The cohesive role of the foundational sector in the face of the new normality. The situation in the Basque Country

Abstract

The foundation sector in the Basque Country carries out its activity in a variety of fields in line with the wide range set out in article 4-1 of the Basque Foundations Act, with the common element of serving purposes of general interest. This sector represents 13,045 annualized paid jobs, a turnover of more than 566 million euros, and a Gross Value Added (GVA) generated of 219 million euros. Since the declaration of the state of alarm in March 2020, a period of great uncertainty started in which organizations have had to deploy all their agility and creativity to respond to new situations requiring immediate action. It also arose the need to start working on the post-pandemic context, strategically rethinking organizations, imagining a future in which the pandemic would have left structural changes in their management and work organization models. This article will analyze how the pandemic has affected the Foundations in the Basque Country and their future prospects in this next post-pandemic context in 174 order to fulfil their foundational aims and maintain their cohesive and supportive role. To this end, together with an analysis of the most recent literature on the analyses carried out on the pandemic and foundations and the social economy, an analysis of the foundation sector in the Basque Country, its features and specific situation will be carried out by means of surveys and in-depth interviews with social agents.