Abstract

Half of the Italian municipalities are home to «inner areas», fragile areas far from the main centres of supply of essential services and too often left to their own devices because of their rural identity according to the European classification of the degree of urbanisation. The Non-Profit Institutions (NPIs) provide social and economic support to local communities by offering services, goods and resources and by fulfilling the purpose of building public benefit. Moreover, the nonprofit sector is an important actor in addressing social and economic vulnerability, especially in fragile areas, where it plays a key role in empowering local populations and fostering community development. The aim of this paper is to describe the spread of NPIs in the Italian hinterland, in both central and peripheral contexts, highlighting their role in terms of services provided and human resources employed, in relation to local socio-economic development and levels of vulnerability.