Our history

“The idea of the Foundation was born to prepare us for the future”

Since our inception, we have supported the growth path of young people in the suburbs and promoted interventions to respond to the needs of families in difficulty.

Don Gino Rigoldi Foundation: nice to meet you!

The Foundation as told by those who experience it every day.

Our history

The most important steps that have made our Fondation what it is today.

1972

Don Gino Rigoldi becomes the chaplain of the Juvenile Detention Center in Milan.

To actively help the boys of Beccaria, he immediately organized groups of volunteers and support and promotion projects for young people inside and outside the prison.

1973

Don Gino founds “Comunità Nuova Onlus” together with a group of volunteers.

The non-profit association operates in the area of hardship and the promotion of resources for young people.

1999

Don Gino funds the Association “Bambini in Romania” (today BIR).

Together with a group of citizens and networking with other associations in the Milan area, the association deals with volunteering, active citizenship, international mobility and social inclusion in Italy and Eastern Europe.

2015

The “Fondazione Don Gino Rigoldi” was born.

We presented our Foundation on May 25, 2015 in Milan, together with the Minister of Infrastructure Graziano Delrio. Alongside Don Gino, the founders: Comunità Nuova Onlus, Associazione BIR ODV, Edoardo Andreoli, Roberto Bacci, Gianfranco De Martini, Mariella Enoc, Marco Morelli, Cesare Ponti, Pierfilippo Pozzi and Walter Saettone.

2017

We became operational and formed our staff.

The first objective was to collect the legacy of resources and skills acquired by don Gino in over 40 years of activity, to guarantee the existence of the projects promoted by the founding associations and to start ours. “Credit to the Future” is the first project we presented.

2018

We supported the projects of “Comunità Nuova Onlus” and “Associazione BIR ODV”.

Aimed at the Juvenile Detention Center, prevention and treatment of addictions, prevention of school dropout and promotion of youth volunteering.
The “Youth Center” of Comunità Nuova Onlus is dedicated to the director and friend of don Gino Ermanno Olmi.

2019

On the occasion of don Gino’s 80th birthday, we organized an event at the Triennale di Milano.

Attended by over 400 people, we wanted to celebrate the activities and projects carried out over many years of social commitment for the young people of the city of Milan.
The “Don Gino’s Shelter” project was born.

2020

It was the year of the Covid-19 health emergency.

The impact on our activities was significant: the numbers of people in need increased, while opportunities for meeting and relating with one another decreased. We worked to rethink some activities in order to make them compatible with social distancing.

2021

We presented “A home to start over”.

We created a new project of social and temporary housing to respond to the housing emergency voiced by the city of Milan with particular regard to the young people and families who experienced moments of socio-economic difficulty.

2022

We presented the “Gianfranco De Martini Scholarship” project.

Established to help deserving young people from the suburbs who do not have the means to continue their university studies.

2023

We registered with the National Third Sector Register (RUNTS):

making significant structural changes to governance.
We launched the Construction school at Opera Detention Center and the training path inside the Beccaria Juvenile Detention Center.

The idea of the Fondation was born to prepare us for the future: its most important capital to be exploited is the heritage of ideas and experiences that we have realized in these decades with the associations, the institutions and the citizens of Milan. Through the Foundation we want to stimulate and support as many projects as possible that are dedicated to the growth and training of young people, especially those who, for social or economic reasons, have fewer opportunities to plan their own future. We will try to accompany them for a part of their journey.
Don Gino Rigoldi