AUDACE Our endowment fund
Our experience in the field, in contact with different human communities and in a variety of environments, has enabled us to realize just how fragile natural and human balances are throughout the world, and just how much we need to support them.
Faced with the uncertainty of these imbalances, there are two options: let them be, or create a path towards a positive tomorrow through strong commitments to shared values. This is the idea behind the creation of Les Jardins de Gaïa Endowment Fund in 2021.
The creation of this fund gives priority to the management of a common future, and extends the commitments expressed by our company since 1994 in pioneering choices such as 100% organic, support for biodynamic farming, fair trade, and numerous projects for associations with similar philosophies and approaches, through the Les Engagés range of teas and infusions... For us, commitment to the collective good beyond our core business is a duty and a question of responsibility towards future generations.
Sponsored by investigative journalist Marie-Monique Robin and committed singer Tiken Jah Fakoly, and supported by individuals and corporate patrons committed to their cause, the Endowment Fund is the way we wanted to respond to Gandhi's injunction:
"Be the change you want to see in the world".
An Endowment Fund, yes, but for what and for whom?
To answer this question, we first need to define the fields of action of the Endowment Fund on a local, national or international scale:
- environmental preservation
- social cohesion
- cultural diversity
- education accessible to all
How does it work?
The Endowment Fund supports projects of general interest in these fields:
- If they are carried out by a non-profit organization, we refer to them as funded projects
- If they are identified by the Fund directly, carried out with partners, supported both financially and through the provision of skills, they are referred to as supported projects
Finally, each year, the Endowment Fund launches a national call for projects on a theme related to its fields of action.
As an organization independent of its founding company, the Endowment Fund can collectively unite individuals and companies alike, providing both financial support and mentoring. Projects are studied and selected by the Board of Directors, which meets once a quarter to decide on the allocation of funding.
Are you an association with a project that falls within the scope of our Endowment Fund? Click here to apply .
Two concrete examples
The first project financed is the development of an ecological village in the north of Mauritania, in the village of Maaden. This project is part of a participatory approach by the village community, accompanied by experts from Pierre Rabhi's network and local partners. Read more.
The first supported project, "Tea saves the chimps", aims to preserve the chimpanzees in Uganda's Kibale Park, where the ape population has declined by 70% in just 50 years. It supports the actions of the Projet pour la Conservation des Grands Singes (PCGS) association, led by primatologist Sabrina Krief. Find out more about PCGS.
Your commitment is the key to making these projects a reality
Whether you're a company or an individual, it's your commitment that will enable the Endowment Fund to exist and act on a daily basis for a world that's more respectful of nature and more socially just.
You are an individual
If you are an individual, you can "Make a donation". You will then be regularly informed of the progress of the project to which you have committed yourself.
If you're a company
You can affirm your commitment and express your values in terms of sustainable development and the social and solidarity economy (SSE) by joining our group of corporate sponsors.
Corporate philanthropy is a simple tool that takes on a whole new dimension, going beyond your economic performance to include the social and environmental impact of your activity. The Endowment Fund is one way of linking corporate sponsors with projects carried out by associations or NGOs.
Your commitment is also one of the ways in which you can build and develop your company's CSR strategy, and publicize it through communications that the Endowment Fund will develop alongside you, while respecting the regulated framework of corporate philanthropy.
Several meetings a year are planned between the corporate patrons of the collective, to exchange, share and progress in a genuine synergy based on the expression of common values.
Are you sensitive to the values and projects that Les Jardins de Gaïa Endowment Fund wishes to defend and support? Spread the word and don't hesitate to contact Pierre Leroux for more information.
Thank you for your support!
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