1 October: European Day of Foundations and Donors

1 October: European Day of Foundations and Donors

Fondazione CDP is among the organisations taking part in an initiative entitled “We’re working on it. Let’s unleash the energy of communities” organised by ACRI (of which the Foundation is a member), and Assifero. The initiative marks the European Day of Foundations and Donors, established in 2013 by the Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea) to raise awareness of the mission and activities of the more than 140,000 philanthropic organisations across Europe. 

The new campaign, designed to spotlight the numerous employment inclusion initiatives backed by Foundations in Italy, draws attention to a variety of projects that foster the employment of individuals in vulnerable situations (NEETs, women, people with disabilities, prisoners, migrants). It also supports young entrepreneurs in launching start-ups and social enterprises.

Fondazione CDP has joined the campaign with the "Distretto Italia" project, promoted by Consorzio ELIS, which unites over 50 of Italy's foremost industrial and philanthropic organisations. The objective of the project is to guide, educate and secure employment for over 10,000 young individuals aged between 16 and 30, by engaging with schools and technical colleges across Italy. At the core of the initiative is the rediscovery of technical professions through education, guidance, and employment opportunities.

"Distretto Italia" falls under one of Fondazione CDP's three key areas of intervention, namely Education, Training and Social Inclusion. It is just one of the projects aimed at assisting young individuals or those with disabilities to enter the labour market. These include the project in collaboration with the Albergo Etico association, where young people with disabilities gain the essential skills required to work in the hospitality industry. There is also the project with Generation Italy, aimed at training and professionally coaching young people for careers in the tech sector. 

The members of ACRI are Italy's Foundations of Banking Origin, who have not only been shareholders of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti since 2003 but are also strategic partners for the CDP Group. CDP maintains ongoing dialogue with the foundations, sharing the same mission of investing in local areas to promote social cohesion and inclusion, drawing on their deep connections and their ability to identify the needs of local communities. The partnership has successfully launched numerous inclusion projects over the years, particularly within the realm of social and student housing, developing a unique wealth of expertise, blending social objectives with return on investment.