Foundation (France)

In France, the foundation has been known and historically rooted for centuries. Through the Loi Le Chapelier , foundations were almost completely banned from 1791 to 1983 (foundation ban).

Organization chart foundation

Number of foundation types

Foundation type (selection)	number
Fondation reconnues d'utilité publique (German non-profit foundations under civil law)	approx. 570
Fondation d'entreprise (corporate foundations)	approx. 280
Fondation abritées / Fondation sous ègide (foundations with no legal capacity / trust foundations)	approx. 1,600

An average of ten new foundations are set up in France every year. Since the change in the legal framework in 2003 and 2005, the start-ups have become a little easier.

Church foundations

While church foundations are of major importance in German-speaking countries, in France they are almost insignificant. The reason is likely to be the much more pronounced secularization .

Fund de endowment

This legal form was introduced in France in 2009 and is listed in the list of foundations. It is a legal person for the realization of charitable purposes or the support of a legal person (non-profit making ). The number of new start-ups every year is over 300.

The Fund de Dotation is established by declaring it to the responsible prefecture (Préfecture). Since the Ministry of the Interior does not require approval, setting up a foundation is far easier than setting up a foundation in the narrower sense.

Spatial distribution

Over 50% of all French foundations are concentrated in the Île-de-France region .

Foundation supervision

The supervision of charitable foundations (Fondation reconnues d 'utilité publique) is entrusted to the French Ministry of the Interior, although other ministries can be involved. Foundation supervision is legally standardized and exercised through the mandatory inclusion of state representatives on the foundation council.

literature

Klaus J. Hopt , Dieter Reuter (ed.): Foundation law in Europe. Foundation law and foundation law reform in Germany, the member states of the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the USA (= series of publications by the Institute for Foundation Law. 1, 1). Carl Heymann, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-452-24942-5 .

Web links

Wiktionary: Foundation - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Commons : French foundations - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ The further information is largely based on the investigation by Felix Neumann, summarized in Documents / Documents 3/2011, Pulsierendes Stiftungswesen? P. 71 ff, ISSN 0012-5172 .
↑ Information according to the Federal Association of German Foundations, quoted in Documents 3/2011 by Felix Neumann in Pulsierendes Stiftungswesen? P. 72, ISSN 0012-5172 .
↑ Loi Aillagon.
↑ Loi Dutreil.
↑ Foundations with a predominantly social purpose and canon law / church organizational background.

[1] The further information is largely based on the investigation by Felix Neumann, summarized in Documents / Documents 3/2011, Pulsierendes Stiftungswesen? P. 71 ff, ISSN 0012-5172 .

[2] Information according to the Federal Association of German Foundations, quoted in Documents 3/2011 by Felix Neumann in Pulsierendes Stiftungswesen? P. 72, ISSN 0012-5172 .

[3] Loi Aillagon.

[4] Loi Dutreil.

[5] Foundations with a predominantly social purpose and canon law / church organizational background.