DEPARTURE STATION: ORIGIN AND CONTEXT
Assifero has mapped 52 community foundations in Italy, spread across 11 regions and serving approximately 18 million people (Source: Italian Community Foundations Guide – end edition). There is no legally binding definition for community foundations; Assifero maps them according to certain key principles. These include being charitable organisations with a specific geographic focus and a broadly defined mission that utilise various financial and non-financial resources to provide support.
The first community foundations were established in 1999 through the efforts of the Cariplo Foundation, one of the country’s largest foundations originating from a banking institution. It imported the concept based on the US model, seeding 15 community foundations—one for each province in Lombardy—within approximately ten years. Other organisations, notably the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation in the Northwest and the Con il Sud Foundation in the Southern regions, also supported the creation of community foundations in their territories.
As the concept gained traction and the movement strengthened, new community foundations began to emerge through different pathways.
HOW ITALIAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS OPERATE: ENGINEERING THE SYSTEM
- The minimum endowment required to establish a community foundation is €30,000. However, significant variation exists: some foundations are highly endowed, with assets exceeding €30 million and a focus on hosting endowed funds, while others operate with minimal resources.
- Governance structures reflect local contexts, with notable differences. For instance, public administration representation is more common in the North, whereas other stakeholders, such as churches, are more prevalent in the South. Governance structures can also vary in size, with some including over 30 representatives.
- Funding practices range from issuing calls for tenders focused on specific topics to directly funding organisations. Several community foundations lead their own programmes and projects rather than solely providing grants.
- The Lecchese Community Foundation has expanded its funding strategy by establishing a Community Fund, where panels of people from micro-communities decide how to allocate resources.
FEW MILESTONES ON THE JOURNEY: TOPICS ALONG THE TRACKS
- 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development. Assifero, with support from ECFI and a dedicated workshop, has brought the 2030 Agenda to the forefront for community foundations, exploring how it intersects with their missions and strategies. [Read: Building a SDG Community of Practice among foundations by Carola Carazzone, Secretary General of Assifero]
- The Agrigento and Trapani Community Foundation has integrated the 2030 Agenda into its vision and mission since its inception (Annual Report, page 20)
- The Milano Nord Community Foundation has linked the 2030 Agenda to its Vital Signs report drawing inspiration from the Canadian Community Foundations.
Climate crisis: an intersectional challenge. Italian community foundations are taking steps to incorporate a climate lens into their work.
- The Novarese Community Foundation participated in the ECFI Climate Peer Learning Group and launched an entirely new line of activity. (Read this interview of Andrea Cognata, Officer, to learn more about their journey)
- Facing the Covid-19 crisis: Italian CFs response. Since the onset of the pandemic in February 2020, community foundations in Italy responded rapidly, assessing local needs in collaboration with territorial actors and mobilising a wide range of financial, material, and relational resources. In the North, efforts focused on healthcare challenges, such as hospital overcrowding and equipment shortages. In the South, they addressed social issues, including job losses, gaps in digital infrastructure, and individual isolation. Their impact included raising €69.7 million, allocating €46.6 million, and providing resources such as medical equipment, digital devices, and expertise. Key actions included creating funds in the North and implementing tailored programmes in the South. (Read:Community Foundations and support organisations response to the pandemic and their look towards the future: A comparative overview between Italy and Romania)
- Educational disadvantages in communities. Through the establishment of a national fund dedicated to tackling educational disadvantages, community foundations have partnered to develop collaborative projects with national and local actors. (Find more details in this piece)
- Community engagement and involvement. Assifero has been exploring the role of community foundations in fostering community agency and building local bonds. A particular focus has been on youth participation, with initiatives such as the Future Chair programme, the national Civic Service programme, and the development of Youth Banks. (Read Ilaria De Cave’s reporton this topic, produced during our 2021 Learning Lab).
FUTURE STATIONS AHEAD
- Change in funding practice towards more systemic approaches at the community level
- Fund development, new relational approaches, and source of collaboration (diaspora funding, collaboration with enterprises, bequests and legacy, etc)
- Beyond financial resources: untapping community foundations immaterial assets
- Future literacy, with a focus on equipping CFs with new skills and capacities
- Protecting public discourse and ensuring access to free and unbiased information via supporting independent journalism
- Addressing climate challenges, with a specific focus on energy communities.
