Tema: Generating knowledge


Redesigning the Future programme

The Programme – promoted under line of mandate 4 “Creating the enabling conditions for strengthening of communities” – provides for a multi-year structure to respond incrementally to organisations’ requirements of strengthening and organisational development.  

It began in 2022 and was designed on the basis of the lessons learned from various capacity building programs promoted by the individual philanthropic areas over time, culminating in the cross-sectoral and multi-level Cariplo Social Innovation programme launched in 2017, which combined innovation, capacity building and social finance.  

The working guidelines and support for non-profit organisations taking part in the Redesigning the Future programme are as follows:

  1. Distance learning Through Cariplo Social Innovation Lab, aimed at providing organisations that sign up on the platform with a digital location hosting a broad catalogue of training resources and insights. In particular:
    • a section focusing on issues relevant to the non-profit world (strategy, design, digital, fundraising and regulations)  
    • a section entirely dedicated to Fondazione Cariplo’s own themes/content (e.g. Minimum Environmental Criteria, Reporting, Member area for organisations)
    • a section of best practices, including video interviews with organisations recounting their experiences of organisational change, some implemented with the assistance of Fondazione Cariplo
    • a ‘self-assessment questionnaire’ that users fill in when registering on the platform, aimed at identifying the macro-areas of skills to be strengthened (and at providing the Foundation with an overview of the ‘starting-point’ skills). 
  2. Mentorship Expert creation of support and mentorship pathways, aimed at acquiring greater mastery and working tools for improved performance in:  
    • initial organisational analysis (needs analysis) for improved guidance of decisions when making changes 
    • monitoring and impact assessment in an organisational transformation project.

Video recordings of the online workshops have been made available, for free and on demand, on the Cariplo Social Innovation Lab platform. 

  1. Call for proposals The call is intended to support the organisational development of non-profit organisations working in the environmental, cultural and human services fields, to strengthen their role as a major lever of resilience and cohesion in our communities, by increasing the effectiveness of their work, leveraging their human capital and expanding their respective communities. 

To date, three calls have taken place, in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Among the objectives, extra attention was paid to promoting and facilitating change within organisations and to encouraging a leading role for young people at those organisations. 

Financial compass

According to the latest OECD PISA Report, almost one in five students in Italy does not reach the minimum level of financial literacy, a figure accompanied by profound gaps in gender and socio-economic circumstances. At vocational institutions in particular, half of the students show significant gaps in their understanding of the basic concepts related to money, savings and financial management. 

Fondazione Cariplo intends to utilise Financial Compass to respond to these issues, by supporting vocational institutions in the introduction of financial education, as required by the recent Law no. 21/2024 (“Capital Law”) and by the Guidelines for the cross-sectoral teaching of civic education (Ministerial Decree no. 183/2024). 

The project objectives are as follows:  

  • to boost levels of financial education among students at the five vocational institutions involved 
  • to evaluate the effectiveness of the project and its effects on students’ knowledge and skills, to identify replicable tools and disseminate best practice 
  • to contribute to launching financial education in schools more effectively and, in general, to developing financial education in Italy.

In hypotheses the most coherent methods of intervention, Fondazione Cariplo worked in conjunction with experienced partners in the field of scholastic financial education: eQwa Social Enterprise, Foundation for Financial Education and Evaluation Lab of the Giordano dell’Amore Social Venture Foundation. 

The project envisages: 

  • the development and opening of laboratories, educational activities and innovative training courses to make learning concrete, engaging and measurable 
  • evaluation of the effectiveness of the project and its effects on students’ knowledge and skills, to identify replicable tools and disseminate best practice. 

1,600 hours of training are planned for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years, during which more than 2,000 students from 36 vocational institutions in 12 provinces in the area in question will be involved, with a total of 360 hours of analysis and measurement of the students’ economic and financial skills as part of the project.  

Rare diseases

In 2021, Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione Telethon ETS embarked on a strategic collaboration aimed at supporting basic research in the field of rare diseases, both of genetic and non-genetic origin, with the common goal of expanding knowledge on genes and molecular mechanisms that remain unexplored, thus fostering the development of new therapeutic opportunities.

Basic research, especially in the field of rare diseases, is a crucial but still poorly supported sector in terms of investment, yet it is precisely this type of research on which are based many of the discoveries that pave the way for applied research and understanding of more common diseases.

The initiative between the two Foundations has already led to the publication of three editions of the joint call for proposals through which 59 research projects have been supported to date, with a total value of €14 million; 34 of these have been conducted by organisations working in the local areas where Fondazione Cariplo operates.

