IE university prides itself in both pushing students to their fullest potential but also teaching them to not leave anyone behind. With this in mind, the IE Entrepreneurship Club hosted its annual Entrepreneurship Summit on November 17 and added a distinctive philanthropic factor. As a part of their summit, the club, along with IE Charity club and others, hosted an NGO pitch competition.
The event consisted of three up-and-coming NGOs who pitched their ideas to a panel of judges. In three minutes, each organization presented its visions, practices, and proposed uses of the €500 prize money. This was followed by a short Q&A session, where the judges could communicate with the non-profits and resolve further doubts they had. The Entrepreneurship Club commented that this Q&A session was incredibly interesting. Hearing how “meaningful, passionate, and dedicated” the NGOs were was the most memorable part of the event, they explained. After 15 minutes of deliberation, the judges finally chose Fundación Pan y Peces as the winner and prize money recipient.
Fundación Pan y Peces is a Madrid-based charity that gives monthly boxes of necessities to families in high-risk situations. With each box, they donate food and basic hygiene products and customize these to accommodate the family’s size and ages. The NGO also works discreetly and helps parents without alarming their kids. Pan y Peces created a program with “a schedule through which the children [do not] find out” that their family is receiving help, they explain. They do this mainly by attending to the parents when children are not there. “When [the kids] get home, everything is normal,” they said. The other two charities that competed are Ecomar and La Merced Migraciones. Ecomar cleans plastic from oceans and rivers and raises awareness about the importance of recycling. La Merced Migraciones protects and houses immigrants and refugees, focusing on young and LGBTQ+ people.
Photo by IE Campus Life.
The Entrepreneurship Club explained how rewarding “the passion of every NGO when pitching” was, and “their tears when [winning].” The organization of the event was not without its difficulties, however, they explained. In a last-minute change of plans, both a judge and an NGO said they would not make it to the pitch in time. To deal with this issue, the club extended the networking session and began the pitch later on. Despite the obstacle, the competition resumed as planned– although slightly later. In the end, the club says, the issue was solved and the event was successful. “Always prepare multiple backup plans…we never know what can happen” they concluded.
The charity Fundación Pan y Peces will use its prize money to help those in need, and IE students are encouraged to raise awareness for and donate to the three charities.
Featured photo by: IE Campus Life
