New ASSIF working groups set up to help Italian fundraisers navigate changing sector & society

Italian fundraisers association ASSIF has set up two new working groups aimed at helping the country’s nonprofits understand the changing Italian society and take a more strategic approach with their fundraising.

The working groups focus on fundraising research, and fundraising for culture, and are open to all members.

The research group will concentrate on making data and analysis more accessible to fundraisers. Initial goals include establishing a common vocabulary around data, identifying key questions that represent fundraisers’ most common needs to include when conducting surveys, and developing interpretative keys for surveys that help to make them more easily comparable.

To engage fundraisers with the group and encourage greater participation, ASSIF recently issued a call for more to get involved.

Davide Moro, member of the ASSIF research group, said:

“For those involved in fundraising, today more than ever, being able to count on surveys and research to investigate donors’ behaviour and the transformation of the nonprofit sector is fundamental for facing the current challenges and acting more effectively in order to advance.

“There are many research institutions working in this area in Italy. A weakness however is that generally, the research cannot be compared or contrasted in order to gain an overall picture.”

The second working group will work to identify ways to develop and promote cultural fundraising in Italy. It currently has eight members, all of which work in this area and who have identified a number of objectives to help shape the group’s direction. These include:

– Promoting the Art Bonus tax incentive for donations to cultural organisations

– Strengthening the relationship with the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage to give the sector greater influence in national measures

– Analysing the needs of ASSIF members involved in cultural fundraising to better interpret how to support them

– Supporting Italian cultural organisations to ensure they get the greatest possible benefit from Third Sector law reforms.