ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

The Nando Peretti Foundation was born in 2000 as a philanthropic foundation, at the initiative of Elsa Peretti. The Foundation is dedicated to the memory of Elsa's father, Nando, a distinguished businessman who built Anonima Petroli Italiana (API) into one of the leading European oil companies. Over its 11 years of activity, the NPF has awarded grants to over 480 projects, for an overall estimated value of more than 30.000.000 euros. The Foundation was thus able to reach and impact on 68 different countries all over the world. The NPF has granted resources to global issues such as the fight against deforestation, valuing and encouraging at the same time smaller, more specific and time-limited projects, such as the support to local disadvantaged communities. This two-fold approach towards the global and the local level is, perhaps, one of the strongest points of the Nando Peretti Foundation. We believe that the results of our action give credit to this approach.
Initially, the NPF's mission was characterized by two major commitments: an emphasis on environment and wildlife conservation, and a focus on humanitarian and charity programs, with a particular attention to first-aid interventions for relieving poverty and suffering.Over the years, the areas and the range of activities funded by the NPF's grants have been significantly expanded to match the widening of the overall philanthropic vision of the Foundation. As the requests for assistance have multiplied over the years, it has become evident that in order to make a difference for improving the general welfare of people, relieving immediate suffering was crucial, but not sufficient. A further commitment to improve people's opportunities and expand their choices was also needed. As a consequence, today the Nando Peretti Foundation awards grants to finance projects aiming at a wider variety of purposes than originally planned.
A major pillar of the NPF philanthropic strategy consists in projects aiming at the promotion of human and civil rights, with a special emphasis on the right to education, children's rights, and women's rights and dignity. Over time, The NPF has also supported the requests of unrepresented people, and oppressed minorities for the defence of their right to exist and the preservation of their culture.
Furthermore, every year an important part of the Foundation's endowments are destined to the promotion of physical and mental health. A large number of medical and scientific research projects have been financed through dozens of grants in partnerships with some of the most important Italian and International Universities and Research Institutes. For the same purposes, the Foundation also supports more specific types of intervention, such as the building of entire hospitals or sanitary facilities, and the purchase of technological and medical equipment in advanced, as well as poor countries.
The Foundation's commitment for issues concerning the environment and wildlife conservation has remained unaltered over time, funding several public awareness campaigns, and projects for the conservation of endemic species.
Over the past few years, the Foundation has also become increasingly engaged in the promotion of culture and the arts. From individual scholarships granted to talented artists, to the funding of public exhibitions and concerts, and to the recovery and restoration of ancient artistic works; today, the number and typology of activities in favour of the arts is on the increase.
Nevertheless, the Foundation has deliberately maintained a focus on the economic and material support for those who live in extreme hardship or poverty, with the belief that this form of assistance is nowadays not only necessary, but also, unfortunately, rare. In 11 years, the NFP has achieved many tangible results. In particular, the construction of 20 new schools, 6 orphanages, and 4 hospitals in poor countries all over the world. The Foundation has also assisted 15 animal species at risk of extinction, while more than 50 medical and scientific research projects have been financed, ranging from the researches on rare diseases to those on infant leukaemia.
None of the results the Foundation has achieved over the years could have been possible without our numerous partners with whom a long-term and trusted relationships has been built. Whilst strongly believing in partnership, the NPF particularly cherishes its independence and freedom, and above all, the freedom to rely on its own intuition to sometimes make bets on visionary or risky projects. Undeniably, all this implies a certain risk of failure. The NPF has demonstrated to be willing to take such risk. The Board's decisions are as informed as possible, but, ultimately, instinct plays a big role in the choices made and so far the outcome has validated them.

The President of the Nando Peretti Foundation is Elsa Peretti.

Elsa Peretti, born in Florence, is the youngest daughter of Nando Peretti (1896-1977), a distinguished business man who built Anonima Petroli Italiana (API) into one of the leading Italian oil companies. She was educated in Rome and Switzerland.
Elsa's outspoken personality, intolerant of the conventions of her milieu, led her to seek a different approach to life. This search marked her restless youth, during which she lived in many different countries. Two places are particularly significant to her: Barcelona, where she undertook a career as fashion model, and New York, where she started what was to become her main activity: designing. After working with such leading fashion designers such as Giorgio di Sant'Angelo, Halston, and many more, she joined Tiffany and Co. in 1974. Since then she continues adding new items to her collection.
The main source of inspiration for Elsa has always been nature. The same gift which enables her to abstract the essence of a shape from the details surrounding it has brought her to develop a particular attention to life even in its humblest forms. Over time, this aesthetic enchantment grew into an active concern over the future of our planet. In this process, two major challenges stand out as the core of her struggle to give concrete help to our future: the defense of environment and the empowerment of children through the protection of their right to education and health. At the beginning of the new millennium she realizes what she considers the most ambitious achievement of her life, that of assembling a staff of motivated people in a Foundation able to take up these challenges.
This Foundation is dedicated to her father, Nando.

Please click here to watch the video Elsa Peretti: Visionary Designer by OfficialTiffanyAndCo.