On its tenth anniversary, B-Value celebrates a decade of driving social innovation and the sustainability of third-sector organizations. Through six success stories, we review how different entities have strengthened their impact models, created new opportunities, and transformed the way they address social challenges.
Ten years driving social innovation in the third sector
B-Value was founded in 2017 with a clear conviction: social organizations need more than funding to multiply their impact. They need strategy, innovation, support, and access to a network of professionals and organizations capable of driving their transformation.
Promoted by Fundación Banco Sabadell and Fundación Ship2B, B-Value has established itself as one of the leading programs in Spain for strengthening third-sector organizations, supporting social entities in developing more sustainable, innovative, and impact-driven models.
Through a methodology inspired by the principles of venture philanthropy, the program provides participating organizations with specialized training, strategic mentoring, professional advisory services, and a community committed to social transformation. The goal is to help organizations strengthen their value proposition, improve sustainability, and increase their capacity to generate positive social impact.
Over ten editions, the program has brought together social entities, professionals, companies, and organizations united by a shared vision: to promote a more innovative, sustainable, and impact-oriented third sector.
10 years in numbers
— 9 editions completed and 1 ongoing edition
— 93 finalist organizations
— +160 mentors per edition
— €1.2M in grants and pro bono support
Six organizations that have transformed their impact thanks to B-Value
The impact of B-Value cannot be measured only in numbers.
Its true value lies in the organizations that, after participating in the program, have strengthened their operating models, built new partnerships, expanded their reach, and found new ways to respond to today’s social challenges.
The six stories presented below are a reflection of this. Organizations with very different trajectories, sizes, and areas of work, but with one common element: the desire to innovate in order to generate greater and more sustainable impact.
1. It-willbe.org — social innovation and development cooperation
Edition: 2018 (2nd edition)
Project: Ethical e-commerce based on blockchain
It-willbe.org has long demonstrated that innovation also plays a key role in development cooperation. Its participation in B-Value focused on Naya Nagar, an ethical trade brand aimed at generating economic opportunities for women artisans in India through an innovative and sustainable model.
The organization found in B-Value a partner that understood that social innovation involves embracing uncertainty, experimenting, and building new responses to complex problems.
“B-Value believed in our venture when we were still building it. It helped us ask the right questions and supported us through both the good and the difficult moments,” explains Arancha Martínez.
Years later, the project’s greatest success is precisely that it no longer depends on the organization. The workshop promoted by It-willbe.org continues operating under local leadership through Unnati Craft, generating employment and opportunities for new women artisans.
Impact
— 8 women continue working in the workshop originally promoted by It-willbe.org
— Knowledge transferred to the local partner has helped more than 1,300 women entrepreneurs achieve economic independence in rural areas of India
2. The Self-Investigation — mental health and wellbeing in journalism
Edition: 2023 (7th edition)
Project: Organizational development of the foundation
In a profession marked by constant pressure and exposure to complex situations, The Self-Investigation works to integrate wellbeing and mental health into the heart of journalism.
Through training programs, consulting, and community building, the organization supports journalists, editors, and media outlets to maximize their impact without compromising the wellbeing of the people who make information possible.
Its participation in B-Value provided an opportunity to reflect on its growth and long-term sustainability.
“Exposure to many different perspectives, new ideas, and time to think and work on the foundation’s growth and sustainability were among the program’s greatest contributions,” explains Paula Montañà.
Since then, the organization has professionalized its business development area, consolidated the Mental Health in Journalism Summit —now in its third edition— and begun exploring new international markets.
Impact
— More than 13,000 people impacted
— Presence in more than 70 countries
3. 55+ — active aging and senior talent
Edition: 2024 (8th edition)
Project: Local services marketplace
55+ proposes a new narrative on aging: active, participatory, and based on the value that older people can contribute to society.
Through a services marketplace, it connects the talent, experience, and knowledge of people over 55 with real community needs, generating opportunities for participation, income, and purpose.
Its participation in B-Value came at a decisive moment, coinciding with the start of its activity in Spain after more than five years in Portugal.
“B-Value helped us strengthen the strategic vision of 55+ and consolidate the project at a key moment of growth. It was also essential for launching our activity in Spain,” highlights Elena Durán.
Since then, the organization has launched its model in Barcelona and built partnerships with public administrations, foundations, and social entities to expand its territorial impact.
