Background
The simple truth is staring us in the face. It remains true in any place, any industry. We just have to be willing to see it.The truth is that involving and valuing local communities in a new company venture, short- or long-term, significantly contributes to its success.
Without the active and genuine involvement of local communities, implementing any initiative often turns into a struggle and can lead to failure – no matter how much money is invested.
Poste Italiane's commitment
Our commitment to strengthening Italy’s social and economic fabric is enshrined in our Policy on Community Initiatives and embedded into our Code of Ethics.
Thanks to our widespread network of post offices, we support local communities by promoting digitalization, citizen welfare and socio-economic development.We also promote social and financial inclusion by developing high-quality products and services.
Poste Italiane fosters an all-encompassing approach and constant dialogue with citizens, institutions, and not-for-profit associations, both locally and nationally, always striving to reconcile different needs and requirements.
Some examples of our actions (2023 data)
Areas of impact
The direct impacts of our operations plus the indirect effects of Poste Italiane’s supply chain and those generated by employee spending on consumer goods and services are part of Poste’s contribution to the economy.
Poste’s Impacts over the last six years (2018-2023):
Financial and digital inclusion
With the aim of strengthening interventions aimed at financial inclusion, Poste Italiane participated with numerous initiatives in the sixth edition of the "Financial Education Month" (#OttobreEdufin2023), the largest event in Italy on financial education, established and promoted by the Committee for the planning and coordination of financial education activities (Comitato Edufin) to promote the dissemination of financial, insurance and pension culture with free activities by banks, financial intermediaries, universities and cultural associations, both online and in-presence, and aimed at adults, young people and children.
The theme for 2023 was "IT'S TIME FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION!", with three important events taking place during the month of October: the first, World Investor Week, promoted by the International Organization of Securities Commissions; the second, Pension Education Week; and the third, Insurance Education Day. In conclusion, World Savings Day took place
Polis project – House of digital services
Within the framework of the "National Plan for Complementary Investments" (Law Decree no 59 of 6 May 2021, converted, with amendments, into Law no 101 of 1 July 2021) of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), with the aim of promoting the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the country and overcoming the digital divide in small towns and inland areas, the Polis Project - House of Digital Services was approved.
Initiatives planned until 2026:
- € 1.2 bn: Financial plan of investments
- € 0.8 bn: Public Funds between the National Plan Complementary to the NRRP
- 6,933 affected post offices with <15,000 inhabitants
- 250 co-working spaces
- 5,000 charging points
- 1,000 photovoltaic plants
- 4,000 digital showcases
- 7,000 advances ATMs
- 4,000 self-service columns
- 1,000 equipped outdoor spaces
Community support
During 2023, the Sponsorship and Donations Committee has evaluated a total of 382 initiatives, of which 94 had favourable outcome. In continuity with previous years, in the choice of initiatives to be supported, priority was given to those with a significant social impact, aimed in particular at the peripheral areas of the country.
For example, Poste Italiane is making available 10 dwellings belonging to its real estate assets throughout Italy, earmarking them for the independent living of women and their minor children in situations of particular economic hardship. Since the start of the project in 2022, 32 women and 30 minors have been received through hospitality experiences.
Solidarity and circular economy
Thanks to an agreement with Caritas Italiana, we have renewed our "Found Values" initiative. Its goal is to allocate the contents of uncollected packages, or undeliverable ones, to the neediest families through the "Empori della Solidarietà" or “Solidarity Emporiums,” a network of supermarkets that provides free necessities to disadvantaged families.
This project enables underprivileged families to receive goods, such as clothing, toys, small appliances, and household utensils, which they would not normally be able to afford. The initiative is currently operating at Caritas locations in Rome, Perugia, Pescara and Montesilvano, in the Abruzzo region, with the goal of expanding it to additional Solidarity Emporiums.
Furthermore, thanks to the support of its employees who participate as volunteers, Poste Italiane recovered more than 25,000 items from abandoned parcels in 2023, which were redistributed through Caritas centres to needy individuals and families or resold at subsidised prices for a charitable purpose, specifically for projects for the employment inclusion of people in difficulty.
Poste Italiane recovered 150 tonnes of abandoned parcels thanks to the support of its employees, who participate as volunteers. This circular economy project has a total economic value of more than €600 thousand. Approximately 35,000 anonymous or abandoned parcels have been delivered to Caritas every year since 2019, thus fostering the culture of reuse.
Financial Education
To make informed financial choices and find the most appropriate solutions, correct and adequate information is essential.To this end, Poste Italiane has developed a simple, accessible financial education program to help everyone better understand financial, insurance and pension issues – from savings accounts to ESG funds. The program is tailored to different age groups, with the aim of promoting innovative solutions that can reduce the digital divide and increase the financial inclusion of even the most fragile and at-risk individuals.
Included in the program are three educational mini-video presentations, which help people navigate different financial, insurance and pension solutions to find the ones that best suit their needs. We also provide training and educational events, both online and locally, to further explore different financial issues and answer participants' questions with the help of experts.
To acquaint young people with the financial world, Poste has organized its “Il Risparmio che fa scuola” or “Learning to Save” initiative. The program is promoted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and offers a free learning path designed to support financial literacy for the citizens of the future, encouraging them to reflect on their own savings behaviour.
In November 2021, Poste Italiane also achieved a UNI ISO 22222 Certification for the more than 8,000 financial advisors who help savers with their investment choices – the first major Italian company to obtain the certification.
Poste Italiane is the first among large Italian companies to achieve UNI ISO 22222 and UNI TS 11348 certifications for the Investment Advisory Service Model of financial advisors engaged in the role of personal financial planner.
