In 2003, Enel’s will to establish an autonomous not-for-profit entity through which it could express its commitment to philanthropy in favor of the community led to the creation of Enel Cuore Onlus. This was a transparent choice aimed at distinguishing sustainability – which by its nature is connected with strategic and industrial choices – from corporate philanthropy, and an organizational model that provides for strictly separate reporting activities and instruments to characterize Enel’s overall commitment for social development as part of its responsibility.
During 2011 Enel Cuore Onlus supported a total of 60 social solidarity projects in Italy and abroad, in particular in the countries of East Europe and Latin America, in favor of children, the sick, the elderly and the disabled. The total financial commitment of the Enel Group to support Enel Cuore Onlus in 2011 was 6,280,000 euro, of which 280,000 euro was for subscription fees and 6 million for extraordinary contributions.
In Latin America most of the funds were used for:
- the construction of the first 250 houses between Mexico and Guatemala in association with the transcontinental nonprofit organization “Un Techo Para mi País”;
- to support the Guatemalan project “System de Orquestas Juvenil de Guatemala”, which involved 50 youth orchestras and 2,500 students and the construction of schools in towns where there is an extreme structural deficit for education.
In the context of social assistance, particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of marginalization, favoring the development of structures to take in and take responsibility for the most marginalized people in society with a view to reintegrating them. In Italy Enel Cuore, therefore, confirmed its commitment to the long-term project “A Heart in the Station”, in partnership with the Italian National Railways Group, through the opening of the new
welcome center at Milan station.
In addition, Enel Cuore and Fondazione con il Sud continued their collaboration by promoting the public project “Women, Integration and the Periphery 2011”, with the aim of promoting and valorizing the role of non-profit organizations with a significant number of young women in urban areas with problems of marginalization, deviancy and social distress.
The treatment and care of sick people, in particular the youngest, are among Enel Cuore’s main objectives, especially in countries where the healthcare system is precarious and medical instruments are obsolete and inadequate for people’s needs. In 2011 Enel Cuore approved the project to support the non-profit organization Associazione Ambulatorio della Carità in the enlargement of a structure dedicated to the poor and the marginalized who cannot access the normal services of the national health service. In addition, Enel Cuore and Save the Children promoted a project in Rome, Naples and Turin to combat the factors which cause children in Italy to have poor diets.
In the field of education the commitment continues in favor of the construction of structures and training centers to facilitate the education of children and young people. In Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Russia and Italy the non-profit organization destined funds to support associations which promote social inclusion for children through music. In Romania the restructuring of some premises for the education of children affected by Down’s syndrome was
financed. In Italy, Enel Cuore supported the non-profit organization Associazione Pio Monte della Misericordia in the restructuring of property to be used as a workshop and which is open to young people from the poorer boroughs of Naples.
Finally, Enel Cuore supports initiatives linked to sport and games as a lever for the integration and social involvement of the disabled and the marginalized. For six years, together with the Italian Paralympic Committee, it has supported the organization of the “National Day of Paralympics Sport”, a national project which works with the educational sector to promote the widest possible dissemination of sport for the disabled in the main Italian cities.
Last update: May 2012
