Resources' Role in Supporting Social Cooperatives' Development
In a significant stride towards fostering impact investing in social cooperatives, Impact4Coop, the impact investing program of Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell'Amore, has approved investments for another 4 social cooperatives: Aeper, Auxiluim, Il Ponte, and Pandora.
The purpose of Impact4Coop is to advance impact investing in social cooperatives in Italy by supporting their development and growth through dedicated investments and empowerment programs. The program aims to foster sustainable social innovation and enhance governance by promoting human-centered interactions and data-driven strategies for sustainability. It also provides advanced training in Communityholder Management to build innovative governance competencies focused on social impact.
Impact4Coop has been supporting the capital reinforcement of social cooperatives since 2021. The Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell'Amore, the strategic and operational arm of Fondazione Cariplo in the field of impact investing, will invest a total of 2.2 million euros in these cooperatives.
The investment operations will be conducted under an impact investing logic, with the goal of preserving and strengthening the social impact produced by the services provided to communities. The investment will focus on the creation of job opportunities, with a particular focus on the employment integration of vulnerable individuals.
The social cooperatives are engaged in various fields, with 43% focusing on reintegration, 21% on socio-educational services, 14% on socio-assistance, and 21% in other sectors. Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell'Amore has already invested over 500,000 euros in 4 social cooperatives (Alice, Chico Mendes, La Miniera di Giove, and Vesti Solidale).
Impact4Coop has received a total of 28 applications from social cooperatives, with 43% for type B social cooperatives, 39% for type A, and 18% for mixed. The program has been enriched with an additional million euros, and other applications from social cooperatives are currently being analyzed for potential investment.
The "Impact Grant" is an innovative financial tool that allows part of the equity investment to be transformed into a non-repayable contribution if pre-agreed social impact objectives are met. This has been experimented with during the investment in Cooperativa Sociale Vesti Solidale and Cooperativa Sociale Alice.
Impact4Coop has been instrumental in the growth of social cooperatives in Italy, entering its second edition as of 2025. The portfolio managed under Get it! now includes 22 participations with over 1 million euros invested by FSVGDA, reflecting active financial support to develop these social initiatives further. This positions Impact4Coop as a key impact investing initiative targeting the development of the Third Sector through financial and educational support in Italy.
- The Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell'Amore will use the funds from Impact4Coop to finance the growth and development of the four approved social cooperatives: Aeper, Auxiluim, Il Ponte, and Pandora.
- In an effort to create job opportunities and support the employment integration of vulnerable individuals, Impact4Coop is targeting specific financing areas within the social cooperatives, such as reintegration, socio-educational services, and socio-assistance.
