Nice to meet you

I am an experienced project writer and manager. 
I have worked for more than 15 years on EU and UN project writing, selecting and management in several areas of interest (social and health sector, development cooperation and enlargement, drugs and crime related policies, gender issues and culture).
 
My experience as a public official in the European Commission between 2001 and 2005 and at the Council of the EU in 2012 helped me developing an in depth understand of the EU institutions, their working methods and EU policy development as well as funding.
 
Since 2007 I provide consultancy to a series of organisations in different EU Member States to develop EU networks and projects and to influence EU policy development.
 
Some of the organisations I cooperate (have cooperated) with:
 
ASL Milan, Italy (www.asl.milano.it)
 
European Harm Reduction Network (www.eurohrn.eu)
 
European Public Health Agency, Luxembourg (www.eahc.eu)
 
Filmfestival della Montagna, Città di Trento, Italy (www.trentofestival.it)
 
International Harm Reduction Association, UK (www.ihra.net)
 
Luanova NGO, Brazil (www.luanova.org.br/)
 
University of Frankfurt, Institute of Applied Sciences (www.fh-frankfurt.de/en/the_university.html)
 
University of Kent (www.kent.ac.uk/)

 

I support non-profit organisations on strategic and organisational development and fundraising.
I develop ideas into strategies and projects and lead teams towards collective actions for shared goals.

I am an accomplished grant writer and programme manager: I have an history of coming up with ideas, writing and overseeing, as well as evaluating, complex programmes in a number of countries and sectors.

I have worked within the European Union, United Nations and private foundations funding environments, mostly in the health, human rights and social sector, with some experience with cultural initiatives as well.

I consider myself a networker - networking is key for organisational development - with talent for consensus-building and stakeholder relations: I have worked with local, national and international organisations throughout corporate, academic, government, and non-profit/volunteering sectors.

I have supported EU Agencies and the UN with consultancy work on the development of policies and guidelines and evaluation of projects for funding. I have piloted innovative initiatives and organised high-profile events.

Harm reduction in the context of the use of substances and prisoners' health have been my main areas of thematic expertise. Want to find out more? Ask me about it, I love explaining the philosophy behind harm reduction, which changed my approach to life: "meet people where they are, with no judgement, provide support if you can, but mostly listen to their needs".
 

I started my international career at the European Commission in Brussels in 2001, where, mandated by the University of Trento, I worked in international cooperation as grant giver in the social and health sector and on gender equality, defining European policies, priorities for funding, identifying and managing projects.

In 2005 I felt the need for more grassroot work and I joined a British charity, Cranstoun Drug Services, directing their international office in Brussels where I coordinated European networks of civil society and institutions working on health in prison, organising events, managing research, advocacy and capacity building actions.

From 2006 to 2014 I had the privilege to support a great mentor in the harm reduction field, Ulrich Kohler, as senior project manager in the international department of a German Foundation, Deutscher Orden International, supporting grassroot organisations in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East in identifying and funding innovative actions and services for people who use drugs.

From 2007, as free lance, I cooperate with universities, research centres and leading European and international organisations (in Italy, the UK, Germany and with international scope) on research and advocacy, supporting them on project identification, management, organisational building and fundraising.

I the meantime I studied community fundraising with the the British Institute of Fundraising, with particular attention to corporate social responsibility. I also moved back to Italy in 2009 and worked with a number of social cooperatives in Trentino on building fundraising and communication strategies.

Currently I lead a team of 10 people in CSV - Centro di Servizio per il Volontariato di Verona, a Third sector umbrella organisation in Verona, Italy, providing support and capacity building for the local volunteering sector. Having always been a volunteer myself, joining this organisation in 2016 to support volunteers and volunteering organisations seemed like a natural development to it.

I am also senior advisor to Harm Reduction International, a London based international charity dedicated to reducing the negative health, social and legal impacts of drug use and drug policy.

 

Some of the organisations I work/have worked with:

  • Centro di Servizio per il Volontariato di Verona (www.csv.verona.it)
  • Harm Reduction International (www.hri.global)
  • UNODC (www.unodc.org)
  • European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) (www.hadea.ec.europa.eu)
  • Coordinamento Nazionale Comunità Accoglienti (www.cnca.it)
  • Deutscher Orden Ordenswerke (www.ordenswerke.de)
  • University of Applied Sceinces, Frankfurt am Main (www.frankfurt-university.de)
  • Kent University, UK (www.kent.ac.uk)
  • Cooperativa Sociale Progetto 92, Trento (www.progetto92.net)
  • Cooperativa Sociale La Rete, Trento (www.cooplarete.org)