CSVnet

CSVnet is the Italian national association of service centres for volunteering (CSV, Centri di Servizio per il Volontariato). Founded in January 2003, it includes all the CSVs established in accordance with the framework law on volunteering and represents them both at national and European level. This law is repealed and the current legislation is Third Sector Code, issued following the 2016 reform. CSVnet takes inspiration from the principles of the Volunteering Charter of Values and the Charter of Representation, it aims at increasing the collaboration and the exchange of experiences and expertise between CSVs to help them achieve their objectives, while respecting their autonomy. To this end, it provides counselling, training and support, working to make the CSVs network more effective as a system of “agencies for the local development of responsible citizenship”. CSVnet undertakes intensive research activities on the scope and characteristics of its specific sector. Those listed below are among the most important and recent ones: - Stable collaboration with Istat (National Institute of Statistics) to perform periodic surveys on the Italian non-profit industry. - Creation of the first Report Nazionale delle Organizzazioni di Volontariato censite dai CSV (National report on the volunteering associations registered by CSVs) in collaboration with Ibm Italia Foundation. - Attività gratuite a beneficio di altri (Unpaid activities for the benefit of other people), a survey on the economic and social value of voluntary work, in collaboration with Istat and Fondazione Volontariato e partecipazione (Volunteering and Participation Foundation). - “Volontariato post-moderno. Da Expo Milano 2015 alle nuove forme di impegno sociale” (Post-modern volunteering. From Expo Milan 2015 to new forms of social commitment) (Franco Angeli, 2016), a research study in collaboration with Ciessevi, Università Cattolica of Milan, University of Milan ‘La Statale’, University of Verona, University of Pisa. The 9 regional, 57 provincial and 5 inter-provincial service centres for volunteering (CSVs) are managed by assemblies consisting of a total of 9,621 member associations that give life to collective management bodies including almost 1,000 volunteers. With a network of 377 help desks available in all Italian regions and 916 agents, the centres provide almost 215 thousand services free of charge to approximately 46 thousand parties, including 32 thousand voluntary organizations, 6,600 third sector agencies and 2,500 ‘informal groups’. Finally, CSVnet is a member of the CEV (Centre for European Volunteering).