Impact
— More than 5,400 talents registered in Portugal and Spain
— More than 100 people enrolled in the project developed with Barcelona City Council
— Collaboration with municipalities, foundations, companies, and social organizations across different territories
4. Fundación Quiero Trabajo — employment and inclusion for vulnerable women
Edition: 2017 (1st edition)
Project: Transition toward a social enterprise model
Fundación Quiero Trabajo works to improve the employability of women in vulnerable situations through comprehensive support combining self-esteem, career guidance, and real job placement opportunities.
Its participation in the first edition of B-Value marked a turning point for the organization, which was then in an early stage of development.
“B-Value was a turning point: it helped us structure our business model, professionalize our impact strategy, and validate a vision that was still emerging,” explains Vanessa López.
Since then, the foundation has strengthened its strategic partnerships, improved its impact measurement capabilities, and established itself as a reference organization for companies, social entities, and volunteers committed to labor inclusion.
What differentiates Fundación Quiero Trabajo is its ability to activate a full ecosystem —companies, public administrations, social organizations, and volunteers— around a shared goal: generating sustainable job opportunities for women facing vulnerability.
5. ASINDOWN — social and employment inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities
Edition: 2020 (4th edition)
Project: La Mare Que Va
ASINDOWN promotes projects that foster autonomy, social inclusion, and active participation of people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities.
Its participation in B-Value was linked to the development of La Mare Que Va, a hospitality training and cultural promotion space designed to generate real opportunities for socio-labor inclusion.
The program represented a deep shift in how the organization understands social innovation and sustainability.
“B-Value pushed us to move beyond the traditional third sector mindset and adopt an entrepreneurial and triple-impact approach. It gave us the tools needed to turn a social idea into a viable business model,” explains Manuel Campos.
Today, La Mare Que Va is a consolidated reality in La Marina de Valencia, combining training, employment, and business activity in an open environment connected to society.
6. Aquí Estoy Chat — emotional support for young people via WhatsApp
Edition: 2023 (7th edition)
Project: Free emotional support via WhatsApp
Aquí Estoy Chat was created to answer a simple but powerful question: how would a young person ask for help if we truly made it easy?
The organization provides free, immediate, and human emotional support via WhatsApp, supported by a volunteer network trained specifically to handle emotional distress situations.
When it joined B-Value, the project already had strong momentum but needed to consolidate a structure capable of sustaining its growth.
“B-Value helped us move from heart to structure without losing the soul along the way,” explains Juan Pablo Villani.
That professionalization process enabled the organization to scale significantly, culminating in its integration into Crisis Text Line, one of the largest emotional support organizations in the world.
Impact
— More than 50,000 people supported over the past five years
— Planned expansion to 24/7 support
— Inclusion of minors under 18 as a target population
A community that keeps growing
If there is one word that consistently appears across these stories, it is “community.”
For some organizations, B-Value meant finding a support network at a critical moment. For others, it meant gaining credibility, accessing new partnerships, or realizing they were not alone in the challenge of innovating for impact.
Ten years later, the main legacy of B-Value is not only the projects supported or the resources mobilized. It is also a community of organizations that share a common belief: that the third sector can innovate, grow, and transform itself to respond more effectively to today’s major social challenges.
The stories of It-willbe.org, The Self-Investigation, 55+, Fundación Quiero Trabajo, ASINDOWN, and Aquí Estoy Chat are proof of this. Six different journeys, one shared goal: creating more effective, sustainable, and people-centered solutions.
Social challenges are increasingly complex and require new responses. Over these ten years, B-Value has shown that innovation, collaboration, and strategic support are key tools to multiply the impact of social organizations.
And this is just the beginning. Because if these ten editions have proven anything, it is that when organizations are equipped with the right tools, knowledge, and community, their ability to transform society grows exponentially.
After a decade of collective learning, the challenge for the coming years will be to continue supporting organizations capable of innovating, generating sustainability, and responding to increasingly complex social challenges.
Co-founders of the program: Fundación Ship2B and Fundación Banco Sabadell
Co-promoter: Fundación Juan Entrecanales de Azcárate
Strategic partners: Banco Sabadell Seguros, PwC, Fundación ONCE, Joaquim Molins Figueras, Fundación Brigantia Claritas
Collaborators: Salto con Red, Asociación Española de Fundaciones, Coordinadora Catalana de Fundacions
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