POLIMI Graduate School of Management takes professional volunteering beyond borders: the sixth edition of Leave Your Mark, which goes international, kicks off

POLIMI Graduate School of Management takes professional volunteering beyond borders: the sixth edition of Leave Your Mark, which goes international, kicks off

Since 2021, the initiative has involved 44 non-profit organisations, launched 59 projects and mobilised 268 alumni, faculty and staff. In 2026, the project is growing, with the entry of new partners – including international partners – and aims to create a European network of managerial skills at the service of non-profit organisations.

In a context where non-profit organisations and, more generally, social economy players are assuming an increasingly central role in responding to collective needs, there is a growing demand for managerial skills capable of strengthening their impact and sustainability over time. In Italy, for example, the third sector continues to grow, with more than 817,000 people employed and employment growth of almost 20% over the last five years. This trend also affects younger generations: recent research by the TIRESIA research centre of Politecnico di Milano shows how young people’s interest in working in the social sector stems from diverse and complementary motivations. While nearly one in two people is driven by a desire for personal growth, 35% cite contributing to the wellbeing of the community and the ability to operate in accordance with their values as key factors.

In this scenario, the non-profit sector is not only a driver of social innovation, but also a potential source of inspiration for the careers of the future.

This awareness is the basis for Leave Your Mark, the initiative promoted by POLIMI Graduate School of Management in collaboration with the Gianluca Spina Association, which has been connecting alumni, faculty and professionals from the School with non-profit organisations since 2021, offering pro bono advice on strategic issues such as fundraising, marketing, digitalisation, organisational development, innovation and communication, by translating these skills into real-world tools such as business plans, marketing plans, organisational models, internal policies and development strategies built around each organisation's unique needs.

"Leave Your Mark was born from a simple yet powerful idea: skills can generate social value just as much as economic resources", comments Federico Frattini, Dean of POLIMI Graduate School of Management. “Through this initiative, alumni, faculty and staff offer their knowledge, experience and time to help organisations that face complex challenges every day and produce a tangible impact on their communities. It is a project that creates value for all involved and which, today, thanks to its expansion, can become a model for collaboration on an international scale."

Now in its sixth edition, the project is taking a major step forward. The 2026 edition, in fact, marks the start of a new phase thanks to the involvement of new partners, such as UPF Barcelona School of Management, and associations such as JEMP, the Junior Enterprise made up of students from Politecnico di Milano, with the aim of building an ever-expanding network of managerial skills to serve social impact.

“At UPF Barcelona School of Management, we believe it is our responsibility to help develop leaders who are not only outstanding professionals but also capable of creating value for society. We are delighted to join forces with POLIMI GSoM in an initiative that demonstrates how collaboration between institutions of excellence can amplify our collective impact and generate meaningful social change beyond borders” comments José M. Martínez-Sierra, Director General and Provost, UPF Barcelona School of Management.

Over the course of its first five editions, Leave Your Mark has involved a total of 44 non-profit organisations, developed 59 projects, and mobilised 268 alumni, faculty and School staff members. This steady growth demonstrates the community’s interest and the effectiveness of the initiative. From the four organisations and the four projects involved in the first edition in 2021, the programme has grown to 15 organisations and 20 projects developed in 2025, with over 120 participants dedicating a total of more than 1,250 hours of pro bono consulting to the participating organisations.

Over the years, Leave Your Mark has supported a wide variety of organisations, active in the fields of social inclusion, health, international cooperation, education and culture. Among those involved are Medici Senza Frontiere Italia, Oxfam Italia, CESVI, Humana People to People Italia, Banco Alimentare, Dynamo Camp, FightTheStroke Foundation and numerous local associations.

The initiative’s value is evident above all from the concrete results generated on the ground. Among the projects awarded during Purpose Day 2025, Liberi Dentro stood out for having transformed a volunteer experience at a prison into a more structured and replicable organisational model, ultimately leading to the establishment of a non-profit organisation. The FightTheStroke Foundation has strengthened its ability to create connections between institutions, professionals and communities through a process focused on innovation and partnerships. Finally, Dynamo Camp has developed new strategies to enhance its network of volunteers and strengthen fundraising activities, generating significant results in terms of impact and community engagement.

One of the hallmarks of Leave Your Mark is the collaboration between worlds that rarely have the opportunity to engage in such a structured way. The project teams are made up of Business School alumni, academic tutors from the faculty and representatives of the organisations involved, supported by the coordination of POLIMI GSoM staff.

The initiative represents not only an opportunity for growth for the organisations involved, but also a transformative experience for those who make their skills available. The participating alumni have the opportunity to apply the managerial knowledge they have gained throughout their professional careers to socially responsible contexts, exploring new perspectives and developing a deeper awareness of the impact that skills and leadership can have on society. In several cases, the journey initiated during Leave Your Mark has also given rise to relationships and collaborations that have continued beyond the end of the projects, testifying to the human and professional value built over time.

With the launch of the sixth edition and its expansion to include more business schools, Leave Your Mark now aims to further extend its reach, progressively transforming into a platform capable of mobilising talent, expertise and academic communities to support non-profit organisations. Because leaving your mark means, first and foremost, putting your knowledge and skills at the service of those who can transform them into impact.


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