Donations in Italy: over EUR 500 million, but differences remain

On the other hand, Formal Donations are down: only 11% of the Italian population, the lowest since 2005. Informal Donations are on the rise: 55% of Italians donated directly (+5 points compared to 2022). The study conducted by Astolfi 15.70 shows a +9.83% increase in the value of donations in 2022, against a smaller but more generous donor base.

The smartphone is now the most used tool for online donations (61%). The main tools are Crowdfunding (23% of digital donors), Personal Fundraising for private and social events and using Ai to find out about causes and organisations (Gen Z). Generation Z stands out for its international openness (34% are willing to donate to foreign NGOs) and strong future orientation: 53% plan to increase their donations. An extremely interesting fact is related to the education of donors: university graduates donate four times more than those with only a secondary school diploma (22.8% versus 5.3%). Looking instead at the geography of donors, a structural gap emerges between the North and South of the country in the propensity to donate: North-East 14.3% compared to the South, which is at 6.6%.

Formal generosity is more concentrated where there are more economic and cultural resources. The age group most involved is the 45-74 age group (13-15%). Young people under 24 are less than 5%. The main attentions are directed towards the so-called 'causes of the heart', which touch on universal and urgent issues, medical-scientific research (38%), emergency aid (35%) and the fight against poverty in Italy (19%)

The geographical analysis of donations reveals a split between the North and the South, a gap that is not purely numerical but reflects significant socio-economic differences. The data on formal donations is emblematic: the propensity to donate in the North-East (14.3%) is more than double that of the South (6.6%). More detailed analyses show a clear gradient: the North-West average stands at 13.5% and that of the Centre at 11.5%, while the Islands drop to 6.1%.

The first cause can be traced back to the gap in per capita GDP between the richest regions in the North and those in the South, which has a direct impact on the spending capacity of households and, consequently, on their ability to donate.

The North boasts a historically more structured non-profit network. This can also be seen in the 5x1000 data: the regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna alone concentrate over 40% of the total funds collected. Trust in the South is more oriented towards informal and proximity channels (parishes, committees), in line with the national data that rewards the 'link with the territory' as a driver of trust.

"We can no longer think of the donor as a passive recipient of a request, but we have to recognise him as a co-protagonist of a vision," Natascia Astolfi further emphasises. "The centre of gravity thus shifts from simple fundraising to building communities of value. In this new paradigm, 'giving back' is no longer a report at the end of the year or a formal thank you: it becomes the fuel of an ongoing dialogue, the concrete proof that every contribution generates a real and shared impact. The challenge, then, is no longer to ask, but to include. It is no longer to gather, but to aggregate people around a common vision'.