The originality of the model – which supports the study of genes, gene families, proteins and mRNA molecules, the function of which remains unclear – has also been acknowledged internationally, with a publication in the scientific journal Drug Discovery Today (March 2024).

In 2024, the two Foundations concluded the third edition of the joint call and, in light of the positive results obtained, decided to renew the collaboration by signing a second Framework Agreement for the three-year period 2025-2027, thereby consolidating a shared commitment to scientific knowledge and innovation in the field of rare diseases.

In 2022, Fondazione Cariplo embarked on structured pathway to explore the issue of inequalities and support research in this area, nu launching the “Inequalities Research” Call for Proposals and creating the First Inequalities Report.

The Report is a valuable tool for developing a broad, informed vision of the phenomenon, from time to time exploring various dimensions and offering useful directions towards interpretation for action.
The First Inequalities Report, published in March 2023, analysed the roots and main dimensions from which inequalities of opportunity arise, highlighting how they are not only an obstacle for individuals but a loss for the entire community.

The Second Inequalities Report

Two years later, in 2025, Fondazione Cariplo issued the Second Inequalities Report, the result of a research process on the analysis of inequalities and leveraging human potential.

The aim was an in-depth understanding of the factors that limit or encourage the possibilities for growth of people and communities, by offering new data, analyses and perspectives to guide collective policies and actions.

The study highlights how economic conditions, family and place of origin strongly affect ‘personal flourishing’, but also how mentors and the community play a decisive role: the mentor is the spark that ignites growth; the network is the oxygen that feeds it.
Reducing inequalities requires a shared commitment and the construction of ecosystems of opportunities: only a system that can create favourable conditions enables people to fully develop their potential.

AGER – AGroalimentare E Ricerca 

AGER – AGroalimentare E Ricerca (‘Agri-food & Research’) is a philanthropic initiative promoted by a consortium of 18 banking foundations, led by Fondazione Cariplo.  

Launched in 2008, AGER supports scientific research with a high impact of application in the Italian agri-food sector, with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of agri-food supply chains through innovation and ensuring the sustainability of Italian agricultural production.  

Initiatives and results of first three editions of AGER 

During the first two editions, conducted from 2008 to 2015 and 2016 to 2022 respectively, a total of 32 multi-partner projects with a strong cross-sectoral approach were supported. The primary objective of these interventions was to encourage the development and adoption of innovative agronomic technologies and solutions, specifically aimed at eight strategic sectors of the Italian agri-food industry: cereal growing, fruit and vegetable growing, animal husbandry, viticulture, aquaculture, olive growing, mountain agriculture and dairy production. 

The third edition of AGER kicked off in 2021, with an even more marked focus on supporting research and innovation oriented towards sustainable agricultural production. In this phase, extra attention was paid to optimising the use of natural resources and the ability to face the challenges posed by climate change. 

One of the major interventions of this third edition is the “From soil to field” call for proposals, resulting the funding of three projects aimed at in-depth research into the soil microbiome. The aim of this study is to enhance the role of micro-organisms in promoting the health and fertility of Italian agricultural soils, while improving the efficiency in the use of water and nutrients. 

In late 2024, the “Protein Crops: innovations for sustainable nutrition” call for proposals was also promoted, designed to support research activities on new technologies and production processes aimed at improving the quality and sustainability of leguminous crops. The ultimate goal of this initiative is twofold: on the one hand, to encourage the diversification of protein sources in the diet; on the other, to promote an increase in the use of plant-based proteins, in line with the latest needs for food sustainability. 

Overall, the Foundations’ intervention in support of the agri-food sector amounts to over €39 million. 

An anticipatory and collaborative approach in agri-food research 

During its almost 18 years of activity, AGER has supported projects that follow very different approaches, themes and purposes. This variety has been a strength, enabling us to face the emerging challenges of the Italian agri-food sector and to respond dynamically to the needs of supply chains. 

A hallmark of the interventions funded by AGER has been their ability to anticipate research topics that have now become central to the European agricultural agenda. These include the fight against climate change, promotion of the circular economy and protection of the health and nutritional aspects of food. These choices have enabled AGER to position itself as a cutting-edge player that can drive innovation at a national level. 

Through the calls, AGER has not limited itself to funding research but has actively promoted models of collaboration between researchers and players in the production chains. The aim has been to encourage the co-generation of knowledge and ensure the transferability of innovations to the production world, so as to make a concrete and lasting impact on the agri-food sector. 

Looking to the future, AGER’s added value does not end with the scientific results obtained. Its real strength lies in its ability to build a community of intent that involves foundations, researchers and local areas. This network of relationships, based on trust and sharing, is the key to collectively facing and succeeding in the challenges of the agri-food sector, and to promoting truly sustainable innovation.