52 – Beyond the Welfare State: New Trends in Social Welfare Policies in Spain Implications for Nonprofit Organizations

Introduction

Organizations can be categorized according to the nature of their owners, as either public or private organizations. Among private organizations, there is a subset of “other” organizations that are heterogeneous and have different legal structures, with diverse objectives. In Spain, these “other organizations” are labeled the Third Sector and/or Social Economy. There are two basic foundations for these “other” private organizations. Both arise when clusters of people create population centers. As a result, neither appears without the other; rather, they emerge simultaneously, and they are both extraordinarily important for social cohesion and sustainable development. The concepts in question are mutual aid and third-party aid.