Antoine Vaccaro, President of CerPhi and Force for Good
The generosity of the French, whether from individuals or companies, continues to grow. The 2024 Generosity Barometer[1], published by France Générosités and the Fondation de France, bears witness to this. Despite the economic and health crises of recent years, donations reached 9.2 billion euros in 2022, divided between manual gifts, bequests, donations and corporate philanthropy. This figure reflects the French people’s deep attachment to the values of solidarity and public interest.
A diverse and inclusive generosity
In contrast to Anglo-American models, where donations are increasingly concentrated among the wealthiest households, France’s generosity is more widely distributed. Nevertheless, there has been a notable increase in donations from the wealthiest households: the wealthiest 1% now contribute 14.2% of total donations. In the United States in 2021, high-income households, representing the wealthiest 10%, donated around $194 billion, or 60% of individual donations[2].
To illustrate this trend, MacKenzie Scott illustrates this concentration, estimated to have given over $16 billion to hundreds of organizations since her divorce in 2019 until the end of 2023[3], taking advantage of legislation that allows massive redistribution without estate constraints. This approach can enable a handful of people to steer entire sectors of general interest, illustrating a model very different from the French landscape.
At the same time, strategic resources such as bequests and digital donations are enjoying growing momentum in France.
The weight of corporate philanthropy: a uniquely French approach
Companies play a crucial role in financing public-interest causes. They will account for 42% of donations in 2022. This contrasts with the United States, where they account for just 4% of donations (Giving USA 2022)[4], and illustrates a French singularity. This success is based on three factors:
- An advantageous tax framework: companies benefit from a 60% tax reduction on donations of up to 2 million euros.
- A more corporate philanthropic culture: In the United States, philanthropy is largely dominated by private fortunes. Captains of industry, having accumulated significant wealth, often choose to support philanthropic causes on an individual basis. In France, where wealth is more frequently passed down from generation to generation, philanthropists prefer to support charitable causes on an individual basis. In France, where wealth is more frequently passed down from generation to generation, philanthropists prefer to make donations via their companies rather than through direct personal involvement.
- Local visibility objectives: Companies support projects with strong local roots, such as sport, solidarity or heritage restoration, but neglect strategic areas such as scientific research (3%)[5].
The impact of major donors on civil society
While donations from the wealthiest households are a welcome resource, they also raise democratic issues. An excessive concentration of funding can unbalance the priorities of associations, to the detriment of the needs of the most vulnerable. What’s more, this generosity, often accompanied by substantial tax deductions, runs the risk of increasing social inequalities and reinforcing the influence of the wealthiest on the choice of causes to support, as is already happening in the United States.
The challenges of sustainability
The growth in donations conceals a fundamental question: at what cost can this growth be maintained? As competition for the philanthropic euro increases, the investments needed to mobilize donors – communications, marketing campaigns, digital tools, events – are adding to the costs of organizations, likely absorbing a fraction of this growth.
Towards greater, sustainable generosity
To consolidate this model, a number of levers need to be explored:
- Encouraging middle-class donations: A more inclusive tax system, rewarding the first euros donated, could encourage more households to contribute. (i.e. full deduction for the first thousand euros)
- Raising awareness among the younger generation: By integrating generosity into school curricula and using fun tools such as educational games, it is possible to awaken an interest in the common good from an early age, sowing the seeds of future commitment.
- Mobilize senior citizens around charitable giving: living legacy schemes such as life insurance could pave the way for even greater post-mortem generosity.
Finally, companies could play a more significant role in supporting strategic sectors alongside public authorities, such as scientific research, which are essential to meeting global challenges while reinforcing their societal impact.
In conclusion, French generosity, balanced between large and small donors, is facing new challenges linked to the dropout of low-income households, the rise of large-scale philanthropy, the multiplication of causes appealing to the public’s generosity and, above all, the digitization of collection tools. New Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) and artificial intelligence offer promising solutions for making giving more accessible and traceable.
By combining education, technologies and stabilizing tax incentives, France has the opportunity to preserve and amplify the uniqueness of its generosity model.
[2] Does Philanthropy Subvert Democracy? | Author: Rob Reich | Publisher: Princeton University Press | Year of publication: 2018
[5] https://admical.org/sites/default/files/uploads/admical_2022_infographie_barometre_vdef.pdf
Antoine Vaccaro
Antoine Vaccaro holds a PhD in Organizational Science – Management of Non-Executive Economies, Paris-Dauphine, 1985.
After a professional career in large non-governmental organizations and communication group: Fondation de France, Médecins du Monde, TBWA; he chairs the CerPhi and Force for Good. Director within associations and foundations.Co-Founder of several professional organizations: Association Française des Fundraisers, Committee of the Charter of ethics of organizations calling on public generosity, Euconsult, The Chair of Philanthropy at Essec. Heoh Investor, What Works? My Quick Win. He has published various books and articles on philanthropy and fund-raising.
Check out Force For Good: https://forceforgood.eu/agence/
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