Ethical finance
This list mainly draws on the FEBEA – European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financiers:
www.caisse-solidaire.org: Caisse Solidaire’s vocation is to finance the projects of people setting up very small businesses with limited access to obtain credit, as well as any creator of innovative projects which generate employment in the organisations sector. On a more general level, the Caisse Solidaire’s vocation is to finance any project that falls within the domain of solidarity-based economy.
www.credit-cooperatif.coop: Crédit Coopératif is a French cooperative bank, pioneer of solidarity-based finance with the largest existing range of ethical and solidarity-based banking products and investments. Several of these products known as “sharing products” provide a way for non profit organisations to collect funds.
www.femu-qui.com: Femu Quì is a regional capital investment company. It does not only envisage high financial profitability; the company also invests in minority interests in all branches of industry, in creativity and the development of companies. Its objective is to make a concrete contribution to economic development in Corsica, through the mobilization of the popular savings schemes, through job creation in Corsica, while setting priorities such as the reduction of economic dependence and the development of local resources.
www.lanef.com: La Nef is a banking organisation involved in ethical finance. Its purpose is to build a direct link between savers and borrowers who carry out sustainable projects meeting social and ecological criteria.
www.sidi.fr: SIDI is a limited company specialized in offering financial and technical support to local financial institutions, in southern and eastern countries, that provide financial services to small entrepreneurs, excluded of the banking system since they don’t have any collateral or proper fund. The objective is to promote long term economic initiatives and to contribute to a more socially based economy and sustainable development.
www.franceactive.org: SIFA is a social investment company. Its objective is to reinforce the capital of job creating enterprises (notably for persons in vulnerable socio-economic situations) and structures of social utility. The support provided by SIFA is destined for financing investments and/or revolving funds linked to the creation and development of enterprises.
Volunteering
http://www.icvolunteers.org/france/: ICVolontaires-France (ICV-France) is a non-profit association; its aims are the recruitment, the education and the coordination of volunteers in sustaining communication projects (support in conferences, cyber-volunteerism and language services).
http://www.francebenevolat.org/: France Bénévolat was founded in 2003 by merging the activities of two older entities, Centre National du Volontariat and Planète Solidarité. Today, nearly all major national non-profit networks are partners of France Bénévolat (source: European Volunteer Centre, www.cev.be).
Foundations
http://www.fdf.org/: the Foundation of France supports concrete and innovating projects for the people in need. It works in the following general interest fields: help for vulnerable people, knowledge development, environment and development of philanthropy.
http://www.cf-fondations.fr/#: French Foundation Centre. It gathers all the different kinds of foundations under its framework. Its aims are to spread the knowledge of foundations, to foster their development, to exchange best practices at national and international level.
Other organizations
http://www.cjdes.org/: Centre of Young Leaders and Actors of the Social Economy (CJDES). Its aims are to foster the social economy and the correlated debate, and develop tools in this field (such as social budget).
http://www.ceges.org/: the mission of the Enterprises, Employees, Groups of the Social Economy (CEGES) is to gather the different organizations active in the social economy and promote the social economy itself.
http://www.riuess.org/: platform for academic dialogue on social economy, the solidarity economy and associations.
www.finansol.org: portal allowing anyone to discover French Social and Solidarity finance systems. Its aims are those of developing to develop public knowledge of Solidarity finance systems and practice of Socially and Solidarity orientated savings; increasing authorities and government recognition of the sector to negotiate a more incentive legislative frame for the sector; playing an active role with the research and educational sector in strengthening the sector and reinforcing its place among the Economy; bringing service to its members.
Philanthropy
http://www.francegenerosites.org/: France générosités. To defend and promote philanthropy in France. Many studies are available on its website.
Press
http://www.alternatives-economiques.fr/: Monthly magazine about economics from a social point of view.
http://www.courrierinternational.com/: every week, Courrier International publishes the best articles of the worldwide press in French.
