Only 2% of the total budgets of foundations and endowment funds are currently allocated to democratic projects, announces Taoufik Vallipuram. “This figure shows that today, they are not meeting the democratic challenge. We believe they can play their role, as can all entrepreneurial actors in our country, to revitalize democracy.”
The Fonds pour la Démocratie focuses on issues related to access to independent and verified information, the protection of the rights of all individuals, and strengthening the agency of citizens, particularly those who are most distant or marginalized from the public sphere.
The Fonds pour la Démocratie also aims to highlight a different way of doing philanthropy, “by being much more in contact with organizations and associations that are implementing projects on the ground that cement democracy, by revisiting the project selection process, and by trying to better understand, through research, how this entire field operates,” specifies Taoufik Vallipuram.
“In a context that calls for action, the Fonds pour la Démocratie has launched so that people move beyond mere observational concern and towards coordinated and collective action,” explains Mathilde Rivoire.
“Today, and this is truly a source of hope, there are many people who are committed to the rule of law, the protection of minority rights, and the fight against discrimination, who want to oppose the spread of hate speech that can become widespread and normalized, who believe that democracy is a precious public good and that it is our responsibility to invest in this theme,” concludes Mathilde Rivoire.
