Third sector, every euro disbursed generates 3 euros of social benefits

From the social cooperative in Turin on coffee to the Maestri di strada in Naples that manage to support those young people who want to get out of their condition of exclusion. There are many initiatives of the Third Sector financed in 2024 by Intesa Sanpaolo that bring concrete answers in Italy: iin total, the projects have supported about 5,000 workers, 3,000 of whom have been confirmed thanks to the work done and 2,000 additional ones. The report was produced with Prometeia.

The evaluation, reads the report, looked at 664 Third Sector initiatives financed by Intesa Sanpaolo in 2024 for a total value of 155 million euro. The social return on investment is 3.3: each euro disbursed generates over 3 euro of social benefits, for a total impact of 511 million euro. More than 3 million people are the overall beneficiaries: among the results, 56 thousand patients have benefited from healthcare that would otherwise be difficult to access, 365 thousand meals have been distributed as part of assistance projects, 6 thousand children have been welcomed into nurseries and kindergartens, and 40 thousand people have gained professional qualifications. There is also room for students: 30 thousand young people have been involved, all of whom have been supported in their training courses.

One of the most significant stories linked to these projects is that of the Turin-based social cooperative Pausa Cafè: born in 2004 from an international cooperation project implemented with the cooperatives of small coffee producers in the department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, its mission is to offer paths of social and work reintegration to inmatesnumbers from Italian penal institutions. The president is Marco Ferrero. "The path starts inside the prison, where we involve inmates in roasting and bread-making activities, and continues outside, with opportunities for employment in the catering sector," Ferrero said. "The objective is to guarantee work continuity and reduce the risk of recidivism.

From Turin to Naples, the story of 'Maestri di Strada onlus', whose president is Cesare Moreno, has an impact. The onlus is a community of learning and action in which educators and teachers are trained: actions are carried out to support young people who want to get out of a condition of exclusion. Among the projects of 'Maestri di Strada onlus' supported by Intesa Sanpaolo is 'Esserci nel quartiere' (Being there in the neighbourhood), which identifies 98 young people aged 13 to 25 in a condition of socio-economic marginality, to implement paths of social reintegration.

In Padua, there is the Giotto Cooperativa Sociale, led by Nicola Boscoletto and established in 1986. Its activities range from planning, implementation and maintenance of green areas to environmental services including civil and industrial cleaning, from contact centre activities to back office administrative services, from car park management to museum services and concierge services, and even the assembly of various products. 'The organisation's commitment is geared towards creating job opportunities for people in fragile situations,' said Boscoletto. 'In the following year alone, we managed to get 152 disadvantaged people into work: 68 with physical disabilities, 79 ex-convicts, 3 psychiatric patients and 2 people with addictions. Each of these stories represents a real change: a stable income, an improvement in psychological wellbeing, the rediscovery of self-esteem and a reduction in social isolation.