Fondation de France acted quickly during the health crisis: support for carers and helpers, support for research and support for the vulnerable: over 650 projects were conducted throughout France in just two months. The crisis has highlighted existing frailties and those that were less visible, it has exposed the limits of our modes of production and consumption. The support mechanisms for the most vulnerable were quickly overwhelmed by the scale of the demand… Now, urgent long-term action is required.
The crisis also revealed areas of strength: the ability to organise differently, creativity when it has been necessary to imagine fresh responses to tackle an unprecedented challenge.
Fondation de France has been able to exploit three main advantages to quickly provide a pertinent response and organise the most effective form of cooperation:
- the robustness of its network, constructed over the past 50 years, bringing together partner foundations, charities, volunteers and, more widely, numerous other operators committed to act in the public interest;
- its ability to produce long-term solutions, even in an emergency, proven during the numerous natural disasters in which it has intervened;
- its local knowledge, held by the regional foundations acting where the need is greatest alongside all other operators on the ground.
Over the coming months, Fondation de France has set itself two main priorities:
1. To support the charities and enterprises operating in the social economy which, although weakened by the health crisis, constitute an essential vehicle for maintaining social links, supporting those most in need and sustaining local economies.
In order to act where the need is greatest, Fondation de France has entered into a partnership with France Active, which it helped to create more than 30 years ago with the support of Caisse des Dépôts. France Active, a pioneer in the social economy, operates through its 42 regional associations (160 reception centres) and 650 employees, in order to:
- support local entities, helping them to identify problems and solutions and to revise their operating model;
- connect them with their local ecosystem and establish contacts with economic operators;
- provide funding through loans (70 entities will be able to benefit from interest-free loans of €60k on average) or through grants (up to €5,000 for nearly 200 small charities).
€6 million (€3.4m provided by Fondation de France and €2.6m by the JM Bruneau and Daniel & Nina Carasso foundations, under the umbrella of Fondation de France) will be allocated to this initial intervention area.
2. The second priority consists of consolidating the working methods that have proved effective during this period in order to identify, mobilise and coordinate the most relevant operators, both at national and regional level.
The national programmes of Fondation de France are therefore reviewed and adapted to take into account the impact of the crisis. Innovative and mobilising projects are favoured which take into account the long-term issues of the climate, social responsibility and inclusion.
The regional foundations will build on the results of the Dynamiques territoriales, a programme successfully developed over 8 years in six regions designed to empower local communities.
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