What Fondazione Carolina Ets does

Fondazione Carolina Ets is an Italian non-profit foundation (Ente del Terzo Settore) founded in 2018 in Milano and headquartered at Viale Sondrio 7. It was established in memory of Carolina Picchio, recognized as Italy's first victim of cyberbullying, and is led by Honorary President Paolo Picchio and Secretary General Ivano Zoppi with a core team of approximately 20 employees plus a Palermo regional presence. Its mission is to promote conscious and positive use of the internet and protect the digital wellbeing of minors, structured around three pillars: Ricerca (Centro Studi research), Prevenzione (school and community prevention programs), and Supporto (Rescue Team emergency response and Centro Re.Te. physical support center in Milan).

Its portfolio spans direct service delivery (Centro Re.Te., Rescue Team crisis interventions, with 200+ interventions in 2021-2022), educational programs for schools (70+ programs in 2022, reaching 100,000+ students annually and 500,000+ since founding), teacher training courses certified by the Italian Ministry of Education (Miur) under Directive 170/2016, parent education campaigns, and primary research publications including 'Cuori e Algoritmi' (AI and adolescent emotional chatbots) and the 'Fuori di social' survey of 1,677 adolescents. The foundation distributes content through its own MinoriOnline.com portal and via partnerships with Meta ('Connessioni Delicate'), TikTok ('Genitori in Blue Jeans'), Maybelline ('Brave Together'), LEGO Foundation, the Italian Bishops' Conference, and the EU-funded TRACeD consortium.

The business model is non-commercial: services are provided free of charge to families, schools, and children, with income derived from Italian 5x1000 tax designations, general donations (Donorbox), corporate sponsorships (Meta, TikTok, Maybelline, LEGO, Banco BPM, Synergie Italia, Poste Italiane), EU project grants, and modest paid teacher training (€185 per participant). Operational delivery relies heavily on Pepita Cooperativa Sociale as the primary school-program implementation partner, with financial statements audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers SpA.

Name

Fondazione Carolina Ets

Legal name

Fondazione Carolina Onlus

Website

https://fondazionecarolina.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondazione Carolina Ets is a Milano-based Italian non-profit foundation that delivers digital-wellbeing education, crisis intervention, and research for minors, parents, and educators on cyberbullying and online safety.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Safety Education and Cyberbullying Prevention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

Keywords

• Digital wellbeing education
• Cyberbullying prevention programs
• Online safety training
• Digital citizenship education
• School prevention programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 5x1000 Donations (Italian Tax Designation): Italian taxpayers can designate 5x1000 of their income tax to Fondazione Carolina by providing the organization's tax code (97802370151). This represents a primary funding mechanism for non-profit organizations in Italy, allowing citizens to direct a portion of their taxes to approved charitable foundations.
2. General Donations: The foundation accepts direct donations through platforms like Donorbox, as well as event-based fundraising such as the 'Un Gol per Caro' charitable football tournament. Donations support the foundation's educational programs, rescue team services, and awareness campaigns.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: The foundation receives support from corporate partners including Meta, TikTok, Maybelline New York, and others for specific campaigns and initiatives such as 'Connessioni Delicate', 'Genitori in Blue Jeans', and 'Brave Together'. These partnerships provide both funding and platform access for digital safety education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Fondazione Carolina delivers educational programs, direct support services, and research on digital wellbeing for minors in Italy. Its core offerings include the Centro Re.Te. support center and the multidisciplinary Rescue Team for crisis intervention in cyberbullying cases, school-based prevention programs for students and teachers, and parent education initiatives. The foundation also conducts research (e.g., the 'Cuori e Algoritmi' report on AI chatbots) and awareness campaigns promoting responsible digital citizenship across Italian schools, families, and communities.

Product overview

Fondazione Carolina Ets is a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting conscious and positive use of the internet for the digital wellbeing of younger generations. The organization operates as a platform-plus-services model centered on three pillars: Research (Centro Studi), Prevention (Prevenzione programs), and Support (Centro Re.Te. and Rescue Team). Its product portfolio includes direct support services such as the Centro Re.Te. support center and Rescue Team emergency response, educational offerings like professional courses for teachers and parent education programs (Scuola genitori), awareness campaigns including #CYBERJOY, Genitori in Blue Jeans, and Mollalo!, research publications such as the Cuori e Algoritmi AI impact study, and digital platforms like Minorionline.com. The foundation also manages EU-funded projects (TRACeD) and school grant programs (A scuola di like, #NoPainAgain) across Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RE.TE. Rescue Team: Rescue Team - interdisciplinary emergency response team for cyberbullying and online distress situations
• Centro Re.Te.
• CyberJoy
• Genitori in Blue Jeans
• Mollalo!

