Direct mail fails, but face-to-face and Internet fundraising are big in Italy and Spain.

By Daryl Upsall

Apart from significant government funding for a number of organisations, fundraising in Italy is dominated by individual giving, which is increasing both in number of givers and in level of average gifts. In 2003, 19 million Italians gave at least one donation with an average annual value of 60 euros. In 2004, 60 percent of the total donations from individuals went to medical causes. UNICEF is the largest charity in Italy while Caritas, a fundraising arm of the Catholic Church, is the best known.