Regional Economic Growth and Philanthropy in Italy: An Econometric Approach

The study explores the connections between philanthropy and regional economic growth, focusing on the role of social capital as a mediator between the two. Employing an econometric model based on Italian regional panel data collected between 2015 and 2019, this study investigates the impact of non-profit organisations and volunteering on regional GDP growth. The results confirm the contribution of philanthropy to the growth of social capital. The analysis also highlights the disparities between the northern and southern regions: in the former, which are richer, there is a greater will-ingness to philanthropy. The study shows empirical evidence in the Italian context, underlining the importance of encouraging volunteering by strengthening pub-lic-private partnerships. The study calls for policies that increase philanthropy for re-gional economic and social development.