Valerio Melandri

University Professor | Fundraising Expert | Founder of the Festival del Fundraising

📧 Email: valerio.melandri@fundraising.it

🌍 Website: www.valeriomelandri.it

📍 Born in Forlì, Italy, 1966

A pioneer of fundraising in Italy, Valerio Melandri is a professor at the University of Bologna, where he founded and currently directs the Master’s Program in Fundraising (since 2003). He was the first to introduce fundraising as an academic subject in an Italian university. Since 2013, he has also served as a Visiting Professor at Columbia University (New York), where he teaches “Principles and Techniques of Fundraising” at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

He has held numerous institutional roles, including elected member of the Campus Council in Forlì, Chair of the Internship Commission, member of the Teaching Committee, and Career Services Coordinator.

He also served as City Councillor for Culture in Forlì (2019) and was the organizer of TEDxForlì (2022).

• Certificate in Fundraising Management, Indiana University – Center on Philanthropy, 2000

• Master in Nonprofit Management, NYU – Wagner School of Public Service, New York, 1996

• Master in Research Methods, University of Turin – AIDEA, Pinerolo Campus, 1993

• Laurea (Magna Cum Laude) in Business Management, University of Bologna – Forlì Campus, 1991

• Director and Professor, Master in Fundraising, University of Bologna (2003–present)

• Professor in Nonprofit Management, University of Bologna, Forlì Campus (2002–present)

• Visiting Professor, Columbia University, SIPA – New York (2013–present)

• Visiting Scholar, NYU – Wagner School (1994–1996)

Courses taught span nonprofit management, major gift fundraising, ethics in fundraising, volunteer management, and nonprofit strategy across top Italian and international institutions, including Bocconi University, University of Pisa, University of Turin, and Columbia University.

• Founder & Director, Festival del Fundraising (2008–present)

  The largest fundraising conference in Europe with over 1,500 attendees annually.

• Founder & Director, fundraising.it (2001–present)

  Italy’s most visited fundraising website.

• Scientific Director, Philanthropy Centro Studi (2002–present)

  An academic center for philanthropy based at the University of Bologna.

• Business Development Manager, Confcommercio Bologna (1991–1993)

• Junior Analyst, Sileo & Associati, Bologna (1991–1993)

Coordinator and principal investigator in several research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MIUR), on themes such as:

• Community foundations and the Cariplo system

• CFRE fundraising certification

• Accountability and governance in nonprofit organizations

• The professional profile of Italian fundraisers

He has authored over 40 books, including the best-selling Fundraising. The Most Comprehensive Manual for Fundraising (Maggioli), translated into English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Delivered keynote speeches and masterclasses at major international conferences, including:

Amsterdam, Toronto, New York, Boston, Paris, Lisbon, Santiago de Chile, Nairobi, Guadalajara, Warsaw, Bratislava, Berlin, Guatemala City.

Topics included major gift fundraising, ethics, donor-centered strategies, and the future of fundraising.

Translated Books:

• Fundraising, Maggioli – Civil Sector Press – Principia Editora

• Freedom of Fundraising, Philanthropy Editions

• Direct Mail, with Warwick and Overman

• Nonprofit Management, with David Mason

Book Chapters and Articles:

Published in Il Sole 24 Ore – Terzo Settore, Nonprofit, RIREA, Economia & Management, and Enciclopedia Treccani, on topics such as strategic planning, fundraising ethics, volunteer management, and accountability.

• Italian: Native

• English: Full professional proficiency

• Spanish: Working proficiency