WHERE
Insieme is a type B social co-operative situated in Vicenza, Italy, established in 1980, dedicated to employment opportunity activities for the disadvantaged.
The co-operative’s main business is the collection and reuse of waste materials. The operations range from running recycling points in partnership with AIM, a Vicenza municipal service company, and with close-by municipalities; re-sale and upgrade of reusable materials; clearing-out services, collection of bulky material, restoration and sale of furniture and antiques, second-hand clothes, recycling of electronic waste, counselling in ecological themes; production of cleaning rags; recycling of IT hardware. The recycling and reuse services and offers are directly addressed to local citizens in their daily life.
Successful financing methods in co-operation with external partners and citizens
Production activities aim to design and deliver educational projects for people in disadvantaged situations through a working experience. Minors and young people with serious alienation or social exclusion problems are given the opportunity to follow a curriculum for personal growth. With an on-the-job experience, they start a process that leads them to independence and local social inclusion.
Insieme has 83 members. It has 40 member workers, 25 disadvantaged members, 8–10 volunteers, 8 interns and 2 employees. The so-called ‘disadvantaged’ members stay in the co-operative for a time ranging from 6 months to 2 years, depending on their educational project.
Since 31 Dec. 2005, the co-operative has hosted 350 disadvantaged people, most of them ex-convicts, drug addicts, people with psychiatric problems, minors and others – homeless, disabled, etc. Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of people with psychiatric problems.
WHY
Building the new 3,300-square-metre building that cost € 2,300,000, and whose grand opening took place on 28 January 2006, was a major challenge for the Insieme co-operative.
Support and commitment from the local stakeholder groups and general public are of utmost importance to the co-operative in the further development of its operations and their funding. This example of good practice concentrates on how this major new investment project and the co-operation with key stakeholders were organised. Detailed information about e.g. financing instruments can be found in the attached case study (Full Insieme case study as PDF).
The project was started because the co-operative was forced to move from its former premises in Vicenza. As part of the building project, a fund-raise was initiated to finance the project.
HOW
A fund-raising campaign for the building of the new headquarters was organised. In this initiative, Insieme was able to proceed with different fronts at the same time:
- involving the entire organiStion in the whole process (e.g. some members contributed with their advice to the design of the premises)
- involving citizens (the headquarters belong to the city and were built to meet the needs of some citizens)
- partnership with donors (some internal administrators were responsible for the relations with some important financers),
- financial administration (all financial aspects were managed by the co-operative directly, which had developed important competencies in this field over the years),
- communication management (the communication aspects were coordinated by an internal member who also contracted external professionals).
A promotion committee was set up (the InvestInsieme initiative) which worked to ensure transparency and enabled citizens to directly participate in the project with forms of ethical finance. The main forms for the citizen participation were bonds (€ 619,000) and certificates of deposit for the mortgage payments (€ 208,217). These specific financial tools were developed by two partner banks.
The fund-raising initiative received also contributions from the Municipality of Vicenza, a savings’ bank foundation (€ 500,000) and 450 people, enterprises, co-operatives, associations (€97,000). Also the co-operative’s staff dedicated to the initiative by 18,000 euros.
The organisation of the fund-raise was internally assigned to a group of 4 people, as follows:
- one person for the co-ordination of the activities and as the co-op’s representative;
- one person for the relations with public institutions;
- one person for the communication activities;
- one person with specific economic and financial competencies.
This group was also supposed to constantly report to the board of members so to keep them up to date on the developments and to the people in charge of the six areas.
Beside the internal staff, some external advisors were also involved, namely three designers who dealt with the architectural work and one person with expertise in the management of the relations with public administrations. Aware of the importance of keeping the initiative as transparent as possible, the co-operative’s members also hired a professional journalist who took care of the relations with the media (television and press), thus contributing to strengthen the trust of the supporters and find new donors.
Partners and external organisations
The main partners of the Investinsieme project were as follows:
- two organisations already connected with the Insieme social co-operative. They are both involved in the assistance to troubled teenagers and young people;
- two banks located in the province of Vicenza. They created specific financial tools for the fund-raise (three types of bonds: joint, friendly and contributing).
Experiences
Beside the actual building of the new headquarters, other benefits of the initiative were as follows:
- a turnover increase by 6%. The availability of more and better organised premises positively contributed to sales activities;
- a new way of thinking and strengthening of the vision. Building the new co-operative’s premises was the chance to review its fundamental way of thinking;
- a piece of evidence of the co-operative’s value: 1) attention to alienated people, especially ex-convicts. The new headquarters are located right across from the prison of Vicenza, so to prove that the co-operative is close and willing to assist; 2) more openness toward the city. The new headquarters feature spaces that may host initiatives other organisations promote; 3) attention to the environment. The new location was built in a way to reduce the impact on the environment and to include energy-saving systems and structures. The construction received the international award of the “Dedalo & Minosse” architectural commission;
- increase in the network contacts. The initiative contributed to give more significance to the alliances that the co-operative had already established and to create new relations with external organisations;
- more participation of the members to social life.
In the future, the co-operative will focus on the maintenance of a steady connection with the citizens and the local public administration directly involved in the fund raise.
Enclosure: Full Insieme case study as PDF
For more information: Insieme social co-operative, Via Dalla Scola, 255 - 36100 Vicenza, Italy, tel. +39 444 511562, e-mail: info(at)insiemesociale.it
Researchers: Ms. Silvia Cariolato, tel. +39 444 333849, scariolato(at)cuoa.it and Ms. Giuliana Corrado, tel. +39 444 333838, gcorrado(at)cuoa.it