AUTHOR: MARIA CHRONOPOULOU | PHOTOGRAPHY: VASILIS KOUROUPIS
– First of all, introduce yourself to me and let’s see how all this began.
– My name is Sotiris Petropoulos and I am the HIGGS (Higher Incubator Giving Growth and Sustainability) Director. In addition, I am an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Peloponnese. These two roles are connected in a way.
– How did the idea of HIGGS arise?
– In its essence, HIGGS is the result of a series of turning points, which mainly concern my professional life and the life of HIGGS co-founder Mr. Asteris Chouliaras, who is also a professor at the University of Peloponnese. Initially, we realized that many initiatives related to developing countries were done through NGOs. Later, dealing with NGOs in Greece, we decided to design a programme, which we named “Thalis – The Evaluation of the Greek Non-profit Organizations”. This programme had a research character, but it also led to the assessment of 158 NGOs. This project had finally brought us in contact with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which invited us to organize an event to support existing NGOs. This event was named “Autumn School” and it ran in 2012. It included nine days of training for executives of NGOs based in Athens. Because of its success, we decided to set up the same support model, not only in Athens but also on the periphery, for the following three years, again with the foundation’s support. The programme was completed in 2015, while we were organizing a series of workshops for NGOs that support elderly people, with funding from the Tima Charitable Foundation. That same year, we discussed with the SNF about how we could make our whole approach more systematic, and this is how HIGGS originated.
– What exactly is HIGGS?
– HIGGS is the first incubator/accelerator in Greece, which seeks to support and empower NGOs operating in the country, through educational programmes and counselling services. Our goal is to give NGOs all the necessary technocratic tools to be more productive and sustainable, and to continue to have a positive social impact on Greek society.
– How do you ensure this?
– Our core programmes are the Incubator, the Accelerator and the Recharge. The first concerns new initiatives or organizations that are in the process of being created (or have already taken their first steps), and it lasts from 12 to 24 months. The second involves existing organizations that want to grow, which we define as small and medium-sized, since they don’t have more than 40 administration personnel. They are usually referred to us for a four-month support programme, during which we work on a financing proposal. To be more exact, we work on the strategic planning in order to address organizational and management problems in their entirety, such as their organizational chart, their staff and volunteer management system, and their marketing and communication plan, so that they will be in a position to successfully absorb funding. The third strengthens organizations with many structures and beneficiaries that are facing sustainability problems, and helps them to become viable. Until now, 60 NGOs from all over Greece have taken part in our programmes, and their activities have helped 100,000 people and 5,000 strays.
– In the context of the Incubator, can an NGO locate its head office in your space? And is there a subscription for accessing your programmes?
– All of our programmes, with few exceptions, are offered free of charge to all organizations. There are two scenarios if an NGO wishes to locate its head office here. If it is a member of the Incubator, we subsidize 85% of the rent they would pay. If it is not a member of our programmes, it pays the full amount, which is relevantly low. This not only includes the space, but all the operating costs and access to the HIGGS team. A member organization essentially belongs namely to an ecosystem where other organizations are situated and where networking and cooperation opportunities are offered.
– And what about the NGOs that are based on the periphery?
– We are pleased that, through the generous support of the SNF, we are able to accommodate them here for as long as they need, so that they can attend the training. Firstly, we begin with the Bootcamp (one-month training programme), which everyone has to attend in its entirety, with few absences. Then, for the next three or 11 months, depending on the programme they access, we host them at regular intervals in order to attend seminars and counselling.
– Is there any cost for the training that you offer them?
– The only costs they have to cover are travel expenses, as well as fully commit to the training provided to them.
– At some point you mentioned that, through the Accelerator programme, you help the NGOs to obtain some funding. Does this funding come from specific entities?
– As it happens, each NGO can be referred to specific funding bodies. They may be foundations, companies’ corporate social responsibility programmes, crowdfunding or European programmes. Basically, we direct them to wherever they can receive funding.
– Are you also funded by other institutions apart from the SNF?
– Our main benefactor for our establishment and operations is the SNF. However, we maintain our fundraising plan, which already been implemented, so that we are viable. In addition, one of the things that we have decided to do, and which is very useful to what we do, is to “lead by example”. That is to say, through our own example, we highlight the stages for the establishment and development of an NGO. We already receive support from the Hellenic Initiative, the Tima Charitable Foundation and the US Embassy, while we are partners on two European programmes: Erasmus+KA2 and the AMIF.
– Your website is HIGGS3. What does this mean?
– In general, the NGO sector theoretically and conceptually belongs to the third sector. So, putting “3” in the name made great sense to us. Even our telephone number ends in “3”. The third sector is our home, our family, our wider environment: that’s why there is the “3” in our website name.
– Speaking of home, has the SNF helped you to develop the space you are currently based in?
– The building was in a good condition. However, renovation was needed, which was funded by the foundation’s initial donation and included our set-up and operational costs for the first two years.
– Do you think that the crisis prompted you to create HIGGS or would you have done it anyway?
– First of all, our audience has grown. On the one hand, the percentage of people who choose to work in an NGO, which deals with social issues, instead of being employed in a company, has increased. On the other hand, the crisis has increased the number of potential organizations that need us. It is not that there were no NGOs in the past. But, surely, the intensity of the crisis, culminating with the refugee issue, created the situation as to whether to strengthen the older ones or support the new ones. Hence, due to the crisis, we are more topical than we would have been, if it hadn’t have happened.
– What is your next goal?
– Our goal is an ever-stronger non-profit sector in Greece, an ecosystem that can be viable and functional, so that we will manage to gradually cure everything that is wrong in Greek society and be able to experience a better reality than the one we have been living in and seeing in the last few years.
– I think you covered everything. I am very pleased you exist.
– So are we.
>> Some of the NGOs that have attended HIGGS’ Incubator programme are GivMed, The Tipping Point and Women on Top.
