The social economy in the South: the foundations’ challenge
At the Assifero general meeting in Catania, attended by its 203 members and representing a funding capacity of over 400 million, the organisation raised the issue of its role in the National Plan. The ‘Sud Vivo’ manifesto was presented to combat depopulation in Southern Italy.
by Nino Amadore
Foundations and philanthropic organisations are being included in the National Plan for the Social Economy (the government’s policy document setting out strategies and tools to support social enterprises, co-operatives and initiatives with a collective impact), which is in its final stages, and are calling for a greater role in the revitalisation of Southern Italy. This summarises the discussions held during the National Assembly of Assifero (the Italian Association of Foundations and Philanthropic Organisations) in Catania, where the Italian philanthropic sector sought to shift its focus: not just grants, but networks, expertise and trust within local communities. ‘I believe that Italia’s renaissance will be driven by the social economy,’ says Antonio Danieli, president of Assifero. The aim is to transform foundations and philanthropic organisations into stable agents of development, capable of supporting social enterprises, the third sector and local communities.
The critical mass is growing. At the Turin General Meeting in June 2025, Assifero had 173 members; by the end of 2025 this had risen to 195, with 29 new members, and the target is to exceed 210 by the end of 2026. The 2025 Social Report estimates an aggregate annual grant capacity of over 400 million. The distribution remains skewed towards the Centre and North: 129 members in the North, 9 in the North-East, 27 in Lazio, 10 in the Centre, 14 in the South and 6 in Sicily.
The meeting, organised in collaboration with Isola Catania and Fondazione Marea, chaired by Antonio Perdichizzi, and supported by Catania City Council and the University of Catania, brought the debate to a city that symbolises the South: social fragility, depopulation, young people leaving, but also social innovation and impact-driven enterprises. Within this context, Fondazione con il Sud, led by Stefano Consiglio, is spearheading the ‘Sud Vivo’ manifesto, a participatory campaign against depopulation built around four verbs: to be born, to stay, to return, to arrive. The figures highlight the urgency: Southern Italy has lost 730,000 residents over the last twenty years and risks losing a further 8 million by 2080.
“No one can save themselves on their own,” says Consiglio. Sud Vivo was set up to “break down the wall of loneliness and forge alliances, not only in the South but above all with the South”. The message is that demographic decline cannot be tackled through isolated initiatives, but by rebuilding services, opportunities, employment and community ties. Thus, a challenge emerges from Catania: to use the social economy as a platform for national cohesion. The foundations are calling to be recognised not as peripheral players, but as a long-term infrastructure capable of mobilising capital, networks and public vision. For the South, this could be a tangible lever for change, provided that resources are accompanied by continuity, alliances and impact assessment.
