The characteristics of social networks and their composition determine the availability of social support, which is defined as the aid individuals gain from their network members.

Despite the literature usually investigate the importance of having support, especially that vulnerable and weaker social groups receive from their network, the role of the support provided by these categories to alters had not received the same attention.

In particular, the support provided by elderly to their networks members is a sign of an active participation in the social life, that is one dimension of the active ageing.

Using data from the ‘‘Family and Social Subjects’’ (FSS) survey carried out in 2009 by the Italian National Statistical Institute, this contribution aims at study the extent and the type of support provided by the Italian elders aged 65 years and more to other people, stressing how features of both ego (the elderly) and alters (their network members) affect the aid exchanged. Adopting a multilevel analysis to investigate personal (ego-) networks, we provide insights into the determinants of observing a provided support tie by elders to family or non-family members.