By Higgs

Arts Together Workshop “Train the Teachers”

10 – 11 June 2019: As part of the European project, Arts Together, we organized a two-day seminar for non-formal educators and teachers that helped familiarize them with methods and ways of integrating immigrant/refugee children through artistic expression.

“Arts Together” aims to develop and test a curriculum based on artistic activities and collaborative approaches that will be used to equip teachers in order to deal with diversity, mutual understanding, and respect among students, and also improve the educational performance of students coming from migrant families.

By Higgs

Transnational Giving Europe (TGE) and HIGGS

We are very happy to announce our new collaboration with the Transnational Giving Europe (TGE) Network!

A few words about the TGE Network:

Most European countries do not grant income tax deductibility to donors wanting to support a foreign beneficiary in another Member State. This unequal treatment of national and cross-border philanthropy infringes the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the European Union treaties.

The TGE network provides an efficient solution, covers 21 countries and enables donors, both corporations and individuals, resident in one of the participating countries, to financially support Nonprofit Organizations in other Member States, while benefiting directly from the tax advantages provided for in the legislation of their country of residence.

By providing such a secure and tax-effective cross-border giving framework, TGE is particularly interesting for national Organizations with prospective donors abroad. Receiving tax-free contributions from foreign donors, appealing to expatriates, approaching global partners such as multinational corporations, benefiting from borderless interest in a specific cause or capitalizing on global exposure offered by the internet is within arm’s reach.

HIGGS’ collaboration with the TGE Network:

HIGGS has significant experience in working with Nonprofits in Greece, in-depth knowledge of their needs and challenges and solid track record of how to build vibrant civil society. Due to our statute’s objectives, we are benefiting from income tax incentives, allowing particularly HIGGS to make grants to organizations in Greece with tax-deductible donations received.

We are delighted to establish a partnership with the TGE Network and promote the cross-border philanthropy in Greece and the region. Through our collaboration, we will be able to facilitate tax-effective donations from Greek donors, accept donations from abroad and enable Organizations to extend fundraising to foreign countries, without having to set up branches or sister Organizations for that sole purpose and without having to master different national laws.

Undoubtedly, our cooperation with the TGE Network will advance philanthropy, by attracting more donors and initiating innovative projects in Greece, in the region and in Europe.

By Higgs

SNF RUN 2019: FIRST RUN – Crowdfunding Campaign

04 – 30 December 2018 – We coordinated the crowdfunding campaign of Amimoni, ELEPAP and Floga which participated in this year’s race of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for the New Year’s Eve on the GIVE & FUND platform.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) organized the SNF RUN: 2019 FIRST RUN for the New Year’s Eve at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) under the organizational supervision of AMKE “Regeneration & Progress”. This year’s race invited the runners to join forces, and, with the further contribution of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, transform their participation into a New Year’s gift for children that need it the most.

Each runner was able to offer a symbolic amount of participation that would be entirely devoted to a Nonprofit Organization of his choice. With the SNF’s further support, the amount donated will be tripled, augmenting the initial gift offered by the runners themselves.

The Nonprofit Organizations have been selected on the basis of their proven work in their field of expertise and are long-term partners of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation: Amymonis, ELEPAP, and Flame.

Get to know the Nonprofit Organizations and the specific projects that will be supported!

Amimoni: Activity Nest
The Activity Nest is a sensory stimulus space for visually impaired children with additional disabilities, customizable according to the needs of each child. A space constructed to resemble a “nest” in the sense that a child has the opportunity to reach for and explore, a variety of items that stimulate its senses. The Activity Νest gives children the opportunity to explore and practice their skills, learn through hands-on activities, improve sensory coordination, develop concentration, and encounter visual stimuli in their own pace and interest. The main objective is for the visually impaired children to have access, on a daily basis, to pleasant activities, improving their overall development and functional vision. Support from runners and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation will allow families in need to acquire an Activity Nest for their child’s everyday play and development.

Amymoni is a Panhellenic Association of Parents, Guardians, and Friends of Multiply Disabled Visually Impaired people, helping children and adults with vision problems and additional disabilities become as autonomous and independent as possible. It provides services from infants to adults, and their families, including education, treatment, counseling, and support.

