French presidential candidates formally commit to supporting civic action & generosity

Ahead of this month’s French presidential election, which currently sees Emmanuel Macron competing against Marine Le Pen, three of the candidates signed a charter formally committing them to encouraging and supporting generosity among the country’s people if elected.

The move follows a campaign by a coalition of organisations from France’s nonprofit sector, which called on the candidates to ‘commit to generosity’ by agreeing to support and encourage civic action and generosity, and to adapt the legal and tax framework to help simplify and strengthen it.

Representatives of the French presidential candidates, Yannick Jadot, Valérie Pecresse, and Emmanuel Macron, signed the charter on their behalf, which saw the candidates promise to stand by three commitments. However, Marine Le Pen – Macron’s main challenger – was among the candidates not to sign it.

The charter reads:

1. From the start of my mandate, I will mobilise the government by involving all stakeholders in order to identify and implement new levers to facilitate the practice of giving and commitment in the service of the general interest. This commitment will continue throughout the five-year term, and each year of my mandate, the government will report on it to the actors of generosity.
2. Reinforce education in generosity and commitment. Generosity is not innate, it is a civic apprenticeship which must be encouraged by the public authorities from an early age. I am committed to ensuring that these notions can be integrated into educational and support programs, from primary school to high school.
3. Stabilise and simplify the legal and tax framework for individuals, companies and actors committed to generosity. Without adequate means, generosity and commitment are only concepts. Because the constant changes in rules complicate and blur the mechanisms for donors and generate uncertainty for actors in the field, I will ensure that the legal and tax framework is stabilised and simplified so that it is most conducive to donations for the generosity.

A coalition of organisations – the Generosity Coalition – from the nonprofit sector started campaigning earlier in the year to get the subject of philanthropy included in the political debate, and the charter was drawn up in March 2022. The coalition includes Admical, the French Association of Fundraisers, the French Center for Funds and Foundations, France générosités, the IDEAS Institute, the Institute of Directors of Associations and Foundations and the Associative Movement. It is also supported by Don en Confiance, Un Esprit de famille, Les Entreprises pour la Cité.

Picture by ericniequist on Pixabay