Philanthropy across the regions
With 15.7% of households making donations, an average donation of €411 and more than 2,200 registered foundations, philanthropic engagement is thriving in our country. But behind this national generosity lie significant regional disparities. Where are the donors? Which regions are the most committed? What are the key factors driving philanthropy among the French? To find out, the Fondation de France Observatory has just carried out a groundbreaking study, ‘Philanthropy across the regions’, analysing the geography of philanthropy in France.
Between 10% and 23% of households donate, depending on the department
Whilst the Île-de-France region is undoubtedly France’s leading region in terms of giving, with an average donation of €653 and 17% of households donating, the study highlights the performance of two regions driving French giving: Alsace, which, with 23.3% of households making donations and an average donation of €391, clearly stands out as the champion of giving among the regions, and Rhône-Alpes, with 17.5% of households making donations and an average donation of €386.
A ‘donation diagonal’ can be seen on the map of France, stretching from Alsace to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, where the propensity to donate is significantly higher than the average. The tip of Brittany and Loire-Atlantique also have high rates of donor households. Conversely, lower rates of giving are observed in Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie (12.3% of donor households) and around the Mediterranean, where Corsica, at 10.2%, ranks at the bottom of the national table.
Socio-cultural determinants of giving
Are people more generous when they are wealthy? The high average donation amount in large urban areas, which are wealthier than rural areas, suggests that income is a key factor in determining the amount donated. However, the proportion of donor households appears to be less closely linked to economic capacity than to the population’s socio-cultural identity and values. Thus, high rates of engagement are observed in regions with a strong Christian tradition such as Alsace, Brittany or the Pyrénées-Orientales, whereas they are very low in areas where Christian influence is weaker, such as northern France, the Midi or Aquitaine. “Giving thus appears to be the modern, secularised social expression of the Christian tradition of charity,” the study notes.
The extent of the public sector’s presence also appears to influence the generosity of the French. Almost everywhere where public sector employment is high, the propensity to donate falls, as is the case in the Mediterranean regions. Citizens may feel less of a personal need to get involved, as the strong presence of civil servants is seen to embody the state’s monopoly on safeguarding the public interest.
Inequality: a factor driving engagement among the wealthiest
When the amount of donations is compared to the median income of the population (relative giving index), the geography of giving in France takes on a different face, revealing the geography of inequality: the regions that are most generous relative to their wealth are also those that suffer most from inequality, such as Languedoc-Roussillon, Nord-Pas-de-Calais and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Alsace, the champion of giving in absolute terms, now ranks only 14th according to this relative indicator. In areas of economic hardship, giving is therefore borne by the wealthiest members of the population, which explains the relatively low rates of participation but high average donation amounts.
What about foundations?
Once again, Île-de-France tops the national rankings, accounting for 66% of French foundations, followed by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes regions, which together account for a third of foundations outside Paris. More dynamic in the south of France than in the north, the foundations sector appears to be influenced by the capital’s pull effect, with the exception of three regions: Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Alsace and, to a lesser extent, Pays de la Loire. The study also highlights the appeal of the recently introduced endowment fund status. Although this instrument confirms the dominance of the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions, it reveals the recent growth of philanthropy in other regions such as Pays de la Loire. The study also highlights the strong urban presence of recent foundations. These foundations, operating on a redistribution model, are not necessarily based in the heart of the regions, unlike older foundations, which operate and manage institutions.