A professionalism in the sector of the third sector sometimes in hiding from us where – quoting Pierri – too often operators are trained in the field without real theoretical accompaniment; in fact, Italian universities still lack specialized courses on the themes of philanthropy despite the growing attention and vivacity that the sector is showing in our country.
Emma Ursich briefly talked about the action of the Generali Foundation in the world.
Emma, Secretary General since 2016, has a high-level professional profile, with a degree in Chinese from Oxford and past experiences in various multinationals on reputation issues; within the Generali Group she dealt with corporate identity.
Helping to develop a new community engagement model
With The Human Safety Net he works with programs for social purposes in different countries and in describing the different lines of intervention he cites, for example, the project in favor of 0-6 year old children for disadvantaged families, in that age group which is decisive for the results. that a child will have at school, his health and his future career.
This program – in partnership with Tree of Life, Mission Bambini and Center for Children’s Health – aims to unlock the potential of disadvantaged parents, involved in the program, to allow them to offer their children the same opportunities reserved for their peers.
The choice of partners in the countries where The Human Safety Net operates is carried out following real due diligence processes, as well as monitoring, final impact assessments and compliance with specific KPIs for the satisfaction of the expected results of the completed project.
Corporate Social Responsibility?
It is an integral part of the strategy of the Generali Foundation, a great Italian example of coherence between the core business of the insurance group and the action of the Human Safety Net, with a continuous exchange of action, of the use of the operational offices for the programs, of the action of corporate volunteering. and, ultimately, of interaction between the geographical and strategic objectives alongside the actions of the non-profit activity.
On this point, Pierri, from the height of her great knowledge of the world of Italian philanthropy, has no doubts and urges an evolution where those who donate do so in order to guide the beneficiary towards sustainability, towards an ability to continue in the direction of a self-sufficiency, a capacity for emancipation and independence.
The philanthropist of the future will no longer be able to train only in the field, but will have to be more prepared and, adding the observations of Emma Ursich, tend towards a professional evolution of all operators in the sector.
- The most enjoyable part of Paola Pierri’s book are perhaps the 5 stories of extraordinary examples that are shown at the end: Fondazione Paideia, from the Turin Giubergia family which today is an important support center for childhood distress, in particular for children with disabilities and for their families;
- Ambrosoli Foundation born from the figure of Giuseppe Ambrosoli who from a beekeeping enthusiast then became a priest and doctor specialized in tropical diseases to pursue his dream of helping the poor sick of Africa;
Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, a pioneering artistic promotion initiative that has as its focal point the research and production of contemporary art and culture, in close contact with artists and the public; finally Foqus in the Spanish districts of Naples and Casa Verdi.