The Double Digital and Ecological Transition: DO Impact and SimbiòTIC
The contemporary development of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) demands an evolution that goes beyond simply incorporating computers or basic digitalization. Within the framework of European Union guidelines, the third sector is immersed in the so-called double transition: the green transition and, as a priority, the digital transition. This transition operates under the premise that emerging technologies and advanced data management are essential tools for accurately identifying social needs, defining territorial challenges, and deploying effective responses to exclusion issues.
At the European level, the transnational consortium project DO Impact (funded by the European Union under project number 101167976, running from September 2024 to February 2026) leads this path of digital capacity building. This consortium, made up of social economy entities from Italy, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, and Belgium, and led by the Fondazione Piemonte Innova network and Diesis Network, includes the active participation of the Taula del Tercer Sector Social de Catalunya through its digital innovation project m4Social. The consortium’s approach focuses on diagnosing regional digital needs, designing replicable training methodologies, and promoting the adoption of CRM systems to consolidate donor relations, monitor social impact, and drive daily innovation.
In parallel, at the national level, the alliance between m4Social and Associació SinergiaTIC gave rise to SimbiòTIC, a strategic cultural and technological transformation program supported by Next Generation EU funds through the Generalitat de Catalunya. This project addresses a critical digital gap within social organizations: according to sector studies, only 25% of entities have a CRM, and 62% face serious limitations in digitalizing due to lack of funding and support. SimbiòTIC has facilitated the integration of SinergiaCRM, a specialized free software solution unique in Spain oriented to the social third sector, which centralizes fundraising, direct user assistance, public grant registration, and evaluation survey design.
| Organizational Parameter | European Initiative: DO Impact | Catalan Initiative: SimbiòTIC |
|---|---|---|
| Funding and Support | European Union (Project 101167976) and regional entities | Next Generation EU funds through Departament de Drets Socials |
| Technology Partner / Executor | Fondazione Piemonte Innova, Diesis Network, m4Social | m4Social and Associació SinergiaTIC |
| Territorial Scope | 7 European regions (Italy, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium) | Autonomous region (Catalonia, Spain) |
| Key Software Tool | Generic CRM systems and advanced data analytics | SinergiaCRM (specialized software for social entities) |
| Registered Impact | Structured regional training methodologies | 80+ associated entities, 5,000 professionals, 100,000 beneficiaries |
The adoption of these digital architectures allows NGOs to abandon analog information silos and integrate into common data exchange frameworks with public administrations, achieving much more refined planning and greater institutional transparency.