Advisor | November 2025
People are giving more in Italy. The philanthropic trend, monitored by the third edition of the research conducted by FINER Finance Explorer for the Italian Philanthropic Fund, highlights that the propensity for generosity increases with wealth and age.
The choice to donate is mostly an individual decision or one shared within family and friends, but the role of private bankers in encouraging and supporting donors in their giving is clearly growing, with their share increasing from 11% to 25% in two years.
The reasons for increasingly relying on their bankers can be summed up in two words: trust (77%) and expertise (73%). In addition to the relationship of trust with their banker, the growing role of banks also emerges in donations. Interest in receiving philanthropic advice from their bank is even higher among those with above-average wealth and entrepreneurs, and is expected to grow compared to 2022.
The research also gave a voice to private bankers and wealth advisors for the first time: 74% of professionals believe that philanthropic advice is important for attracting new clients and standing out from competitors.
Private bankers and wealth advisors themselves agree that integrated advisory services, including philanthropy, improve the satisfaction and loyalty of HNWI clients, increasing the overall value of assets managed.
69% of professionals agree with the evidence from several studies showing that when assets are managed by multiple bankers, they are shifted to the one offering philanthropic advisory services because the relationship improves and the service is more comprehensive.
Given this interest and this enormous, yet untapped potential, 29% of bankers already receive requests for philanthropic advice from their clients, requests that are then forwarded to the bank.
The most interesting aspect of all this is that 78% of bankers believe that implementing a philanthropic project for their clients is aligned with the objectives of the bank and the professional, as it improves the relationship between the people involved. Only a minority fears a reduction in assets under management in exchange for a donation.
Another highly significant aspect is the presence of heirless assets. Thirty-four percent of bankers have clients who have no heirs or have not designated heirs to their assets.
This is all in a context where the aging population and declining birth rate are leading to an increase in the number of individuals without direct descendants. Fondazione Cariplo has estimated that, by 2030, “heirless” bequests could exceed €20 billion, with a potential growth of up to €88 billion by 2040.
37% of bankers say they are aware of the risk of losing significant assets due to heirless assets: this is therefore an issue that deserves further awareness among stakeholders.
In short, we can say that today more than ever, philanthropy can find in banks a valuable ally for the benefit of all stakeholders, their projects, and therefore the community.Nicola Ronchetti