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ students reached annually through school programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• TikTokcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2022Partnership for the 'Genitori in Blue Jeans' (Parents in Blue Jeans) campaign, a digital safety roadshow that travels to Italian cities to educate parents on platform safety features and responsible digital parenting. TikTok provides platform access, co-branded content, and promotional support for the initiative aimed at protecting younger users.
• Maybelline New YorksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsorship for the 'Brave Together' project, which provides mental health support services and educational content for young people experiencing anxiety and digital distress. The partnership enables the foundation to expand its direct support beneficiaries.
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on multiple initiatives including 'Connessioni Delicate' (Delicate Connections), a national digital health project developed with pediatric associations, providing research data and educational materials on children's digital wellbeing. Meta supports the foundation's awareness campaigns and research activities.
• Pepita Cooperativa SocialecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing educational partner for school programs, providing trained educators to deliver digital citizenship curriculum across Italian schools. Pepita is the primary implementation partner for the foundation's 'Proposta Scuole' (School Proposal) educational programs, managing on-the-ground delivery of training sessions.
• Poste ItalianesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for the philatelic cancellation initiative dedicated to National Day Against Bullying and Cyberbullying. Poste Italiane provided the special postal cancellation stamp, creating a permanent symbol of civil commitment against bullying, following similar events in Rome.
• Diocesi di NovarasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for religious education teacher training on digital society challenges. The diocese organizes and hosts training courses developed jointly with Fondazione Carolina, reaching teachers across the ecclesiastical district through Monsignor Franco Giulio Brambilla's initiative.
• Copercom (Coordinamento Associazioni per la Comunicazione - CEI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Italian Bishops' Conference communication associations for school activities related to Safer Internet Day and broader digital citizenship campaigns. Copercom supports the distribution of educational materials through Catholic school networks.
• TRACeD Consortium (EU-funded)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean project consortium addressing online gender-based violence against girls (ages 7-18) and young women (ages 18-25). Partners include ActionAid Hellas, CODECA, Development & Care, CSIi, Centro per il diritto costituzionale europeo, and University of Ljubljana. Research conducted in Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Slovenia.
• LEGO FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing LEGO building materials for educational programs. The foundation uses LEGO bricks in teacher training sessions to facilitate creative expression and group collaboration exercises, particularly in the 'Digital Humanism' educational approach.
• Synergie ItaliasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner for the 'Cittadinanza digitale, una partita da vincere' (Digital Citizenship, a Match to Win) project, which includes the 'Un Gol per Caro' charitable football tournament at Stadio Silvio Piola in Novara.
• Novara Football ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFootball club partnership for the 'Un Gol per Caro' charitable triangular tournament, hosting the event at Stadio Silvio Piola and participating with the Senior team, contributing to digital safety awareness among young sports fans.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers SpA (PwC)supportingOthersIndependent audit firm providing annual financial statement certification for Fondazione Carolina, ensuring transparency and accountability in the foundation's operations and use of donated funds.
• DiGi AcademysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational technology partner participating in the 'Dal Campo al Campus' webinar series, contributing technical expertise for digital professional development programs targeting teachers and educators.
• SED Servizi Educazione DigitalesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital education services partner collaborating on the Adolesharing survey project, helping design and administer questionnaires measuring adolescents' online habits and comparing them with parental perceptions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Internet Matters: UK nonprofit providing digital safety guidance, school resources, and parent helpline for children's online issues. Closely analogous to Fondazione Carolina's Centro Re.Te. support model and MinoriOnline.com resource portal, and a credible reference for how the Italian foundation could scale at national level.
• ConnectSafely: US-based nonprofit focused on digital safety, privacy, and education for families and schools. Comparable to Fondazione Carolina in producing policy commentary, research, and educator resources on emerging tech risks such as AI and social media harms affecting minors.
• Unicef Italia: Italian committee of a global child-rights organisation delivering child protection programming, advocacy, and school partnerships. Comparable in target audience, school-based program delivery, and policy advocacy, though much broader in scope beyond digital wellbeing.
• Common Sense Media: US-based nonprofit providing media ratings, curriculum, and research on children's digital wellbeing. Comparable to Fondazione Carolina on digital citizenship education, parent guidance content, and policy research, but operating at substantially larger scale with a stronger media-rating franchise.

Direct peers

• Save the Children Italia: Italian branch of a global child-rights nonprofit running school programs, advocacy, and direct services for minors in Italy. Closely comparable to Fondazione Carolina in terms of school-based delivery, parent/teacher engagement, and policy advocacy on child welfare, with a much larger operational footprint.
• European Schoolnet / Insafe (Safer Internet network): EU-coordinated network of Safer Internet Centres running Safer Internet Day and digital literacy programs across member states including Italy. Directly comparable because Fondazione Carolina itself participates in Safer Internet Day campaigns and school-based digital safety education across the same channel and audience.
• Telefono Azzurro: Italian nonprofit operating a national helpline and child-protection services for minors at risk. Directly comparable to Fondazione Carolina on target population (Italian children/adolescents), mission (child safeguarding), and crisis-intervention model, though broader in scope beyond digital harms.
• Terre des Hommes Italia: Italian child-welfare nonprofit delivering programs on child rights, protection from violence, and youth empowerment. Comparable to Fondazione Carolina on the child-protection, school-based program delivery, and anti-violence advocacy dimensions, with overlapping donor and institutional networks in Italy.

Others

• WeProtect Global Alliance: International alliance addressing online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Adjacent rather than directly competing — comparable in policy advocacy and research on online child safety harms, useful as a reference for the international policy ecosystem Fondazione Carolina engages with via TRACeD and EU advocacy.

Emerging players

• Pepita Cooperativa Sociale: Italian social cooperative and core implementation partner for Fondazione Carolina's 'Proposta Scuole' curricula. Comparable as a smaller-scale educational delivery vehicle for digital citizenship in Italian schools, and a direct operational peer rather than a competitor given the partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FondazioneCaro
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZGa0OatmENqvmmksCGfRtQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/FondazioneCarolina
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondazione-carolina-onlus
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondazione_carolina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondazione Carolina Ets