ECONOMICS, COMPETITION AND COOPETITION OF THE ITALIAN PRIVATE WELFARE STATE: A CLUSTER ANALYSIS

Public Welfare States are not more enough in order to support the growth of the social and nonprofit economy. This article addresses pivotal and different roles of the Welfare State of private grant-makers in Italy, when competition is not more useful in order to solve allocation of scarce public and private resources. Thanks to coopetition by means of networks, partnerships with several stakeholders, pooling of resources and project leadership, the Private Welfare State of Italian Foundations of banking origin (IFBOs) will be clustered for 2012’s performances. Economic performances concern financial assets, which affect solvency, gains and philanthropy. According to reports coopetition is estimated for intensification from pure grant-making and resource pooling to partnerships. Six profiles are significant. When investments are modest, these foundations are profitable and solvent, though coopetition is not optimized. Increasing investments are combined with increasing philanthropy and coopetition. The article concludes that profiles experience a different intensity of coopetition. Findings constitute practical insight into the issue of philanthropic best practices in crisis times