Donations, digital is mature and Gen Z and Millennials are growing

In this context, the over 363,000 non-profit organizations – reported by Istat in the latest census released a couple of weeks ago – are called to a crucial step that concerns their very identity. «Technological and digital innovation are the gateway to bringing new donors closer together and the channel through which the most donations pass. Organizations are still shy about this – explains Paolo Venturi, director of Aiccon, the study center of the Alma Mater University of Bologna – Orientation towards a vision in this direction and investment in skills cannot be a prosthesis, but culture through to engage in the mission of an organization”.

42% of people donate more than 50 euros. Among the online donation methods, the most popular is PayPal (70%), followed by credit card (62%). «It is particularly significant that digital has detached cash this year. In other sectors there has been a return to the hybrid mode, prior to the pandemic – explains Maria Teresa Minotti, director of PayPal Italy – In donations it is clear that there has been no turning back”. PayPal launched the Give at Checkout program last year which allows, at the time of payment, to donate one euro to one of the 200 charities that have registered on the platform. «In Italy it went particularly well with 1.8 million euros raised» adds Minotti.

When there is a convincing proposal, the volunteers get involved

Donare 3.0 also investigated the attitude towards volunteering, a fundamental component of the culture of giving, where analogue and digital are now a continuum. One out of three Italians is involved in voluntary work and 44% would have done so if they had had the opportunity or the time. A figure that must be read together with the latest Istat census which detects a decline in organized volunteering for 2021. «As we see these days with the flood emergency, when the proposal exists and is convincing, people take action – observes Venturi – It is necessary for organizations to be more open to more unusual forms of participation, which are not limited to donations or joint purchase. Furthermore, a need for “radical” change emerges on the part of the volunteers/donors: it is not enough for a cause to be good, i.e. that it responds to a need, but more and more often it is required that it contribute to breaking pre-existing balances to bring about a change in the system desired”.

This year the survey focused on culture, which has always been the Cinderella of individual donations, the third last in Italy in the ranking of causes where health and research (55%), protection of the environment and animals (27%) stand out ), social assistance (26%). Yet the trend is towards improvement. 43% of Italians declare that they have made at least one donation for this purpose with a preference for cultural heritage (27%), followed by local cultural projects (15%), museums (12%), performing art (8%). “It is a sector that has great potential – comments Vitali – In particular, territorial cultural projects, cultural welfare, social inclusion projects can grow”.

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