Description
Don en Confiance is a French association that awards a label to charities and foundations that sign its ethical code and accept continuous checks. Donors use it to see which organisations appealing to the public have their accounts and fundraising watched from outside.
Large social and humanitarian associations and foundations founded it in 1989, and it is independent of the State. In 2026 about 100 organisations held the label, covering several hundred structures and raising nearly €1.8 billion in private funds between them. To apply, an organisation must be a French non-profit that appeals to the public and raises at least €153,000 a year in private money. Bodies funded entirely by public money, and religious, union or political organisations, cannot apply.
The code covers respect for donors, transparency, the search for efficiency, probity and social and environmental responsibility. One or two volunteer controllers follow each labelled organisation, about a hundred in all; they have no ties to it, are named for three years and spend about two days a month on the job. The label is reviewed in full every three years. Labelled organisations pay yearly dues of €1,827 to €14,459, depending on the funds they raise, and these dues pay for most of Don en Confiance’s budget of about €800,000. It does not judge whether an organisation’s mission is worthwhile.
Strengths
- Continuous checks by independent volunteers, with a full review every three years.
- A free list of labelled organisations to consult before giving.
- A public code on how donors must be treated and informed.
Weaknesses
- Only organisations raising at least €153,000 a year in private funds can apply, and they pay dues, so small charities are rarely labelled.
- It checks how money is raised and managed, not how much good the work does.
- The label is funded by the organisations it checks.
Who it is for
Donors in France who want to give to an association or foundation whose accounts and fundraising are checked by someone outside it.
Sources
- Don en Confiance: Qui sommes-nous ?, Comment obtenir la reconnaissance, Le contrôle continu, Les organisations Don en Confiance, checked November 2026