About this Project

Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) are models of cooperation, development and civil society participation, which are core elements in the pathway to Sustainable Development. However, the contribution of NPOs to a more integrated sustainable development does not go much beyond what is embedded in their core missions, and much remains to be explored at the level of the definition and operationalization of strategies to manage the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) dimensions associated with NPOs’ activities.

The existing models for sustainability integration and management of ESG dimensions in the corporate sector do not cover the specific characteristics of NPOs. As a result, this sector is poorly supported in terms of management tools that guide and enhance the integration of sustainability principles into its activities and operational strategies. At the same time, the definition and operationalization of ESG strategies requires human resources with specific skills and time availability, which are often scarce in NPOs. For this reason, the inclusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to support decision making processes in ESG topics has the potential to enhance sustainability integration processes in the NPO sector, namely for the collection and analysis of ESG-related data, for the development of predictive models that allow the identification of risks and opportunities, and for the optimization of resources and improvement of process efficiency. 

The ESG4NPO project explores how to operationalize the strategic integration of sustainability in NPOs, enhancing the adoption of ESG-oriented strategies that go beyond their core mission. For this, we propose: 1) to adapt organisational sustainability integration models to the specific needs and particularities of the NPO sector, and 2) to use these models to develop a prototype of a management tool, assisted by AI, directed to the relevant ESG factors in NPO organizations. 

The research team integrates researchers with expertise in the development and implementation of strategic sustainability integration models, researchers with extensive knowledge on the NPO sector, and researchers with experience and know-how in the development of AI algorithms.

The results of this research are expected to support the NPO sector in fostering a holistic and systemic approach to the different dimensions of sustainability management, enhancing innovation in their contribution to the SDGs and, consequently, increasing the sustainability of these organisations.