This contribution focus on the philanthropic culture of Italian foundations, relying upon of a recent research addressing the culture and practices of the third sector in Italy, especially foundations working in the social sector. The paper explain that foundations express a plurality of cultures: mature foundations with philanthropic network culture, elite philanthropic foundations, ancillary philanthropy and the young foundations of emerging societary culture. A consistent part of the organizational culture present in foundations is still defined within the discourse of a traditional philanthropy for which the differentiation process assumes a morphostatic character. Only one of the latter matches the concept of the “civil” which is typical of the Third Sector Organizations (TSOs). This culture is characterized by its “associazionale” feature: i.e. its capacity to enhance “social relations, both intersubjective and generalized, as a connection between the private and collective sphere.