In 2026, over 75,000 companies chose to contribute to the well-being of their communities and employees through volunteer initiatives, and nearly 3,000 of them are supporting the Third Sector by “lending” their employees with their specific skills. This emerges from Unioncamere’s analysis, as noted today by Secretary General Giuseppe Tripoli, who spoke at “Volontari@work,” the initiative organized by Terzjus in collaboration with Italia Nonprofit and the Third Sector Forum, under the patronage of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies.
Volunteering is a driving force for cohesion and solidarity – emphasized Tripoli – In particular, skills-based volunteering is a form of active citizenship in which individuals make available to the community not only their time but their entire professional, technical, and specialized expertise. It is a simple yet effective way for the economy to serve the social sector, helping it grow even in the face of ongoing transformations, starting with the digital one.
In 2025, 75,550 companies with employees allowed their staff to engage in volunteer work during working hours, 10,000 more than in 2024. Smaller companies, with fewer than 50 employees, make up the largest group (over 67,000). Their share of the total number of companies of a similar size, however, is exactly half that recorded among companies with more than 50 employees (4.5% versus 9%). Nevertheless, they are growing significantly, as there were 57,000 in 2024.
Companies involve their employees in various types of activities: from managing emergency situations to providing support during natural disasters, to the simple yet widespread—and no less important—practice of granting special leave for blood donation.
In particular, 2,950 companies last year gave their employees access to skills-based volunteering, which is one of the most valuable forms of engagement, where employees make their professional skills available to Third Sector organizations. This form of support for the third sector has also been recognized by the legislature, which has allowed companies to deduct up to 5 per thousand of the expenses related to the employment of workers for services provided to non-profit organizations.
In this regard as well, participation figures are on the rise (nearly 200 more companies than in 2024). It is worth noting, however, the nature of the “loan” that the company provides and the effort involved: not staff assigned to perform simple manual tasks, but professionals who contribute specific expertise (digital, marketing, legal), capable of fostering the growth of the nonprofit’s staff. These are therefore particularly valuable collaborators, whom companies find difficult to part with even for limited periods.
Among the sectors most involved are services, and within these, advanced business services (450 out of nearly 3,000). What do non-profits receive in return? First and foremost, guidance and support in the digital sphere—now a decisive and indispensable factor for all types of businesses, including non-profits—as well as assistance with financial planning.
