French philanthropy is on the right track again if we are to believe the 2019 Generosity Barometer, which we are exclusively revealing. Donations have indeed increased last year by 3.5% while they had dropped, surprisingly, by 4.8% in 2018. This survey, made public on Tuesday, was conducted by France Générosités , a union representing the charitable sector, with a panel of 46 associations and foundations as diverse as Secours populaire, Greenpeace, Handicap international, Action contre la Faim or the Institut Pasteur.
Environmental organizations have particularly benefited from this surge of solidarity. Generosity is highly concentrated at the end of the year: 40.3% of the total amount of donations were made during the last quarter and almost a quarter (22.5%) during the month of December.
Soaring online donations
Another trend: the increase in online donations, the total amount of which jumped 16%. “We are happy that the French were mobilized after being reassured by the associations. But it is a recovery that does not catch up with the drop in 2018. The overall amount of donations has returned to 2016 levels, ”decrypts Nolwenn Poupon, head of studies at France Générosités. In 2018, the “unfavorable” fiscal context, marked by the abolition of the wealth tax transformed into an IFI, the increase in the CSG and the introduction of withholding tax, had, among other factors, had an impact on the heart the French. "Generosity needs fiscal stability," insists the expert.
What worries France Générosités today is the difficulty in recruiting new donors. Between 2009 and 2019, their number fell by 15%. Charities, which can count on the help of their "faithful" thus find it very difficult to renew or enrich their files. "We need a real education in philanthropy on the Anglo-Saxon model," insists Pierre Siquier, president of France Générosités.
To do this, it focuses on raising awareness among young people and the future generation of donors, starting in primary school. "As they are influencers on the subject of the environment, they must be in the area of philanthropy," he encourages. But this is a "medium term" investment. For the short term, he requests, among other measures, that "all donations be tax-exempt at 75% this year" while the percentage rises to 66% for certain causes.
Increase in research during the health crisis
To measure the consequences of Covid-19 and confinement on generosity through precise figures, it will be necessary to wait "early October". But already, some trends are emerging. Structures specialized in medical research linked to the pandemic recorded an overall increase in donations. Conversely, those who fight cancer or AIDS face a decrease instead.
For their part, food distribution associations, which have multiplied calls for generosity in recent weeks, are witnessing a growth in boost. But this remains insufficient in view of the explosion in requests for parcels for food. Finally, the structures that have relied on the system of monthly direct debits are doing better than those that depend exclusively on “punctual” gestures.