On 22 February, the EFC held a reception in Brussels to celebrate its new offices and begin the countdown to Foundation Week.  The event allowed representatives from foundations, NGOs and EU institutions to get to know one another and discuss some of the exciting sessions, exhibits and events lined up for Foundation Week, due to take place in Brussels from 31 May to 4 June.

Luc Tayart de Borms, Managing Director of the King Baudouin Foundation, welcomed guests and called on representatives of the philanthropic sector present to show "less pretention, more ambition" in their work to emphasise the importance of the sector to both the new European Commission and Parliament.

Entitled Foundation Week, Foundations’ Work, the event marks a new departure for the European foundation sector.  Foundations have been around in Europe for centuries, playing an important role in developing and strengthening our society. Today, it is estimated that there are some 110,000 foundations in Europe, collectively spending as much as the EU on projects and programme and providing employment to up to 1 million Europeans.

Foundations come in many shapes and sizes, with some offering grants while others preferring to operate their own programmes. In towns, cities, regions and countries across Europe, they can be found running or funding hospitals and universities; protecting historic buildings, promoting cultural activities, stimulating economic development and employment, supporting scientific excellence, advancing civil and human rights, engaging in environment conservation, and much, much more…

Yet despite their undeniable social and economic weight, most people would be hard pushed to name a foundation, let alone describe what a foundation does. Their absence on the public radar has much to do with a tendency among foundations to place an emphasis on their work rather than developing a high profile in the public arena.

Foundation Week is therefore a unique opportunity to learn more about the work of foundations and the many ways in which they touch the lives of European citizens. Throughout the week, visitors are invited to take some time to check out the free exhibits, demos and thought-provoking documentaries on show in the Interactive Fair.

A series of open debates will bring together NGOs, EU officials, foundations and members of the public to discuss shared challenges and to learn from one another’s experiences. As Europe and the world face increasingly complex challenges, there is a slow recognition that these challenges cannot be addressed by any one group and that exchange of perspectives and collaborations can bring new and effective solutions.

"In most of the conferences organised by foundations, we have been speaking of relevant and key matters; yet we have been speaking only to ourselves. Now we are trying to do something different, we want to communicate to a broader audience – policy makers, media, public – about what foundations are and what they do, the impact they have on people’s lives." – Gerry Salole, EFC Chief Executive