Community investment and social outreach

Grifols is committed to advancing positive social impact. The company proactively engages with the communities it operates in to enhance the multiplier effect of our activity in terms of job creation, socio-economic impact, and social benefit. Grifols’ foundations extend its social reach and contributions to improve society and making healthcare systems more sustainable.

More details on product donations and contributions to patient organizations and programs: “Donors and Patients”.
More information on scientific awards and research initiatives: “Innovation”.
Breakdown of Grifols’ value creation: “Sustainable Growth”.

Initiatives through foundations and NGOs

Probitas Foundation: improving the health of the most vulnerable populations

Fundación Probitas was created in 2008 to improve the health and well-being, and equality to opportunities for people in vulnerable situations. In Spain, it works with local communities to improve the nutrition and emotional well-being of at-risk youth. On a global level, the foundation focuses on improving public health systems in low-income countries, leveraging Grifols’ expertise in medical care and clinical diagnostics. The Probitas Foundation receives an annual allocation of 0.7% of Grifols corporate profits.

The foundation partners with social and health organizations to jointly design projects that advance social progress by pooling knowledge, skills and resources. In this way, it broadens its impact by harnessing the collective expertise of diverse entities and the technical knowhow of Probitas multidisciplinary team.

Probitas programs strive to have a positive multiplier effect by ensuring projects have a long-lasting and sustainable impact and replicability through partnerships with social action and health entities, governmental and non-governmental organizations, universities and research centers.

Fundación Probitas programs promote the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those dedicated to the fight against poverty, ensuring quality health and education, and advancing gender equality.

International program

The foundation spearheads efforts to help populations living in remote regions of the world with scarce medical resources and practically non-existent healthcare systems. In these areas, diseases represent a serious public health problem, causing immense human suffering, stigmatization, and high morbidity and mortality rates.

International projects are co-developed in each country with local entities and health authorities in primary healthcare contexts. These efforts also include community-engagement actions and medical training programs for healthcare personnel to promote health care as a priority.

Main projects and milestones in 2023:

Efforts to address neglected tropical diseases

In the field of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), Probitas has allocated EUR 850,000 to support six biannual projects in remote areas of Bolivia, Peru, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.

With more than 43,000 beneficiaries to date, these projects advance SDG 3.3, aimed at reducing the prevalence of NTDs, which affect more than 1,000 million people and fuel the cycle of poverty in the world’s most marginalized regions.

Support for clinical diagnostic labs

Probitas improves access to health care by renovating and equipping diagnostic laboratories in remote regions, providing training for healthcare professions, and raising awareness on common health-related problems. In 2023, renovations were completed on five clinical labs in Paraguay, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia, benefitting more than 100,000 people.

Development of laboratory management software

Probitas collaborated with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya to develop the ARIS software system, designed to manage patients, analytics and lab tests. The program will be freely downloadable from the Probitas website, and laboratories can configure it in their language and customize it very easily without the need for computer knowledge.

Local program

Grifols supports several health and social outreach programs in local communities to promote the development of children and adolescents in vulnerable situations and/or at risk of social exclusion. These health education offerings, socio-educational support, assistance to cover basic needs such as food, and the development of professional abilities in the realms of health and education.

Local projects are developed through a network of agents from distinct entities: social organisms, schools, high schools, public administrations and families.

Over 10,000 young people from 54 municipalities benefitted from these programs in the 2022-23 academic year.

Main projects and milestones in 2023:

Expansion of the “Dinem Junts” program

The “Dinem Junts” (Let’s eat) program was launched in Catalunya, Spain in 2014, welcoming 450 high school students every year. In 2023, the program was expanded to the southern province of Huelva in the El Torrejon de Huelva neighborhood, affected by high rates of poverty and social turmoil. In collaboration with a local organization and the Huelva City Hall’s social services department, Probitas developed a social-educational support program for 25 students from a high-complexity high school. Students access healthy and well-balanced meals, and receive guidance from qualified professionals on healthy eating habits.

