The event was streamed live. We will make videos of key moments of the event available on this page.
“Growing with European projects: initiatives in local organisations and future prospects”
Despite the distance that separates us from Brussels, European funds are one of the most important engines for supporting local development and civil society activities. To shorten this distance, next March 9 the setting of the OGR in Turin will host the event “Growing with European projects: initiatives in local organisations and future prospects.”
The event is organized by Fondazione CRT and Acri, the organization representing foundations of banking origin-thanks to which our Guide was born and grew.
The event will host representatives from European and national institutions, the foundation world and civil society, who will discuss a number of major issues:
- the experiences, best practices, tools, initiatives, and even expectations of those working to strengthen European design capacities in Italy’s local organisations;
- the prospects and implications of the new European funds programming 2028-2034, from the perspective of those following its genesis closely;
- the role that Italian foundations can play in the coming years by deepening their partnership with European institutions.
All useful information about the event
Where: OGR Turin (Cult area, Binario 3), Corso Castelfidardo 22
When: March 9, 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m.
The Program: can be downloaded here
Foundations and European funds: why together?
The event aims to emphasize continuity between community institutions, foundations and civil society organizations in the implementation of activities in local organisations in Italy and Europe, in different areas: social, environmental, cultural, innovation, citizenship.
It does so at a particular time, when Europe is being called upon to respond to new challenges and to define budgets and modes of action for the next seven years. Within this framework, Italian and European Foundations propose themselves as natural partners of Europe: as bearers of commitment, know-how, mission orientation and closeness to local organisations and communities.
Why foundations in particular? There are more than 175,000 of them in Europe: they disburse a total of €76 billion each year and have total assets of more than €516 billion. They are independent and neutral civil society organizations, are recognized at the institutional and local community level, are widely spread across local organisations in Europe, and have a mission aligned with European values, in responding to the European Union’s major challenges in the social, environmental, cultural, innovation and citizenship spheres.
They are therefore natural interlocutors of EU institutions in the implementation of activities and projects: as evidenced by the decade-long history of the Guide to EU Projects and Funding and EUknow.it.
The themes of the day
The day includes four main moments.
The introductory speeches by Anna Maria Poggi (Fondazione CRT) and Giovanni Azzone (Acri) will illustrate the importance of strengthening the skills of local organisations and the third sector in accessing European programs and the strategic value of collaboration between foundations – and between foundations and institutions – to help communities and organizations innovate and grow in a European context.
Space will then be given to the experience and voices of local organisations. Paola Casagrande (Fondazione CRT), Eugenio Orsini (Fondazione Caritro) and Vanni Resta (professor of European planning), will talk about what is being done in the local organisations to support and strengthen European planning and, with it, the common commitment to the great challenges of Europe. They will take stock of these initiatives and highlight perspectives and needs for their further development.
This will be followed by a session discussing the next seven-year programming of European funds (which we have discussed here, here and here). Elisabetta Holsztejn Tarczewski (Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU) will present the main novelties in the architecture of the new European budget (2028-2034), Marianna D’Angelo (PNRR Activities Coordination Mission Unit) will explain the legacy that the PNRR has left in Italy and how this will be taken up in the new programming cycle, while Luca Jahier (European Economic and Social Committee) will lead us to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the new Multiannual Financial Framework that have emerged from the European Economic and Social Committee’s analysis.
Delphine Moralis (Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association) will conclude with a speech on the state of the dialogue between the world of Foundations and the EU, engaged to accompany the transition to the new programming considering the expectations of philanthropy and civil society.
