Fundraising campaigns overwhelm hospitals in Italy

The COVID-19 emergency is bringing to light a great generosity of Italians. According to the latest BVA Doxa research, conducted between March 20th – March 24th on a representative sample of 1,003 private citizens, on the opinions and forecasts of Italians at the time of the Coronavirus, 24% of them (about 10/12 million) claimed to have made a donation since the start of the Coronavirus emergency, aimed at health care and hospital.

Find out more about the impressive number of crowdfunding campaigns in Italy to help the healthcare system with our companion app. Born2Invest brings you the latest financial news from around the world.

The staggering number of crowdfunding campaigns gave life to the first Italian fundraiser task force

This shower of concrete aid in favor of the National Health Service has placed public bodies, which were neither accustomed nor prepared for fundraising activities in such a direct and massive way, under considerable operational and management stress. A phenomenon destined to increase in the coming weeks, if it is to consider that a further 35% of Italians say they want to make a donation in the coming weeks (again according to Doxa).

This is how Fundraiser for Emergency Hospitals COVID-19 was born. It is the first Italian fundraiser task force available, completely pro bono, to public hospitals to support them in the correct and optimal management of fundraising campaigns activated online through crowdfunding platforms.

Diego Maria Ierna, a professional fundraiser and co-founder of Job4good explained: “The first phase of our work – was the identification on the web of about 500 campaigns that seemed to have formal vices. We then started with the phase of proactive contact and receiving requests for support. Most of the campaigns that we are analyzing are activated by private citizens in favor of the hospitals in their territory through the GoFundMe platform that welcomes most of them.”

GoFundMe is the most used portal for private citizens to open fundraising campaigns against Coronavirus

“Over 1,500 campaigns have been launched on GoFundMe to help and support hospitals throughout Italy. Unprecedented solidarity – pointed out Luca Salici, GoFundMe’s communications manager for Southern Europe – which has made it possible to raise over $16.24 million (€15 million) for the strengthening of intensive care, the purchase of essential machinery and healthcare facilities. The funds are safe and guaranteed: only the beneficiaries indicated, in this case, the hospitals, can withdraw them. Otherwise, the donors will be reimbursed thanks to the guarantee we have provided.”

Is important that the donations arrive as quickly as possible to the hospitals

In just one week, the Fundraiser Task Force for Emergency Hospitals COVID-19 managed to get in touch with over 150 beneficiary hospitals and fundraising campaign organizers to ascertain their progress status. Eight are the first hospitals and promoters to request direct support for the accreditation and collection of potential $541,000 (€500,000). “The objective of our intervention – continued Ierna – is to verify that the crowdfunding campaigns opened on behalf of the institutions have the necessary requisites to obtain funds from donations and that donations arrive as quickly as possible and directly to the hospitals.”

“About 90% of the funds – reassured Willows – have already been distributed in a timely manner. There are still cases where, also due to the slowdown caused by the processing and verification of thousands of documents by our platform, the assistance offered by the Fundraiser Task Force for Emergency Hospitals COVID-19 is really important.”

According to Nicola Bedogni, president of ASSIF, “this initiative, promoted by Job4good, shows how donation activities – in order to be properly finalized, guaranteeing trust and transparency to the donor – require the implementation of processes that a fundraising professional knows very well. Therefore, thanks to the contribution of the 30 fundraisers and experts who have donated their professionalism, the hope is that the health structures can find in this team valid allies in facing today’s emergency and better understand the values of fundraising and the culture of gift.”

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(Featured image by fernandozhiminaicela via Pixabay)

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First published in yahoo finanza, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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