Donations to heritage weighed down by the crisis

Restoring the heritage of the villages affected by the storm Alex, saving a 15th century chapel in Souvigny (Allier), replanting trees along the Canal du Midi… There is no shortage of projects and needs for heritage restoration at the moment.

What is starting to be lacking are the donations.

As the associations of aid to individuals, the last Telethon cruelly reminded us, the organizations working to protect heritage are experiencing a complicated year 2020, due to the health crisis.

The leading operator in the sector, the Heritage Foundation estimates that it has recorded a drop of 40% since April.

Bad news that comes at a time when, for four years, the cause seemed to have won the hearts of the French.

“We were on a very good dynamic.

The year 2019 had been exceptional for us with donations up 10%.

This puts the results of this year into perspective but it is a significant drop, which represents more than 10 million euros less.

Fortunately, the diversity of our resources, in particular sponsorship, will allow us to continue the projects started and launch others.

To this, we must add state aid for the sector, ”explains Célia Vérot, the foundation's general manager.

On the side of “Dartagnans”, the start-up specializing in online collection, Romain Delaume, one of the two founders, noted “a drop of more than 20% during the first confinement.

But we had decided not to launch a campaign by telling ourselves that people had something else in mind… ”In fact… It remains to be seen whether this significant drop is worrying for the future.

“The times are complicated and people have other priorities.

I understand that very well.

But I am convinced that it will start again.

We must not let go ”, urges Mr. Heritage, Stéphane Bern.

Some encouraging signs

At the Heritage Foundation, we are organizing for the recovery.

“We have just launched a major communication campaign to encourage French people to donate,” announces Célia Vérot.

We are also launching a new Foundation label, with the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion, to help private owners in towns with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, instead of 2,000 previously.

It is also very important for the economic recovery.

We are completing a study which shows that 1 euro donated to the Foundation ultimately generates 81 euros in direct and indirect economic benefits ”.

Already, some signs are encouraging.

“The collections are well distributed since September, affirms Romain Delaume.

Our last campaign, in the form of an investment, at the Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers (Vienne), reached 150,000 euros in 48 hours ”.

Another reason to believe that the enthusiasm of the French has ceased only temporarily: the success of the new edition of the Loto du patrimoine which has already brought in 20 million euros.

But we will probably have to wait until the end of the first half of 2021 to be definitively convinced of this.