Abstract

In the last decade, Banking Foundations, as one of the main Italian philanthropic actors, have been playing an increasing role in the social innovation area. Not only they have financed projects in this domain, but they have tried to diffuse their own model of social innovation in the broader public sphere and in the welfare public policies, particularly in the local contexts. This article will present an empirical analysis of the main social innovation program of the largest Italian Banking Foundation, by studying its local projects. The analysis shows the mimetic effect among projects produced by the instruments of selection, coaching, evaluation and capacity building deployed by the foundation and the limited effects of this program on the local public welfare system.