Corporate donations play a crucial role in supporting non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Malta, providing them with financial and material assistance to sustain their operations.

In 2024, the landscape of corporate giving has been met with mixed experiences, as different NGOs reported to WhosWho.mt varying levels of support, and while some organisations have seen an increase in contributions, others continue to struggle to secure consistent funding.

Animal Welfare and the challenge of recognition

Animal welfare organisations often rely on the generosity of the public and corporations to sustain their activities. However, the Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA) noted that corporate financial donations remain scarce.

“We don’t really get a lot of monetary donations, but people tend to donate more like wet and dry food, which is still appreciated,” a representative from AAA said.

“The biggest challenge with corporate donations is that they don’t really donate to us, but iGaming companies, and this could be because there are a lot of foreigners and they have a different mindset. They do come sometimes and spend a day volunteering,” they stated.

AAA emphasised the need for corporations to recognise the role of animals in society and take more responsibility for their welfare: “Corporations need to recognise the animals more, and realise that animals are a part of society. They have been abandoned because of us, and we have to help them.”

Environmental NGOs and the push for strategic funding

Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM) noticed a shift in their fundraising strategy, focusing more on Government and corporate donations, which resulted in a noticeable increase in funding.

"At FoEM in recent years we have changed our fundraising strategy to include corporate donations alongside EU and Government grants. This has allowed us to connect with local communities in the context of people's workplaces, and build meaningful partnerships" a spokesperson said.

"We would like to collaborate with businesses that align with our values. Apart from accepting donations, we work on CSR activities which help educate staff and employees of the company we’re working with”, they added.

Despite this progress, FoEM acknowledged a challenge faced by many NGOs – securing long-term commitments from corporate donors.

They said that “primarily, there are some companies who would like to support on a long-term basis, so they would give us a specific donation, for example, €10,000 a year, which for us as an NGO gives us a sense of security. One of the challenges is that many companies don’t have that funding strategy and would rather give short-term support."

Żibel, another environmental NGO, also observed a marginal increase in corporate support in 2024, attributing it to growing engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

“Our corporate donations represent a substantial percentage of our funding, over Government grants and other applied grants from overseas foundations,” a Żibel representative stated.

When asked about challenges, Żibel reported a relatively smooth year in terms of securing funding, due to proactive efforts in maintaining corporate relationships. However, they suggested that corporations could do more by fostering long-term partnerships and providing flexible funding models.

“Corporations could strengthen their support by fostering long-term partnerships that go beyond financial contributions. Offering in-kind support such as expertise, resources, and volunteer assistance can help NGOs achieve more impactful results. It would also be useful if funds do not come with tedious administrative obligations and bureaucracy,” they stated.

Nature Trust: A growing trend in corporate support

Nature Trust saw a noticeable increase in corporate donations in 2024, a crucial year when financial support was particularly needed.

“Since the last few years, we have seen the number of corporate donors increase. 2024 was a special year for us since we actually needed financial resources support, and the feedback was simply great,” a representative said.

“It is so nice to see that some companies genuinely support NGOs and not only through financial support but also with CSR and HR support. Without this help, we would have faced a difficult 2024,” they added.

Approximately 50 per cent of Nature Trust’s funding in 2024 came from corporate donations. However, they noted that one of the main barriers to securing more donations lies in the lack of incentives provided by authorities.

“Corporate donors have told us that if the authorities would make grants to NGOs tax-free or increase the benchmark for tax exemptions to listed NGOs that are in line with local legislation and compliant with the Voluntary Organisations (VO) Act, they would be happy to donate more,” they explained, adding that they workk with NGOs in the EU, and "they have so much support thanks to the laws in their countries supporting CSR contributions.”

Nature Trust also highlighted the issue of donor fatigue, as a limited pool of corporate donors in Malta is frequently approached by multiple NGOs. To encourage further engagement, the organisation has adopted a more transparent approach, inviting corporate partners to actively participate in their initiatives. “At times we get corporates who just donate money.

This is great as it helps, but we always invite them to come and visit, donate some time with us to see what we do and how we invest donations coming in. In fact, those who take this invitation and do come to give some time, we always like to issue an ESD certificate as a sign of sincere appreciation.”