Healthy Program: highlighting the role of school nurses

In addition to providing healthcare services, school nurses in the Healthy Program offer educational workshops on healthy lifestyle habits for students, families and school professionals (teachers, after-school leaders, lunchroom monitors and others).

For the second year running, the Healthy Program garnered very positive feedback, leading to a 9% reduction in obesity rates among 197 students in the El Cabañal neighborhood in Valencia.

Innovative program for at-risk children

Amid the growing mental health crisis among young people, a new canine interaction educational program, “Potes amigues” was launched with the participation of 100 children and adolescents from at-risk environments. While forming deep bonds with the dogs, participants acquire new behaviors and grow in confidence and self-esteem.

Taking care of teachers

Probitas “Professionals in Mind” program promotes the continuous education and development of professionals in the social, health and educational fields. Sessions teach mindset techniques to help participants improve their response capacity and empathy to better navigate emotionally charged situations with adolescents.

Mental health training was also imparted for educators to increase their knowledge of this dynamic with children and strategies to address it.

Víctor Grifols i Lucas Foundation: bioethics as a principle

The Víctor Grifols i Lucas Foundation was created in 1998 to spotlight the importance of bioethics and encourage dialogue among specialists from different areas of knowledge. The Foundation aims to promote bioethics among organizations, companies and individuals that operate in the healthcare space. To this end, it offers a unique forum for debate, discussion and diverse perspectives on all issues related to ethics, science and health care.

Publications and articles

During 2023, the Foundation has published the following:

• “Artificial Intelligence and Health”
• “Bioethics and Public Health Law”
• “Old Age, Society and Public Health”
• “Bioethics, A Look Into the Future”
• “Care and Ethics of Care: Needs and Evidence for Research and Progress”

The foundation also collaborates with publishing houses for the dissemination of high-impact books and manuals on bioethics.

More information on the Foundations and its publications.

Awards

Every year, the Foundation awards prizes and research grants to promote the study and dissemination of bioethics. In 2023, it awarded six grants for research projects in bioethics, an audiovisual prize, three prizes for research by high school students, and three prizes for educational centers.

A forum for debate

The Foundation organizes conferences and expert panels to disseminate and delve into the most critical ethical issues of scientific and social interest. This year, these gatherings explored euthanasia, the medicalization of life stages, plasma donation and the ethics of care, among other issues.

Education

Advancing the study of bioethics in the education sector is among the Foundation’s core objectives. In 2023, it organized film and debate sessions for high school students and participated in the Barcelona International Young Scientific Challenge and Barcelona Science Park research fair.

Institutional collaborations

The Foundation offers ethical advice to other institutions and collaborates with several entities in organizing activities. Its regular collaborators include the Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration, Mémora Foundation, Department of Education of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Friends of UNESCO-Barcelona.

José Antonio Grifols Lucas Foundation: supporting donor communities

Created in 2008, the José Antonio Grifols Lucas Foundation aspires to enhance the health and wellbeing of plasma donors and the communities where they live. These efforts raise awareness of the importance of plasma, recognize the generosity of donors and generate a positive ripple effect in donor communities.

These social action initiatives are linked to Grifols’ business strategy and commercial activity, and they reflect their commitment to this essential stakeholder group.

The Foundation’s activity is currently focused in the United States, although might expand to other countries in the future.

Grants, awards and scholarships

The Foundation’s board of directors includes patients, donors and Grifols representatives who meet regularly to approve activities, and community enhancement grants. In 2023, the board approved 16 grants totaling over USD 350,000 to support local organizations that offer civic, social or educational programs for young people and vulnerable populations.

Donation centers’ employees also voluntarily promote the foundation’s initiatives and participate in its programs.

For more information, see the “Local development” section.

For more information and details on the foundation’s activity.

Development programs in donor communities

More information on the J.A. Grifols Foundation.

Other initiatives