A brief history of fundraising in France

SOFII has recently added some new exhibits from France which we've translated from French into English. We'd love to receive more. For those of you not familiar with fundraising in France, here is a bit of background information to help put things into context.

Written by
SOFII
Added
November 16, 2012
Petit historique du fundraising en France.A brief history of fundraising in France.
Le fundraising français a plus de trente ans. Dans les années 70, une poignée d'avant-gardistes ramène des Etats-Unis un savoir-faire: le marketing direct appliqué à la collecte de dons. Une technique qui apparaît alors comme un révélation.
Retour sur trente années d'évolution:
• A la fin des années 70, pour la première fois, l'Etat décide de déléguer à deux grandes associations la lutte contre le cancer.
• Petit à petit, on commence à constituer des fichier de donateurs à fidéliser, on apprend à segmenter ces bases de données, on réfléchit sur les temps de relance...
• Parallèlement à l'éclosion de la profession de fundraiser, le champ politique « officialise » la pratique mécénale. En 1987, la loi Balladur donne le coup d'envoi aux réductions fiscales pour les donateurs.
• Des départements de développement sont créés en interne et les agences fleurissent. Le terme de Fund-Raising - qui d'écrit alors en deux mots - n'est plus réservé aux seuls initiés. Et les premiers regroupements de professionnels, au départ informels, voient le jour.
• Le secteur se professionnalise. C'est le temps des découvertes et de l'innovation.
Aujourd'hui, l'extension du domaine de la collecte - culture, hôpitaux, grandes écoles, universités... - est au centre des évolutions du métier. Depuis quelques années, l'enseignement supérieur et la recherche sont les principaux secteurs émergents. Emergent également des profils d'hyper spécialistes : legs, grands donateurs, web...
Fundraising à la Française' is over 30 years old. In the 70s, a handful of pioneers brought US expertise to France and direct marketing was applied to fundraising. A true revelation.
Looking back on thirty years of evolution:
• In the late 70s, for the first time, the government decides to delegate the fight against cancer to two major associations.
• Gradually, they begin to build donor loyalty files, learn to segment these databases, think about when to ask again...
• Along with the emergence of professional fundraising, government bodies progressively set rules for fundraising. In 1987, the Balladur law launches tax cuts for donors.
• Development departments are created in-house and fundraising agencies appear. Fund-Raising - written as two words at that time – starts to grow as a profession. The first professional groups, initially informal, emerge.
• The nonprofit sector becomes ever more professional. This is a time of discovery and innovation.
Today, new areas of fundraising – the arts, hospitals, colleges, universities ... – are at the centre of developments in the profession. In recent years, higher education and research have been key emerging sectors as well as some more specialised fields of fundraising: legacies, major donors, online...

About the author: SOFII

The SOFII collection aims to be the most comprehensive, best organised, and most inspiring collection of fundraising related content from around the world.

Recent Articles

Supporter care – it’s the best investment you can make in fundraising

Ralph Welch didn’t expect his chance encounter with a Women’s Super League customer service team to make him think much about fundraising. But an unexpected response after a recent purchase made him reflect on charities and supporter care. Read on to find out more and learn a few top tips.

Read more

Asking your donors the right way – six tips to build relationships and giving

Fundraisers, we all know it can be hard to make the ask. Whether you need to speak to your donor in person or on paper, it’s not easy to ask for the donations that your organisation and your beneficiaries need. In this article, copywriter and consultant George Crankovic shares six useful tips to help you make that all-important request. 

Read more

What can 6,000 fundraising appeals from 1912 teach you about asking for money?

In part one of this series on William Harvey Allen’s review of 6,000 fundraising appeals, Marina Jones noted that the challenges fundraisers face hasn’t really changed much in 100+ years. But today, Marina looks at what these historical appeals can teach us about how we ask for money from donors. Dive in to discover ten key lessons.  

Read more

What can 6,000 appeal letters show you about fundraising 100 years ago?

In 1912, researcher William Harvey Allen studied an incredible 6,000 fundraising appeals – and then wrote a book about it. In some ways, it’s a bit like an early SOFII, a place where Allen documented the fundraising tips (and mistakes) of his time. Marina Jones takes you through Allen’s findings and shares some of the ways in which fundraising hasn’t changed.

Read more

New research says the cost of living crisis doesn’t have to be a ‘cost of giving’ crisis

A new study by agency Blue State looks at how people in the UK are engaging with charities. This research into UK giving behaviours, through the cost of living crisis, shows a mood of cautious generosity among the UK public. Click to read an overview then download the full report today.

Read more