1 What is the EFC?
The EFC is a membership association of more than 230 foundations and corporate funders active in Europe.
2 How much does it cost to be a member?
Annually, members pay €5.000 and are encouraged to provide voluntary additional contributions over and above this, based on annual expenditure or assets. The membership fee covers the fixed costs of the EFC (such as staff, building, administration costs, core services, etc.), while voluntary contributions allow the Centre to develop new services. Members also give grants to support specific projects, such as those led by interest groups.
3 How does the EFC justify the membership fee?
In 2007 the EFC membership enthusiastically endorsed a revision of the EFC membership fee structure in order to put all members on equal footing. The fee was calculated based on the number of EFC members and the collective and individual services on offer; a comparative study was carried out to position the EFC in line with similar organisations worldwide. Those members that can provide more are encouraged to do so, through the voluntary contribution membership fee scheme.
4 Are there different categories of membership?
No, there is only one membership category, which is open to individual grantmaking and operational funders - foundations and corporate funders- based or active in Europe. Acknowledging that foundations do not work in isolation, the EFC has developed associate and subscriber statuses to involve other diverse actors (research institutions, think thanks, NGOs, universities, etc.). Such institutions pay €1000 and €500 respectively and receive reduced membership packages annually.
5 Is there any way a foundation could try out membership for a year or two, perhaps at a lower cost?
The EFC processes each membership application individually, taking into consideration specific circumstances. Please contact the EFC Membership Department for more information.
6 What are the EFC membership services?
Members can take advantage of the following services:
• Promotion of EFC member interests to the EU institutions on policy issues, close monitoring of developments that matter to foundations, and representation and advocacy from the Brussels-based EFC Secretariat.
• The latest on foundations active in Europe, delivered through a monthly electronic news round-up, periodic thematic newsletters, and EFFECT magazine published three times per year.
• Training and exchange programmes for European foundation professionals.
• Advice and information services produced using EFC contact, documentation, and member profile databases which have been built up over two decades.
• Reduced rates and the opportunity to shape the content of EFC flagship events, including the Annual General Assembly and Conference, Grantmakers East Forum, and European Forum on Philanthropy and Research Funding.
• Access to interest groups that gather like-minded funders and which promote the pooling of resources and expertise.
• Available office and meeting space for members visiting Brussels.
7 Why should a foundation join the EFC?
Belonging to the EFC allows a foundation to join a growing network of dynamic funders, who are leaders in their respective fields across Europe. Through networking, peer-learning opportunities, and collective representation a foundation strengthens the European philanthropic infrastructure. Funders working effectively together for the public good in turn increases the visibility of the sector, adds to public trust, and brings further legitimacy to the important work of foundations in Europe.
8 If a foundation is already a member of its national association, why would it also join the EFC? I don’t operate outside my own country, so what is the benefit?
National associations provide information and support on matters that are relevant to the country in which a foundation operates. The EFC bridges this knowledge and takes a pan-European approach on issues that are important to foundations from Portugal to Poland and from Sweden to Slovakia. For one foundation, the EFC can provide a broader perspective on how similar work is carried out across Europe, thereby complimenting and leveraging the work of each individual national association. While influencing policy on a national level is essential, the EFC provides foundations in Europe an inroad to the EU institutions, where 80% of all legislation in EU member states is now decided.
9 What is the relationship between the EFC and the various national associations of donors?
The EFC hosts the Donors and Foundations' Networks in Europe (DAFNE) Secretariat, which is a network that links the different donor associations in Europe. DAFNE provides a platform for enhancing collaboration among individual associations and also, collectively, with the EFC. This network contributes to strengthening the voice and the representation of the views of the sector at the European level.
10 Why do so many non-European foundations join the EFC, and why does the EFC accept these organisations as members?
Living in a globalised world, issues are not confined by geographic borders, and problems can be best tackled when different perspectives are blended. The EFC welcomes diverse views and approaches from a range of backgrounds from organisations active in and with Europe.
11 What responsibilities does an individual member have to the association?
A member gains from the EFC what it is willing to invest, not just financially but even more importantly in terms of time, interest and commitment. EFC programmatic committees, interest groups, and governing bodies rely solely on the proactive involvement of members.
12 Does the EFC have a political agenda?
The EFC represents the collective interests of its members and acts without a specific political or religious agenda. At the EU level, the EFC advocates for better legal and fiscal environments for foundations in Europe.
13 Do EFC members have to abide by a set of rules or standards?
All potential members who complete the EFC membership application form are required to sign up to the EFC Principles of Good Practice, which promote a set of seven principles based on core values that every foundation in Europe should aspire to embrace. They are designed to apply across a variety of cultures and jurisdictions and to an even larger variety of foundations.
14 What is the difference between the Network of European Foundations for Innovative Collaboration (NEF) and the EFC?
NEF is an operational platform, where a small group of funders join to take targeted action on specific projects. The EFC is the voice of European philanthropy and plays a more representational and convening role. Membership to both organisations is not mutually exclusive. NEF and the EFC have a close relationship which is defined through a Memorandum of Understanding.