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Institutional philanthropy in Italy: challenges and opportunities Bernardino Casadei, Assifero. The Philanthropic Sector in Italy. Until twenty years ago, institutional philanthropy was almost unknown in Italy
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Institutional philanthropy in Italy: challenges and opportunities Bernardino Casadei, Assifero
The Philanthropic Sector in Italy • Until twenty years ago, institutional philanthropy was almost unknown in Italy • Suddenly, with the privatisation of savings banks, we had a huge philanthropic sector with no philanthropists • A suspicious attitude towards philanthropy, which is sometimes considered a danger for democracy and social equality
Growth and diversification • Birth and development of corporate foundations which are grant-makers, before they were mainly cultural or research institutes • Greater number of family foundations, often, but not always, linked with family owned corporations • Establishment and growth of community foundations
The crisis of welfare state: risks and opportunities • Development of the welfare society: • Recognition of the role of the charitable sector • Its instrumental role saving government money • Public spending cut back: • Public attention for institutional philanthropy • Use of foundation money to compensate for the lack of government spending
Strategies for philanthropy • Distinguish the role of philanthropy from that of the public sector, difficult to do • Concentrate on research and experimentation, but it is complicated to replicate and to scale up • To promote the nonprofits’ effectiveness, but what does effectiveness mean?
What is the specific value added of charities? • To promote trust and social capital as the basis for the social and economic growth of each community • To allow the citizens to contribute to the common good so that they are not simply taxpayers and voters • Help individuals: • to give a meaning to its own existence • to live relationships that are really human • to prove authentic emotions
A new set of indicators, not just measuring goods and services • How the activity is promoting trust, promote collaboration and motivate participants • In which way it is increasing civic responsibility • How it is helping people to give and to really express their humanity
The real challenge of philanthropy To help the charitable sector, not so much to solve society’s problems, but to make our community more human, because this is a duty that neither the free market nor the public administration are able to perform, but this is something that we all evidently need.
Assifero • The reference point of institutional philanthropy in Italy • Assists grant-makers and those wishing to make grants • 62 members (private, corporate community foundations); this has tripled in the last 2 years • For more information: www.assifero.org and info@assifero.org.