French giving to associations & foundations as much about trust as finances

Whether the French give to associations and foundations is as much about trust as it is their personal finances, Don en Confiance’s 2019 barometer of donor confidence has found.

The Observatoire du Don en Confiance looks at the dynamics and motivations underlying French generosity, based on a survey conducted by Viavoice of 2,000 adults representative of the country’s population. Overall, it reveals confidence in how associations and foundations use donations has been stable for the past decade, at 55%, with almost half (47%) believing that their actions can compensate for failings by public authorities.

The study shows that trust is as big a contributor to giving as personal finances, with the main reasons why the French would not give to an association or a foundation being a lack of confidence in the use of funds (62%), followed by lack of resources (57%). Among those who do not trust associations and foundations, the biggest reasons were concerns over how donations are used (33%), and fear of scams (31%).

Overall, 44% of those surveyed said they gave regularly, while 30% said they never donated, and the study also examined the profile of givers versus that of non-givers. Regular donors, it found, tended to describe themselves as feeling very privileged, very engaged, very supportive, not at all anxious, and not part of a minority.

They also tended to be aged 65+. In comparison, those who never donate did not agree with any of these statements, lacked faith in associations and foundations, and tended to be aged between 35 and 49. Occasional donors tended not to feel privileged but at least somewhat engaged, with a moderate level of trust in how associations and foundations use donations.

Having an industry body such as Don en Confiance, to oversee the actions of associations and foundations also engenders trust, the study found with 78% believing that having such an organisation limits scandals or abuses concerning associations and foundations. 77% thought it improved practices and management, and 60% thought it encouraged more people to donate.

The full report can be downloaded from the Don en Confiance site.