About the author

Veronica Parise & Vania Pavan

Veronica Parise (she/her) is an anthropologist specialising in international cooperation, sustainable development, core emergency, marketing, communications and fundraising, and environmental mainstreaming.

After working in the world of profit for several years at managerial and consultant level, she collaborated in environmental and human rights NGOs, and with some organisations as a fundraising specialist, such as UNICEF Italy. During her career she has spoken to thousands of donors, from cold prospects to legacy pledgers.

Donne fondatrici dell’antropologia sociale (Women founders of social anthropology - available soon in English) is her first essay, followed by a hybrid novel, Once Were Scuba Divers - which was given a Special Merit Mention in Premio Nazionale Narrativa e Poesia Alda Merini 2023.

She is now working on a new scientific project on fundraising. Veronica is a member of the Environment Committee in ANPIA, the Italian Professional Association of Anthropologists, focusing her interests on the anthropology of the seas.

Vania Pavan is a marketing and fundraising consultant. She has been an international relations officer for several governmental departments and the communication manager for Pubblicità Progresso, the leading social communication agency in Italy. She created the first online international library on PSA, linking all countries in a global network. In addition, she designs and coordinates web and multichannel projects. Thanks to her experience in the private sector, she can offer marketing and fundraising consultancy grounded in commercial acumen, proposing projects between for-profits and not-for-profits. She has worked with more than 50 not-for-profit organisations, including big international NGOs such as Greenpeace and Amref, while also directly coordinating small schools in Africa. Vania is coordinator of the editors and content writers of the Italian Fundraisers.