Together, we drive philanthropic momentum - Axelle Davezac

Axelle Davezac, CEO of Fondation de FranceThe world is currently facing strong challenges and uncertainty, with new conflicts and an endless stream of social and climate crises in 2023. At the same time, more of us than ever before are rising to the occasion, in the form of donations, volunteering, and non-profit initiatives. At Fondation de France, 2023 turned out to be a remarkable year, witnessing an exceptional level of generosity and mobilization: as donations surpassed 200 million euros.

In this troubled environment, we are more focused than ever on empowering change-makers. Our guiding principle is clear: working together is how we produce effective and enduring solutions to today’s challenges.

In fact, this wish to better combine strengths, share resources, and work in partnership is the driving force of Fondation de France’s new project: “Together, we drive philanthropic momentum.” Faced with the urgency and scope of the world’s needs, we must, as philanthropic actors, commit to ensuring that projects are relevant and effective. With our wealth of experience, knowledge, and resources, we have the responsibility to ensure that these tools are allocated in the most effective and efficient way to achieve our shared goals.

In 2023, this firm belief led us to start a major overhaul of our working methods and led us to create Action Collectives. By bringing together donor-advised funds, experts, nonprofits, and other stakeholders, these collectives reinforce our ability to take action on priority missions. They include support for younger generations, fair and inclusive ecological transition programs, prevention of crises and disasters, and initiatives which combat all forms of inequality and discrimination.

These Action Collectives make up the Philanthropic Factory, the structure embodying our collective vision for the years to come. This vision encompasses collective action for greater impact, encouraging collaborative dialogue, and producing and sharing knowledge with all those in the non-profit sector.