About us
Fondazione Etica is a national, independent and non-profit foundation, established in Milan in 2008 and registered under no. 397 of the Register of Legal Entities. It is a research center combining study, planning and practical implementation.
We mainly focus on:
- innovation and improvement of public administrations (specifically, administrative capacity, strengthening of public governance, efficiency, quality of public spending, smart cities, e-government);
- transparency and prevention of corruption
- participatory paths (civic engagement),
- social impact innovation (particularly in social policies: promotion, coordination and evaluation of social impact innovation projects, innovative finance with a social impact; civic engagement; social inclusion, etc.)
Fondazione Etica has over a decade of experience in these fields.
About evaluating and supporting PA, the Foundation has received major recognition in Italy from insitution such as Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Confindustria, KPMG, and Fondazione Cariplo.
We developed a pilot project for the European Commission – DG Regio. Fondazione Etica is a partner of the World Bank – Global Partnership for Social Accountability, and is actively involved in the Open Government Partnership, as well as in the Multistakeholder Forum established by the Department of Public Administration.
Our institutional collaborations include the Ministry of Regional Affairs, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Department for the cohesion and the south, and ANAC. We also work with Anci Lombardia, Lega Autonomie, regional Entitie such as Tuscany and Lombardy Region, and Municipalities including Milan, Cuneo and Grosseto.
We collaborate with LUISS University, while our media partner is Corriere della Sera.
Fondazione Etica was formerly a member of the European Foundation Center, and tparticipates in working groups organized by Astrid Foundation.
It has conducted evaluations of local authorities for institutional investment funds.
Fondazione Etica is officially listed in the National Research Registry of the Ministry of University and Research.
Our work in social impact innovation and investing received formal recognition from Fondazione Italia Sociale, of which welcomed us as a participating member. Due to this recognitiion, Fondazione Etica was selected as the only Italian case study presented at the 3rd International Conference on Social Impact Investment, organized by both Italian and international universities.
Among our pilot initiatives is “Luci nel Parco”, a social impact investment project, in Tuscany, aimed at local development through the mobilization of private savingsand the creation of an innovative financial tool. This model has been replicated in Naples with the project "Casa Comune".
We have implemented a wide range of projects, including the reform of legislation on political parties, which earned the approval of the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO).
We are currently monitoring the RRNP (National Recovery Plan), through "LIBenter" project, developed in collaboration with Università Cattolica, Libera and CNEL.
Over the years, we have organized numerous national conferences and participated in various international ones.
We have also published several research and books, in both Italian and English.
Fondazione Etica was founded by Gregorio Gitti and Paola Caporossi, who brought together scholars, entrepreneurs, professionals, committed to improving public institutions through civic engagement and institutional innovation.
The Foundation is supported by three sources of funding: donations from founders, members and supporters; participation in research funding calls; and implementatio of projects and applied research.
Among the earliest supporters who believed in the Foundation's mission: Giovanni Bazoli, Massimo Bettoni, Umberta Gnutti Beretta, Piero Gandini, Francesco Guarneri, and Fondazione Cariplo.
No sngle supporter holds a financial dominant position, as the Foundation is committed to maintain its independence. Therefore all private contributions are intentionally kept limited.
Why Ethic?
The distinctive characteristic of Fondazione Etica is its ability to combine rigorous research with the concrete implementation of its findings. In essence, we turn ideas into action.
Our work spans two interconnected domains: the public administrative machine, on one hand, and social policies, on another one.
In a landscape often dominated by the tendency to merely list problems, we choose to act as a proactive force. We dedicated ourselves to studying and developing medium to long term solutions that are not driven by one-sided interests, but rather guided by a broader vision of insitutional design end the exercise of public authority.
We firmly believe that the contrast between the public sector and the private one isboth mistaken and unproductive. Instead. our aim is to restore a positive and constructuve meaning to the word "public", as envisioned in the Italian Constitution. This does not mean adopting the characteristics of the private sector but rather becoming a reliable partner in the pursuit of the general interest.
Ethics for us is not a matter of moralism, but a necessary premise, a tool to serve the common good. It represents a framework for responsible public conduct and a shared standard for fair and transparent coexistence within a community. Ethics, in this context, is about accountability, institutional integrity, and the collective responsibility to strengthen democracy.
