Philanthropy Barometer 2026: an increasingly diverse range of causes being supported
The Fondation de France’s Philanthropy & Society Observatory has published the 2026 edition of its annual Philanthropy Barometer on foundations and endowment funds in France. This new edition reflects the vitality of the philanthropy sector, with the number of foundations and endowment funds having more than doubled over the past ten years. It also highlights the diversification of the causes supported by foundations: since 2020, nearly one in two foundations has supported multiple causes, compared with only one-quarter before the 2000s.
In 2025, the number of philanthropic organisations continued to grow at a steady pace, with a 3% increase over the course of a year. The sector now has 6,040 active foundations and endowment funds. “Despite a crisis-ridden and uncertain environment, the vitality demonstrated by the philanthropy sector is a source of hope: private actors continue to commit to the public good”, emphasises Axelle Davezac, Executive Director of the Fondation de France. These philanthropic organisations are becoming increasingly active: their spending has risen by nearly 5% over the past year, totalling more than €18 billion in 2024.
An increasingly diverse range of causes supported
The second finding of this barometer is that foundations are more likely to be active in several areas of public interest at the same time. Before the 2000s, one in four foundations (27%) supported multiple causes. Since 2020, nearly one in two foundations has adopted a multi-issue approach. “This shift reflects a belief held for several decades by the Fondation de France, the foundation for all causes: to make a real difference in one cause, you have to address them all ” says Axelle Davezac. Jean-Marc Ollagnier, co-founder of the Jean-Marc and Nathalie Ollagnier Foundation, agrees: “The multi-cause approach is a coherent response to the complexity of the world.”
This trend is accompanied by a rise in causes that have historically been more marginal, such as the environment, research (academic research other than medical research), employment, and justice and democracy.
The year 2020 marks a clear break from the trends observed previously: arts and culture have become the leading area of focus for the creation of foundations and endowment funds (33%, compared with 26% in the previous period), while the environment sector has seen a sharp increase (26% of new organisations, compared with 12% in the previous period). “The rise of environmental causes in philanthropy reflects a growing awareness of the fragility of life” says Barbara Chénot, President of the Elze Foundation. According to Louis Hallonet, director of Cultural Affairs at Sacem, artistic creation, for its part, constitutes “a particularly effective way to rebuild social ties” in a post-COVID context that has highlighted the growing isolation affecting a segment of the population.