The power of acting together: volunteering, solidarity and social sustainability

Have you ever noticed that growth does not necessarily coincide with the mere passing of time? 

It is not automatic.You can accumulate years, experiences, titles… and remain unchanged.

And then, suddenly, a meeting, a project, a challenge pushes you off balance and forces you to reconsider yourself.

The truth is that growth does not come from what we already know, but from going through moments that push us beyond our comfort zone.

These are situations we do not always choose, but that hold the power to transform us.

I learned this also thanks to Paolo, my mentor and guide. Not because he explained theories, but because in our daily work he showed me that growing means facing life without fear, allowing ourselves to be touched by experiences and sharing them, bringing others along on the journey. It is a process that is anything but comfortable, yet extraordinarily liberating. 

And the most surprising aspect is that it almost never happens alone, but together with others: in a team, in a community, in a context where collaboration becomes the key to discovering resources we didn’t know we had. 

And if you think about it, that is exactly the point: growth is never an individual act. Each step forward gains meaning only when interwoven with the steps of others. A violin on its own can move us, but only in the orchestra does the symphony emerge. The challenges of our time are far too great for a soloist: they require the strength of the choir.

The numbers confirm this. According to the Sustainable Development Report 2024, only 17% of the Sustainable Development Goals are on the right track. To bridge the gap, we need alliances, not individual heroics: partnership (Goal 17) is the lever that makes any other progress possible.

The World Happiness Report 2025 confirms it too: the countries at the top of the ranking are not the richest, but those that have been able to build networks of trust and generosity. Where solidarity becomes a daily practice, happiness grows.

In Italy, however, while ranking 40th overall, we fall much lower when it comes to donations (106th place) and volunteering (121st place). This is a clear signal: without collaboration and collective commitment, not only do we slow down the path toward the SDGs, but we also deprive ourselves of the quality of life that comes from acting together.

The OECD confirms this as well: communities with stronger social capital-built on trust, civic participation, and volunteering -are more resilient to economic and environmental crises. In the report How’s Life?2024, these networks of relationships are highlighted as one of the key predictors of resilience. In simple terms, where more people take action together, the community becomes more capable of adapting and recovering after a shock.

Data that confirm how promoting active and supportive citizenship is not a marginal aspect, but a true driver of sustainability.

The most recent ISTAT report on volunteering (2023) reminds us of this with a clear, if not always reassuring, picture. Today in Italy about 4.7 million people dedicate part of their time to others: 9.1% of the population over 15 years old. But compared to 2013, the number has dropped by more than three percentage points: a wake-up call that invites us to reflect on how and where we are building community.

The decline is mainly in individual “door-to-door” help (-10.1%), while participation in collective initiatives for community, environment, and territory has grown (+14.7%). It is as if solidarity has changed form: fewer isolated gestures, more shared energy. A transformation that tells us something important: when we come together around a common goal, the impact multiplies.

The picture remains varied. In the Northeast more than 9% of citizens take part in organized projects, while in the South the numbers are still low. Generational differences also tell different stories: young adults (25–44 years) are those who have abandoned the most activities in the last decade, while people over 65 remain the most faithful custodians of this heritage of solidarity. Perhaps it is an invitation to reflect on how to make volunteering more accessible and motivating also for those who currently feel distant from it.

Volunteering in Thailand with the children of MomTik Camp - Joint Association, which supports young Italians and Europeans in international volunteering and social inclusion experiences

The motivations behind volunteering are equally revealing: those who join associations do so for shared ideals (31.1%) and for the common good (21.5%); those who provide direct help often do so to respond to an emergency (27.5%) or to support someone in difficulty (24.6%). In both cases, at the center remains the choice not to remain spectators.

In summary, Italian volunteering is less uniform and more fragile than in the past, but it continues to demonstrate that collaboration is its real heartbeat. The open question is both simple and uncomfortable: do we want this collective energy to grow stronger, or allow it to slowly fade away?

And then there is another actor that can do a great deal to keep this collective energy alive: companies.

Corporate volunteering is increasingly discussed, and it is not hard to see why. It is not about top-down charity, but about opening the doors of businesses to the community and transforming employees’ skills into shared value.

According to several studies, there are at least four main forms of corporate volunteering, each with its own characteristics and objectives.

The first is professional volunteering, designed mainly for young managers or new hires: periods of collaboration with NGOs or social organizations, even abroad, that become opportunities for both personal and professional growth. A sort of “training ground” that develops new skills while strengthening the connection with the social context.

Then there is educational volunteering, in which employees step in as mentors or role models for children and young people. This can involve after-school support, guidance for vulnerable individuals, or awareness-raising activities in schools: experiences that not only enrich those who receive them, but also help those who provide them rediscover the value of responsibility toward younger generations.

