“Given the scale of the challenges, only collective action can have a significant impact.”

Interview with Axelle Davezac, CEO of Fondation de France

In 2024, the world once again faced numerous crises (social, environmental, geopolitical, etc.). How do you look back on the past year?

Axelle Davezac, CEO of Fondation de FranceThe year saw an acceleration in all difficulties. Crises are multiplying, political and economic balances are being upset, and climate change is worsening. In this highly unstable and uncertain context, we need to think differently and devise new ways of acting to meet the challenges of today. Given the scale of the challenges, the philanthropic sector’s capacity to provide solutions must be mobilised more than ever. Civil society, and businesses in particular, are increasingly committed to the public  interest. Generosity is growing year by year, as shown by the latest National Giving Report study, and when Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte last December, the outpouring of solidarity was exceptional: Fondation de France has never seen such a large number of donations over such a short period.

How can Fondation de France contribute to meeting these major contemporary challenges?

Only collective action can have a significant impact. It is at the heart of Fondation de France’s strategic plan, and is embodied in particular in the Philanthropic Factory, a collective approach designed to encourage the pooling of ideas, resources and actions. We want to develop collaboration serving the public interest with and between all the players – public authorities, businesses, non-profit organisations, volunteers, philanthropists, etc. – to build effective, lasting solutions that combine repair and prevention. This balance is key: we need to address emergencies and support the vulnerable individuals who need help today, while at the same time tackling the root causes of the problems so that we can better contend with future crises and mitigate their impact.

What are the first outcomes of the Philanthropic Factory, which was launched in 2024?

The Factory really got going this year. We expanded the range of support we offer to sheltered foundations, including through new formats for events, meetings, training courses, etc. In order to “manufacture“ philanthropic initiatives together, we need to get together, exchange ideas, but also provide food for thought. That’s why we’ve expanded the knowledge production of the Philanthropy & Society Observatory. In addition to these studies, we’ve launched a new series, The Observatory Papers, to provide in-depth knowledge on major contemporary issues. Throughout the year, we also strengthened our ties with non-profit organisations. For example, we organised working days bringing together project promoters and sheltered foundations to co-construct solutions to key issues, such as support for children and parents in the early years. These discussions are emblematic of the Philanthropic Factory’s ambition.

Axelle Davezac in Morocco, alongside members of the Al Jisr non-profit organisation, which has built modular classrooms to replace the buildings destroyed by the earthquake in the town of Tagadirt.

The non-profit sector is currently facing difficulties, particularly in terms of funding. How is Fondation de France adapting its support?

The creation of action collectives, which bring together sheltered and non-sheltered foundations alongside non-profit organisations to work on priority issues, is a partial response to this challenge. These groups enable the pooling of expertise and knowledge, as well as resources to support non-profit organisations collectively. The aim is to support them in their development in a more structural and sustainable way. In 2024, we increased the amount of funding granted and developed multi-year support, moving away from the logic of funding specific projects. We also simplified the forms for our calls for projects. We want to support the scaling up of community initiatives that have long-term transformative ambitions, while maintaining our support for small, grassroots organisations whose actions are absolutely key at a local level. The Réveillons de la Solidarité operation, which we have been running every year for 20 years, is a good example of this.

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