Fondation du Football

Fondation du Football
Name	Fondation du Football
Type	Non-profit foundation
Founded	2010
Headquarters	Paris, France
Region served	International
Leader title	President
Leader name	Jean Dupont

Fondation du Football is a Paris-based non-profit foundation established to support social development, youth programs, and infrastructure through association with Association française de football, Fédération Française de Football initiatives and international Fédération Internationale de Football Association-related legacy projects. It operates at the intersection of sport, community and cultural heritage, collaborating with municipal authorities such as Ville de Paris and international organizations including United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Olympic Committee and European Commission cultural programs. The foundation engages with clubs, federations and institutions like Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Academy, FC Barcelona Escola, Real Madrid Foundation and Manchester United Foundation to deliver grassroots and capacity-building work.

History

The foundation was formed after deliberations involving figures from Union of European Football Associations, Fédération Française de Football, and representatives from clubs including Olympique de Marseille, AS Monaco FC, Olympique Lyonnais and FC Nantes. Early advisory meetings included stakeholders from World Bank, European Investment Bank and nongovernmental actors such as Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and Save the Children. Initial projects referenced legacy obligations from events like UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in program planning, drawing on comparative models from the Qatar Foundation and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Founding trustees included personalities associated with institutions such as Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance, CNRS, and cultural partners including Musée National du Sport and Bibliothèque nationale de France. Early partnerships were negotiated with municipal and regional bodies like Région Île-de-France and international sports NGOs including Street Child and Right To Play.

Mission and Activities

The mission emphasizes social inclusion, youth empowerment, and preservation of sporting heritage by working with stakeholders such as European Youth Forum, Council of Europe, and the International Labour Organization on employability programs. Activities include facility refurbishment in collaboration with local authorities like Conseil Départemental de la Gironde, coaching education with Fédération Internationale de Football Association-accredited instructors, and cultural programming with partners like UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Program types reflect research partnerships with academic entities such as Université Paris-Saclay, Sciences Po, Sorbonne University, University of Oxford, Harvard University and Columbia University, leveraging expertise from institutes like London School of Economics, Kellogg School of Management, and IE Business School. The foundation runs mentorship schemes that engage athletes from clubs including Paris Saint-Germain F.C., FC Bayern Munich, Juventus F.C., AC Milan, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and national teams such as France national football team, Germany national football team, Brazil national football team and Argentina national football team.

Governance and Organization

The governance structure comprises a board of trustees drawn from sectors represented by Fédération Française de Football, UEFA, FIFA Foundation and private philanthropies like Fondation de France and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Executive leadership liaises with legal counsel familiar with French Republic nonprofit law and international compliance bodies including Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Operational divisions align with programmatic units modeled after organisations such as Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Right To Play, and Common Goal; administrative oversight is informed by best practices from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and audit standards used by firms including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and KPMG. Advisory councils include experts affiliated with European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture, Council of the European Union, and humanitarian networks like United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources include grants from multilateral institutions like European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank, and philanthropic grants from Fondation de France, Open Society Foundations, and corporate sponsorship from entities such as Adidas, Nike, Inc., Puma SE, Qatar Airways, Emirates (airline), Orange S.A., Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. The foundation negotiates naming and legacy agreements with event organizers including UEFA and FIFA and collaborates on legacy funds modeled after FIFA Foundation initiatives.

Partnership networks extend to clubs, academies and leagues including Ligue 1, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Major League Soccer and organizations like Union of European Football Associations and Asian Football Confederation for regional projects. Collaborative funding also comes from cultural partners such as Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo and media partnerships with Canal+, TF1, BBC Sport and Eurosport.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs range from pitch refurbishment and facility access modeled after projects by FIFA Forward to education and employability pathways inspired by Kick4Life and Streetfootballworld. Initiatives include a coaching certification track in partnership with Fédération Internationale de Football Association instructors, scholarship programs with universities such as Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Université de Lyon, and mental health support provided in collaboration with World Health Organization frameworks and NGOs like Sport Psychotherapy Association.

Community outreach projects partner with municipal programs in cities like Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice and international pilot sites in Dakar, Accra, Lagos, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and New York City. Cultural heritage initiatives archive memorabilia alongside institutions like Musée National du Sport and Victoria and Albert Museum and produce exhibitions with curators experienced at Musée du Louvre and Centre Pompidou.

Impact and Evaluation

Impact assessment uses monitoring and evaluation frameworks aligned with United Nations Development Programme Sustainable Development Goal indicators and evaluation norms from International Initiative for Impact Evaluation and Global Evaluation Initiative. Independent evaluations have been commissioned from research centers including OECD Development Centre, Institut du Monde Arabe, Brookings Institution, Chatham House and universities such as London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Reported outcomes include facility refurbishments, youth employment placements through partners like Pôle emploi and cross-border exchanges with federations such as Confederation of African Football. The foundation publishes impact summaries to stakeholders including European Parliament committees and municipal councils like Conseil Municipal de Paris and adapts programs in response to evaluations by entities such as Audit Commission and Transparency International.

Category:Foundations based in France