the session Patronage and impact: beyond financing, organized by The New Barcelona Post and the Fundació Catalunya Cultura within the Moments Estel·lars cycle at Casa Seat. In the case of patronage, the same thing happens: patrons invest in causes with which they empathize more, those they know; and this, lately, has meant that culture receives less attention than other areas.
According to the study Philanthropy in Spain and Portugal. Social attitudes and behaviors, from the Social Observatory of "la Caixa" Foundation, the causes that have received the most financial support in the last year have been social action (23.5% of Spaniards), health (22%), environment and animals (14.9%), human rights (13.2%) and research (12.2%). These are causes with a direct and visible impact on society, which awaken an emotional connection, one of the great challenges of current patronage.
The path, according to several experts, involves focusing on the school stage. "The bond with arts and culture must be created from an early age, in schools and also in families," says Maite Esteve, director of the Fundació Catalunya Cultura. Thus, these new generations will develop sensitivity towards the impact of culture on society and the territory, and will be able to care for and promote it through patronage.
A regulatory framework in Catalonia
The future of patronage in Catalonia necessarily involves a clear and stimulating legal framework, adapted to the reality of patronage in the territory. On December 19, 2023, the Council of Ministers approved a state Royal Decree-Law that modified the Patronage Law in force for 21 years. But, although it was well received by the sector, the new state regulations do not resolve all the specificities of the Catalan cultural and social fabric. Hence the importance of promoting its own law, which takes advantage of powers in personal income tax and offers incentives adjusted to its dimension and diversity.
The Fundació Catalunya Cultura, one of the main promoters of the Catalan law, recalls that this is a repeated mandate from the Parliament of Catalonia for more than a decade. In 2011, the Government was already urged to present a bill to encourage private contributions through tax measures and collaboration agreements. And, in fact, Catalonia has powers in personal income tax: during the mandate of Minister Antoni Castells (2003-2010), three provisions were approved that increased regional deductions.
Now, finally, the law is close to getting the green light. "We have the bill in process and the political parties agree with the text, but the context is missing," Esteve affirms; and he speaks in plural. The Fundació Catalunya Cultura is the main promoter of the Plataforma pel Mecenatge, a platform that brings together the consensus and involvement of the cultural, social and research sectors, and which already has 180 entities. The objective? That this Catalan patronage law, inspired by the French model, has a very Aillagon future.
If the new law manages to balance tax incentives, social recognition and citizen participation, Catalonia will be able to consolidate its own open patronage model, rooted in the territory and capable of sustaining culture, research and solidarity with the same strength as the great patrons of the past. Because, after all, patronage is not just an act of generosity: it is a collective way of building the future.