Third Sector: Intesa Sanpaolo measures the social impact of financed projects

Intesa Sanpaolo measures the social impact produced by the projects of non-profit organisations that it finances, thanks to the development of new impact metrics that can assess and enhance the benefits brought to the communities in question.

Indeed, the third sector performs a decisive role in the wellbeing of the territories by contributing to the resilience of the socioeconomic fabric: Intesa Sanpaolo therefore deemed it fundamental to invest in a new social impact evaluation model of the loans it disburses to non-profit organisations that, through rigorous and internationally-recognised methods, can calculate the effects generated in the communities in which they operate.

Specifically, the project has made it possible to estimate – by means of an ex-ante analysis – the social and/or environmental impact of the projects financed in 2022. Among the main evidence that emerged:

• around 2.7 million beneficiaries of the initiatives when fully operational
• more than 22,000 jobs will be created in the financed organisations and another 31,000 by indirect effect on the communities in question
• the financing approved by Intesa Sanpaolo was considered decisive (48% of the total) or useful (48% of the total) for pursuing social or environmental impact goals

Moreover, thanks to the disbursements, it is estimated that:

• 34,000 people will receive assistance in emergencies
• 17,000 young people will receive education and training in the workplace
• 44,000 people will received health assistance that they were previously unable to access
• 3,000 cultural events will be supported and 2,300 sporting events will be staged
• 1,000 tons of waste and 884 tons of CO₂ will not be produced

In the future, the ex-ante analysis may be conducted in tandem with an ex-post analysis and specific KPIs shall be defined for crowdfunding initiatives, reinforcing the Intesa Sanpaolo Group’s positioning as an "impact bank" and a European leader in sustainable finance.