France: philanthropy

Individual giving

In 2009 it was reported that French citizens donated $35.5 million (approximately €26.5 million).

It was reported by a 2008 report done by the Observatoire de la Fondation de France that donors 50 years or older increased the amount they donated to charities in 2008, while couples with small children and people living on less than €1000 donated less that year. [19]

A survey done by the same report also revealed that ten percent of French donors gave €20 or less in 2008, 40 percent gave between €20 and €90, 21 percent gave between €100 and €299 and thirteen percent gave €300 or more (16 percent of the people surveyed said they donated money to charity but did not specify how much). [19]

The top four causes the French donated to in 2008 were helping out people with physical or mental handicaps (63 percent of donors), health services (37 percent of donors), medical research (30 percent of donors) and aid to international development (21 percent of donors). [19]

Corporate giving

According to a report on corporate philanthropy in France by ADMICAL, in 2008 €2.5 billion were donated by approximately 30,000 French corporations. [16]

According to the same report almost half of corporations (47 percent) donated to solidarity organizations, 36 percent to cultural organizations, 26 percent to sport organizations, 14 percent to environmental organizations and eleven percent to research organizations. [16]

Large firms gave more than small and medium sized firms, giving €1.575 billion that year. In the same year, medium and small sized firms gave €425 million and €500 million respectively.  [16]

Corporate tax credit

Article 238 bis. of the French Tax Code “gives the right to reduce general taxes  up 60 percent of payment, within the limit of 5 for 1000 earned, for enterprises subject to income taxes or for taxes on for profit societies.”