Today’s cultural activities are expected to reveal their ‘usefulness’, in the widest and loftiest sense of the word, by contributing to the growth and integration of the community. Intellectual and moral ideas must be translated into practical objectives, and resources must be used in the best way possible to obtain those goals.
Support for culture cannot be given by public authorities alone. It is absolutely vital that private companies make an active, growing commitment, which means going beyond the concept of sponsorship to the realisation that their task is a genuine ethical and moral duty.

There are two different ways of supporting the Giorgio Cini Foundation cultural activities: becoming a Patron of the Foundation or a Friend of San Giorgio.

Patrons of the Foundation are a type of sponsor included in the Statute of the Giorgio Cini Foundation. They share the burden of routine administration as established in the Giorgio Cini Foundation budget. Their status is governed directly by the General Board through a specific regulation. The following private institutions are Patrons of the Foundation:  Intesa Sanpaolo Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A., Eni S.p.A. and Fondazione Cariplo.

The Friends of San Giorgio is an exemplary initiative that demonstrates how relationships can be forged between private enterprises and cultural institutions. The Friends of San Giorgio are a small caring group of companies and institutions that, represented by their leaders, provide support for the multifarious activities of the Giorgio Cini Foundation with the aim of developing mutually beneficial relations and the prospect of fruitful long-term collaboration. The following private enterprises are Friends of San Giorgio: Italgas, Rolex Institute, Marsilio Arte,  Fondazione Virginio Bruni Tedeschi, Fondazione Pentagram Stiftung.