Another widely practiced form is skills-based volunteering, which leverages the technical and managerial expertise of employees. Here the commitment may range from helping an association draft a financial report, to supporting a cooperative in fundraising or in organizing a charity event. It is business know-how meeting the needs of the Third Sector, creating a bridge between worlds that rarely interact.

The Cartiera Workshop – “The Right Place” RaiPlay

Finally, there is emergency volunteering, linked to extraordinary events. During the pandemic, for example, some companies mobilized hundreds of employees to support public call centers or to ensure the delivery of essential services. This is proof that collaboration can also become a rapid response in times of crisis.

“You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome” - Patch Adams

Non è un caso che il volontariato aziendale sia spesso visto come un “fratello” del welfare aziendale. Entrambi sono strumenti che rafforzano il benessere dei lavoratori e, allo stesso tempo, creano valore fuori dalle mura dell’impresa.Una ricerca condotta in Portogallo ha calcolato che ogni euro investito in programmi di volontariato aziendale produce almeno 3,55 euro di valore sociale, e che un’ora di volontariato può generare un ritorno fino a 5,75 volte il suo costo. È la prova che solidarietà e collaborazione non sono solo concetti etici, ma anche leve concrete di sostenibilità: fanno crescere le persone, rafforzano le comunità e rendono le imprese più resilienti e credibili.La cosa interessante poi è che, dietro a questi impegni, non ci sono solo aziende note, ma anche una miriade di piccole e medie realtà che sperimentano forme nuove di collaborazione con i territori.Solo qualche piccolo esempio saltellando tra le nostre regioni.A Udine, Hattiva Lab è una cooperativa sociale che ogni giorno lavora per l’inclusione di bambini, ragazzi e adulti con disabilità. Non è solo un centro di servizi: è un laboratorio di cittadinanza attiva, dove si fanno doposcuola inclusivi, corsi di autonomia, attività culturali che coinvolgono famiglie, scuole e istituzioni.A Roma, i ragazzi di Barikamà, partiti da condizioni di sfruttamento, hanno scelto di fondare una cooperativa agricola: yogurt e ortaggi diventano strumenti di dignità e di incontro, perché nel loro laboratorio trovano spazio anche persone con disabilità. 

It is no coincidence that corporate volunteering is often seen as a “sibling” of corporate welfare. Both are tools that strengthen employee well-being and, at the same time, create value beyond the company’s walls.

A study conducted in Portugal calculated that every euro invested in corporate volunteering programs generates at least €3.55 in social value, and that one hour of volunteering can produce a return up to 5.75 times its cost. This is proof that solidarity and collaboration are not only ethical concepts, but also concrete levers of sustainability: they help people grow, strengthen communities, and make companies more resilient and credible.

What is interesting is that behind these commitments there are not only well-known companies, but also a multitude of small and medium-sized enterprises experimenting with new forms of collaboration with their local communities.

Just a few small examples from different Italian regions.

In Udine, Hattiva Lab is a social cooperative that works every day for the inclusion of children, young people, and adults with disabilities. It is not just a service center: it is a laboratory of active citizenship, where inclusive after-school programs, autonomy courses, and cultural activities involve families, schools, and institutions.

In Rome, the young people of Barikamà, who started out in conditions of exploitation, chose to found an agricultural cooperative: yogurt and vegetables become tools of dignity and connection, because their workshop also welcomes people with disabilities.

WelfareCare’s Mobile Clinic

In Veneto, WelfareCare has transformed prevention into an act of proximity: a mobile clinic that arrives in town squares and offers thousands of women the opportunity to undergo free screenings.

In Puglia, on the other hand, Farmalabor has chosen to intertwine innovation and solidarity: alongside pharmaceuticals and research, there are community gardens, libraries, and even a workshop for inmates nearing the end of their sentences.

You know what strikes me most? The collective nature of these experiences.

This is not top-down philanthropy, but initiatives born together: companies, associations, schools, local administrations. Here, collaboration becomes the key to solving problems.

There is a quote that often accompanies me: “Individual commitment to a group effort-that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” It is so simple, and yet so true. Because solidarity is never a solitary act: it is the awareness that each of us brings a piece, small or large, into a project greater than ourselves.

Like in an orchestra: the violin, the double bass, the drum, each with its distinct voice, but all called to follow the same melody. There is no minor role when the goal is shared.

Perhaps social sustainability is exactly this: accepting that transformation begins when we recognize the value of our own contribution, but above all when we combine it with that of others.

And so yes, as U2 sing, “we get to carry each other.”

It is not a burden-it is the privilege of building something that could never exist alone.

Best regards,

Chiara Pontoni

Sustainability Manager, Gesteco