France the land of charity constructors
Seven French in a hundred made the decision to build a charity in the last ten years. This is happening mainly in the South of France. Why South? After many investigations it was discovered that many older people (aged between 55-59 years old) migrate to the South. It is the sun that brings them there, where they prepare for a new life. The other reason would be that most of the enterprises are built in the South of France. Is it the sun that acts on the moral and initiative spirit of French people?

How many volunteers in France?
Their number is growing. There are over 27% of French people over 15 years old (France population 61,538,322). This would mean 13 million volunteers, and 11 million of them are working within over 1 million associations (and their number is growing). The number of regular volunteers is over 5 million and the average of the organisational work in hours is 5 hours weekly (20 hours monthly).

Charity today
Contrary to the popular belief the number of voluntary pensioners is not more than the number of active persons who do voluntary work (30% for an average of 27%). However the pensioners are "regular" volunteers. Also, they are in charge with more responsibilities. Women are voluntary as much as men, but the responsibilities in the associations are still far from being shared equally.

Both the society and the charity are in permanent evolution
The voluntary work is more punctual, it is mostly for a short time and people can develop a diversity of activities. People are motivated by the activities and the results, by the appreciation and the benefit of an experience. The individual values are more important than the collective ones. It is very interesting to observe the mutual loyalty between the associations and the volunteers.

The voluntary associations' objectives
For charities the need of voluntary work is ahead of all the other needs (97%). It is more than financial (63%) and material needs (65%).

Does the number of volunteers correspond to the charity needs?
The number of volunteers correspond only to 64% of charities needs. The charities that believe their volunteers correspond to their needs (36%) are specialised in the fields of health and international solidarity.
In 2004-2005 almost all the associations have said that the number of volunteers has increased. Is this progress more qualitative than quantitative? When the associations answer yes, 85% of them are thinking that's because of their field of activity.
On the other hand, 30% of the charities where the need of volunteers has increased invoke a decreasing dedicated time.

Do the volunteers have the profile that charities need?
In 2005 the associations that were answering yes to this question were less than the others. This year they are more than the others.
The most wanted are the volunteers with communications skills. In the IT field they are less wanted compared to the recent past. The specialists in finance and research of funds are more and more solicited. Managers and accountants are wanted especially in the small associations and lawyers in the great associations.

What is the economical contribution of voluntary work?
The voluntary work is equivalent to 1.1 million full-time volunteers (this would be 5% of the salaried French people) and a working power equivalent to the entire salaried associative sector. If charities would replace their volunteers with employed people in the associative sector, the economical weight in 1995 would increase from 44.2 billions of euros to 76.2 billions of euros.

France Bénévolat and CerPhi are persevering year after year with better determining the voluntary work:
 its importance in community life
 volunteers' motivations and their expectations
 the diversity of voluntary work
 the way in which the associative sector manages, recruits and forms its volunteers

"For the fourth consecutive year France Bénévolat and CerPhi unify their forces to present a unique and original picture of France Bénévolat thanks to the support and the permanent contribution of hundreds of associations and personalities, closely associated with its evolution" says Jean Bastide, president of France Bénévolat

The study done in 2007, supported by the MACIF, Accor Services, the Caisse d'Epargne and KPMG, presents for the first time the results of several investigations realised in the summer of 2006 (1,246 volunteers questioned) and during the spring of 2007 (2,051 volunteers questioned).

What are the personal motivations of charities?
The two most important motivations of the volunteers in charge with the voluntary associations are:
 the cause supported by the charity (64%): more women have this motivation, most of them over 55 years old, and the persons in charge with the social sector (86%)
 the feeling of being useful and to helping the community (64%): more men have this motivation, especially those over 55 years old, and particularly the social associations.
Statistically, 9 out of 10 volunteers in charge choose at least one of these two motivations "for the helping of others".

The next three motivations are:
 the personal opening to others' needs (21%): especially young people (<35 years old) and persons in charge with sport associations
 the feeling of belonging to a team (14%): especially in the sports associations (38%)
 the exercise of being responsible (10%): especially in the great associations, in sport and generally in the oldest associations.

The other motivations are less powerful: to acquire a competence (6%), to be able to measure the results of own efforts (5%), and finally society appreciation (2%). Is this a positive choice or a choice knowing that in parallel nearly 80% consider it regrettable that voluntary engagement does not have the deserved recognition and promotion?

