Capacity building

According to most recent data from ISTAT, Italy’s Office for National Statistics, there are over 55,000 nonprofit organizations operating within Fondazione Cariplo’s constituency. These organizations employ nearly 200,000 people, have the capacity to mobilize 1.1 million volunteers and generate 17.5 billion euros in total revenues, i.e., around 4.5% of the local GDP. Lombard third-sector entities also include some 500 organizations, mostly foundations, that conduct scientific research. On top of them, in the geographic area served by Fondazione Cariplo, there are 15 universities, 12 public research institutes, 11 public and private nonprofit hospital-research centers plus 27 local social and health care entities with some 30,000 people dedicated to doing research. All these organizations too have needs for meaningful upgrades which not always can be satisfied due to the endemic lack of funding. In a continuously changing national context, under a renewed legal framework, third-sector organizations could play a significant role in terms of innovation and become a fundamental lever for change. If adequately supported in terms of dedicated human and financial resources and networked with other national and international players, they could contribute even better to promoting new forms of responses to the primary needs of society.

Philanthropic challenge

Helping third-sector organizations strengthen and transform, and more generally improving the capacity of organizations working with our Foundation to pursue their mission more efficiently and effectively.