Italy–USA Foundation (Italian: Fondazione Italia USA) was established to promote the friendship between Italians and Americans plus American culture in Italy. The foundation is a non-profit organization based in Rome, Italy. The Embassy of the United States in Rome officially attended the establishment of the Foundation, represented by the Minister Counselor for Public Affairs.
The foundation organizes meetings between Italian members of Parliament and US Senators and Representatives to discuss about legislation and cultural issues, also in partnership with the American Legislative Exchange Council. The foundation cooperates with many American universities, first of all Loyola University Chicago through the John Felice Rome Center, for projects, conferences, staging. The scientific committee consists in more than 30 members, including some Italian scientists, politicians, diplomats, journalists, like for example Paolo Mieli, Fiamma Nirenstein, Aurelio De Laurentiis, Carla Fendi.
President is Lucio D'Ubaldo, Vice-President is Maria Pia Garavaglia, Secretary General is Corrado Maria Daclon, President of Scientific Committee is Umberto Veronesi, Vicepresident of Scientific Committee is Franco Bassanini, Secretary of Scientific Committee is Annagrazia Calabria.
The Italy–USA Foundation promote the America Award, a recognition under the auspices of the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano. The award is mainly seen as a means to acknowledge and encourage initiatives and work aimed at favouring relationships between Italy and the United States of America. Among the winners Walter Veltroni, Umberto Veronesi, Ennio Morricone, Franco Frattini, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Piero Fassino, Renzo Arbore, Renato Balestra, Alain Elkann, Oriana Fallaci, Laura Biagiotti, Mike Bongiorno, Edward Luttwak.
A delegation of the Foundation met on Sunday December 13, 2009, in Capanne prison on the outskirts of Perugia, with American prisoner Amanda Knox, then campaigned for her until the acquittal verdict. The Secretary General of the Foundation, Corrado Maria Daclon, who became a close friend of Knox's while she was in prison, managed Knox's departure from the penitentiary of Perugia to the airport after the acquittal, when Knox returned to her home in Seattle. Knox wrote a letter to Corrado Maria Daclon the day after she was freed by prison, with her first words since she regaining freedom: "To hold my hand and offer support and respect throughout the obstacles and the controversy, there were Italians. There was the Italy-USA Foundation, and many others that shared my pain and that helped me survive, with hope. I am eternally grateful for their caring hospitality and their courageous commitment. To those that wrote me, that defended me, that stood by me, that prayed for me. I am forever grateful to you. I love you."