What are responsible charities thinking about their volunteers?
The availability and skills of volunteers working in charities are estimated to be sufficient (for 70% of the charities). However, one or two charities are encountering difficulties in recruiting new volunteers especially in the social and culture fields. Regarding the sport associations, one in three charities encounters more difficulties in recruiting than in the recent past (42%). The situation in the North of France is better compared to the West, which is more complicated.

According to the statistics more than 800 charities answered this question over 10 months: between 2005-2006 one in three charities (33%) was estimating a lack of regular volunteers. During 2006-2007 this insufficiency had increased from 33% to 35%. This is not surprising in the world of charities when we consider a modification of working period (shorter) and of its nature (more directed towards the action than towards the functional responsibilities). Often it is more concentrated in satisfying the particular interests. Mainly, the total volume (full-time) of the voluntary work hasn't progressed much from 1999; meanwhile the number of associations has increased by 20%.

What are the competences the most difficult to find?
They are corresponding to the evolution of preoccupations of the charities:
 the most wanted represents the amount of projects and the research of funds, for 50% of the charities
 29% of the charities are engaged in finding people with communication kills
 26% of the charities encounter difficulties in recruiting volunteers with management and accountancy skills.
The other difficult-to-find abilities are the legal competences (17%) and the knowledge of new technologies (15%).

How do the charities manage their voluntary work?
What are their priorities?
 One of two persons in charge of charities wants to associate the volunteers in their projects
 They also want to be loyal and to determine the volunteers' loyalty (29%), to form them (21%) especially in sport and social activities.
 More than one charity in three wants to recruit, especially in the social field (40%). Almost one charity in four (24%) wants to encourage the voluntary work of the young people, particularly in the sport activities (42%) by sensitising those who practice sport.

An example of an association that encourages young people to become volunteers is "Association des paralysés de France" (The charity of paralysed French people). Every year between June and September this association helps over 1200 disabled people to go on holidays from 15 days to 3 weeks in France and abroad. This could not happen without the help of company volunteers. There are more than 2000 volunteers (over 18 years old) doing this. www.apf.asso.fr/

The charities are more and more concerned about the integration and attitude of volunteer people:
 29% of them consider this as an essential subject and they have set up a specific organisation
 31% are working in an organisation in this domain
 24% need to treat this subject but don't have the necessary means to do it yet.

How to extend charity in France?
Pascal Dreyer, author of the work "Etre bénévole aujourd'hui" ("To be a volunteer today") and Dominique Thierry, who is studying the pedagogy of the employment, are presenting some way of reinforcement of the voluntary work:
 In Pascal Dreyer's opinion it is essential to think of the profound motivation of "it's my responsibility to do it" in order for the voluntary targets to be achieved. The actions for increasing their satisfaction and loyalty are: to contribute totally to the project, to improve the relationship between the volunteers and the employed people, and recognise and appreciate the efforts of the volunteers in the associations.
 Dominique Thierry thinks that is all about realising a veritable "pedagogy of the employment" on three levels: the educational system, the enterprises and the solidarity of the pensioners. France Bénévolat has three concepts corresponding to the three levels: "Relay of the studied voluntary work", "Relay of the voluntary work in companies" and "Relay in Pensioners foundations and seniors organizations"

New forms of voluntary work have been developed and they are moving to extend the ways of voluntary work; two of them are shown below and they can be developed, because they permit all the people (active or pensioners) to participate as volunteers in the associations and to dedicate their limited free time in an efficient way.
 The "charity of competences" initiated five years ago by Patrick Bertrand, responsible for "Passerelles & Compétences". This association connects the professional people who want to give a more human dimension to their everyday lives and puts their competences at the disposal of an action or a precise project of an association.
 The "charity online" presented by Nathalie Choiseau, responsible for the solidarities network and the site www.betobe.org by connecting the charities and treating missions and targets that can be achieved only via internet exchanges.

What about voluntary work in 10 years?
With all the limitations of a projection like this if, in the next 10 years, three of four persons would dedicate more time to an immediate area (family, friends, etc), 45% think that they would be more determined to dedicate more time to the voluntary work. Women between 18-24 years old and between 50-64 years old are the most determined in respect of voluntary work.