HIGGS presents Greece’s philanthropy ecosystem in Geneva

HIGGS is the first and largest hub for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and representative of the Transnational Giving Europe (TGE) Network in Greece, traveled to Geneva to present the philanthropy ecosystem in Greece and the potential of cross-border donations. The event was co-organized with the Consulate General of Greece in Geneva, in collaboration with the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and with the support of Transnational Giving Europe.

The Transnational Giving Europe (TGE) is a partnership of organizations from 19 European countries with a common vision to strengthen philanthropy, while providing incentives for donations outside the borders of each member country. As there is not yet a European procedure that facilitates cross-border donations, TGE furnishes the solution by providing the necessary framework for transparent and secure transactions, while enabling donors to enjoy the tax benefits provided by the legislation of their country of origin for making donations to any Network beneficiary in all 19 countries. As of 2019, HIGGS is the official representative of TGE in Greece with a total of 20 Greek organizations already participating, allowing the acceptance of donations from abroad and facilitating donations from Greeks to Civil Society Organizations abroad.

The event exceeded our expectations and we had the opportunity to meet Greeks living in Geneva, representatives of Civil Society Organizations and Charitable Foundations, including the Latsis Foundation, TIMA Charitable Foundation, FIBA Foundation, JTI Foundation and Greek-Swiss Orthodox Foundation, in order to inform them about the tools that facilitate cross-border donations and the new perspectives for strengthening philanthropy and Civil Society in Greece.

Also, the event included as speakers, Mrs. Jovanna Kampouri, President of the organization “Hestia Agios Nikolaos“, Mr. Ioannis Papadatos, Vice President of the Association “Together for Children” and Dr. Jean-Federic Maraia, a tax expert, who informed us about the Swiss tax system and ways to mobilize cross-border donations. The event concluded with a networking event, where participants had the opportunity to discuss their work, present their goals and explore new partnerships.

The Consul General of Greece in Geneva, Alexandros Gennimatas, stated that “Charity begins at home. However, in today’s globalized and interconnected reality, cross-border donations are imperative and initiatives such as those represented at today’s event provide us with valuable solutions and a perspective on how things could or should evolve at the European level”.

Sotiris Petropoulos, co-founder of HIGGS, added “The event exceeded all expectations with many people honoring us with their presence. Through a very special event, we are given a unique opportunity to talk about philanthropy and cross-border donations and explore opportunities for cooperation, a key feature in the Civil Society ecosystem. As HIGGS, we are proud to represent Transnational Giving Europe in Greece and have the opportunity to help strengthen Civil Society and create innovative projects in Greece and Europe.”