Philanthropy, an inspiration to stimulate the democratic spirit
The growing and multifaceted disorder of the world is now both the backdrop and the challenge that philanthropy must face. Environmental disorder and the tangible impact of climate change, marked by the recurrence of natural disasters, such as the passing of Cyclone Chido that occurred a few months ago in Mayotte, the desertification of entire regions and the proliferation of pollution.
Pierre Sellal, Chairman of Fondation de FranceDisorder in the edifice of international relations as built in the aftermath of the Second World War, with the propensity to resort to force, the erosion of the spirit of international cooperation and the erosion of regulation by law.
Disorder in our democracies, even in Europe, in the face of manipulations of electoral procedures, misap- propriations of facts and distortions of reality, which fuel doubt over public action and taint the legitimacy of institutions.
Economic and financial disorder, characterised in particular by the grip of debt, which weighs heavily on the financing of public policies and exposes us to the risk of an inadequate response to the most decisive issues for the future of our societies.
Faced with these challenges, philanthropy is first and foremost a desire to act, and this is what drives the founders and donors above all, as well as the teams and volunteers of Fondation de France. It translates into a refusal to give in to fatalism and resignation, and a desire to take action and participate in the pursuit of the public interest. It expresses a constant effort to respond in the most effective way to a cause, a need or an aspiration.
It is also a lesson and an inspiration for our society, designed to stimulate the democratic spirit: its principle is openness to others, to their own vision and ideas; its method is dialogue; and its repellent is sectarianism, withdrawal or exclusion. Finally, philanthropy is an ethic, designed to ensure that donations are put to the best possible use, to account for and justify the action taken, and to help achieve the common good.
Attributing so many virtues to philanthro- py should not, however, lead us to delegate to it the responsibility for essential services, which must re- main the responsibility of the public authorities. The financial hardship of certain local authorities, or the budgetary choices made to the detriment of certain sectors, cannot justify expecting philanthropy and sponsorship to be a substitute or an alternative to inadequate public funding. Its vocation must remain agility, speed of mobilisation, the ability to identify emerging needs, experimentation with innovative approaches, encouragement of the diversity of indi- vidual initiatives, the ability to provoke cross-cutting actions, and the combination of approaches, whereas public action sometimes falters due to its inflexibility and compartmentalisation.
Inspired by these principles, Fondation de France sought to assert its role and pursue its development throughout the 2024 financial year, the results of which are presented in this report, in the service of causes recognised by the community of its founders and donors. The progress achieved, according to all the indicators used, confirms the relevance of these choices. Above all, they serve as encouragement to persevere and intensify our efforts.
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→ Discover the Fondation de France 2024 Annual Report
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