The Hellenic Society for Disabled Children (ELEPAP): GO BABY GO
Launched in the U.S. by the University of Delaware, GO BABY GO aims to give children with neurodevelopmental disorders the opportunity to move independently, while providing entertainment through play. The program serves to children ages 2 to 6 and is implemented using electric motorized toy cars for children. With the help of volunteers, the cars are adapted according to the needs of each child. The specially modified electric cars enable children with mobility problems to explore their surroundings and improve their spatial awareness, visual perception, speech, and cognitive and psychomotor development, among others. With the support of the runners and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, ELEPAP aims to cover the cost of purchasing 50 special motorized children’s cars.

The Hellenic Society for Disabled Children (ELEPAP) was established in 1937 in Athens. It provides holistic, multi-disciplinary, and innovative intervention programs to 1,600 children with developmental motor disorders (cerebral palsy, neuromuscular diseases, and motor disorders caused by genetic conditions or traumatic brain injury) annually.

Floga: Christmas Program for the 52 Families Hosted in the Floga Hostels
Floga hosts children with cancer who are in Athens to receive treatment, but whose families live outside the city. This Christmas, Floga wants to unite families—even if only for a few days—so they can celebrate the holiday together.
With the support of the runners and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Floga will cover the children’s travel expenses so that they can go home for Christmas. Alternatively, in the cases of children whose condition does not allow them to travel, Floga will cover the costs for the rest of the family to travel to Athens to spend the holidays with them. The program will also cover the cost of attending Christmas events, as well as the preparation of Christmas meals at the Hostels.

Floga was founded in 1982 by parents whose children suffer from cancer, aiming to provide the best possible medical, psychological, and social care to children and their families.

By Higgs

HIGGS & HELLENIC PETROLEUM GROUP: A new collaboration begins!

HIGGS family is growing and welcoming the HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group in its circle of supporters. HELPE Group will fund the participation of a newly-founded Nonprofit Organization in the HIGGS Incubator program for 1 year.

Thanks to HELPE Group’s contribution, the Nonprofit will be provided with the opportunity, for the next 12 months, to:
a) attend a specialized training program (Bootcamp), designed exclusively for the Organization’s needs, in order to enhance its knowledge and skills
b) create its business plan as well as its fundraising and marketing plans
c) gain access to acclaimed experts and consulting in the fields of administration, fundraising, legal issues, marketing, social media, volunteers’ management etc.
d) network with major Greek and international Nonprofits
e) gain experience through working with senior executives from other Nonprofits
f) submit its first funding proposals
g) set its head office at HIGGS premises, with the ability to use the meeting and event rooms at no cost

The Incubator program supports, on a daily basis, the newly established Nonprofits and addresses their specialized needs, in order to help them develop, be effective and increase their social impact in the fields they are active.

Since the beginning of the HIGGS Incubator program, in 2016, 17 NGOs have participated in the program. Thanks to the program, these NGOs have created 24 new jobs positions, secured more than 750.000€ in funding and have been helping more than 45.000 people from socially vulnerable groups all over Greece.

A huge thank you to the HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group for the confidence it has placed in us for the quality of our services and our vision for a more active and useful Civil Society.

By Higgs

Training for Care Homes Staff

29 – 30 November 2018: We offered tailor-made training and consulting services to 5 Care Homes for the elderly in Attica with the support of the TIMA Charitable Foundation.

The aim of the program was to strengthen the care homes in order to render them sustainable while helping them improve the quality of care offered to their elderly residents. The organizations had the opportunity to attend for free an 8-month training course (April – November 2018) which included workshops with experienced trainers on issues related to gerontology and administration.

The care homes that participated in the training program were the following:
1. Welfare Charitable Association of Moschato Merimna – “Dionysios Theofilatos”
2. Nea Filadelfeia Kalos Samareitis Care Home
3. Nea Ionia Panagia Eleousa Care Home
4. Meropion Charity Foundation
5. Estia Konstantinoupoleos