In women’s football, philanthropy is a foundational part of its history. As early as the 1920s, the Dick, Kerr’s Ladies raised funds not only for wounded and fallen soldiers, but later for working‑class causes and civic relief efforts, generating substantial support for communities in need. In the modern game, charitable initiatives retain their social value while also evolving into strategic business tools that strengthen a club’s brand and enhance its appeal. Philanthropy is no longer just a vehicle for raising money, but it has become a way to reinforce brand identity, attract purpose‑driven partners, and highlight the deep social impact embedded in women’s football.

Documented Social Impact Initiatives in Italian Women’s Football

Looking at Italian women’s football, charitable engagement has been present for decades. In 2009, Bardolino Verona launched a blood‑donation campaign, one of the earliest examples of structured social involvement in the women’s game. More recently, several collaborations have emerged with Gli Invisibili (“The Invisibles”), a non‑profit organisation supporting people with disabilities – including individuals with Down syndrome – involving participation from various players. Eleonora Goldoni has been actively involved in an association raising awareness about eating disorders, while Martina Rosucci in 2014 contributed to fundraising for research on Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva – a rare disease diagnosed in the son of Livorno captain Andrea Luci – by auctioning the match‑worn jersey from Italy’s game against Estonia.

Global Social Impact Leaders in the Women’s Game

Abroad, several major examples illustrate how social engagement has become a defining feature of women’s football. Christine Sinclair actively collaborates with organisations that raise funds to fight multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease that has affected her mother, and has recently launched the Christine Sinclair Foundation to create new spaces and support girls and women entering an increasingly competitive labour market. In November 2025, through the FIFA Player Impact Programme, Kadeisha Buchanan established a foundation aimed at creating football opportunities for single mothers and their daughters.

Other significant cases include Beth Mead, an ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Action who has led fundraising campaigns for ovarian cancer research; Lucy Bronze, who has spoken publicly about her diagnosis of autism and ADHD and begun raising awareness on the topic; and Lauren James, who launched the LJ10 Scholarship Program to help young female players continue their sporting development. Beyond individual initiatives, Keira Walsh serves as an ambassador for the Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, which works to protect and rehabilitate abandoned animals.

The Role of Charity in Shaping Player Impact

Philanthropy in women’s football allows players not only to strengthen their role as brand ambassadors, and position themselves for future commercial partnerships by demonstrating genuine social awareness, but also to extend their legacy beyond the pitch. Through sustained engagement, their social value increases, and with it their influence and cultural relevance. It is important to remember, however, that charity exists because those who can help should support those who cannot, and it must not become merely a tool for personal promotion. Still, the reputational gains generated by such initiatives can facilitate collaborations or create revenue streams that can be reinvested into public‑interest programmes or used to build new spaces within a football ecosystem where women still struggle to secure visibility and opportunities, even in the sports they play.

The Hidden Opportunity in the Italian Context

In Italy, one area that remains largely unexplored is the creation of real opportunities for women who aspire to become football coaches. At present, mandatory gender quotas guarantee four reserved places for female candidates in coaching courses; if more than four women qualify, the additional candidates simply join the general pool alongside men. In practice, quotas ensure a minimum level of participation, but they do not automatically translate into four women becoming coaches.

Rather, they oblige federations to train them, expanding the pool of potential candidates who may eventually reach the benches of professional clubs. Despite this, Serie A Women often prefers to recruit from the men’s Serie C or from men’s youth academies instead of giving space to female coaches. As of today, the only women leading teams in the top division are Suzanne Bakker at AC Milan and Selena Mazzantini at Como 1907, whereas leagues such as the WSL feature eight clubs out of fourteen coached by women.

This is precisely the context in which visibility can be leveraged to open new spaces for women in coaching. The target would be former players with a solid public profile and a genuine desire to return immediately to the football environment, positioning themselves as intermediaries between the playing world and the coaching pathway. By using their influence, they could partner with sponsors, public institutions, or associations to build and finance coaching careers for women. And even if, at first glance, this may appear as an attempt to secure additional opportunities that seem more engineered than organic, it must be stressed that it is unacceptable for women to be unable to coach within their own sport simply because they are insufficiently encouraged or implicitly excluded.

Philanthropy as a Gateway to Federation Roles

Another opportunity within the Italian context is the possibility of using the visibility generated through philanthropic work – and the network of contacts it opens – to create space for women in high‑level roles within the Federation.

A recent example is Sara Gama, who was awarded the title of Cavaliere della Repubblica by President Sergio Mattarella for her contributions to sport, and whose name was briefly associated with a potential vice‑presidency during the latest FIGC presidential elections, although another candidate was ultimately chosen.

Philanthropic initiatives could therefore be used to raise funds and build programmes aimed at integrating former players into the Italian Football Federation, especially those who wish to remain in the football environment but do not necessarily want to pursue coaching. This would help address the structural gap already analysed.

Building New Pathways Through Social Visibility

Social visibility, philanthropy, and coordinated fundraising initiatives – when supported by a well‑structured campaign involving current and former players alongside the third‑party organisations they collaborate with – can create new spaces for this generation and the next. These opportunities may emerge both outside football and within the sport itself, while also contributing to broader causes such as women’s health, environmental protection, and animal welfare.

Players are not detached from the world around them; they are an integral part of it. In countries like Italy, where opportunities remain limited due to historical and structural factors, this visibility can become a crucial lever for developing initiatives that encourage women to continue or build a sporting career, whether on the touchline or in leadership roles. Women are still under‑represented even within the sport they play, and creating these pathways is essential to ensure that the next generation can access positions that have long remained out of reach.

Text: Sebastiano Moretta.