After two years of the global pandemic, this spring finally saw the opening of spaces again to meet with colleagues across philanthropy, civil society and academia.

This spring, 25 leaders of major European foundations discussed key issues facing the philanthropic sector at the first European Academy of Strategic Philanthropy (EASP). In this interview, Maja Spanu shares some of the key insights from the event whilst providing her own take on philanthropy in Europe.

Fondation de France was created more than 50 years ago to develop philanthropy in France. Inspiring and encouraging people to engage for the common good, making them realize everyone can take action – that is its core mission.

Founded to develop and promote a particularly French form of philanthropy, nearly 900 charities currently fall under the umbrella of Fondation de France, operating in all fields of public interest. Thanks to the generosity of donors and testators, it conceives and also implements intervention programmes to tackle all forms of vulnerability, to support medical research, ecological transition and provide emergency support to victims of natural disasters. In total, some 10,000 projects are funded each year!

2020 was an unprecedented year by any measure. Its impact was acutely felt by everyone, a fact that was widely noted. Never since the end of the Second World War had our country experienced such a deep and lasting economic recession, in the context of a crisis that affected the entire planet. 

How can philanthropy help defend the fundamental rights that are liberty, equality and fraternity? From 22 to 24 May 2019, over 600 philanthropy professionals from all over Europe got together to debate this question at the European Foundation Centre (EFC) annual conference, which the Fondation de France was involved in organising.