Our Charter

The Ivory Foundation is committed to initiatives of general interest with both social and educational aspects on one hand, and environmental aspects on the other hand, all of which share a common goal: sustainable development.

The social and educational aspect includes support for schools, social, medical, and healthcare establishments, actions to aid in the creation of businesses and social entrepreneurship, and programs aimed at promoting access to education and training. By supporting learning and training for local trades, The Ivory Foundation contributes to the sustainable integration of individuals, especially young people, into their local community, where they become fully engaged participants.

The environmental aspect involves research in the fields of ecology and biodiversity, actions for environmental protection, defense of natural environments and species preservation, as well as improving the living conditions in rural and urban areas.

By specifically targeting actions towards innovative natural farming methods and the preservation of wildlife and flora, The Ivory Foundation contributes to combating malnutrition, providing long-term livelihoods, and improving the standard of living.

The targeted territories are primarily Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

1. Project Selection

1.a The Ivory Foundation provides support to projects that align with the aforementioned areas of action, both in France and abroad.

1.b Projects must be proposed and implemented by French associations or NGOs governed by the law of 1901, as well as non-profit organizations from foreign countries.

1.c The projects supported by The Ivory Foundation will be evaluated on operational and financial aspects, with particular attention given to the involvement of local stakeholders, strengthening of local capacities, assessment of social impact, and its sustainability. The concept of sustainable development will be crucial.

A detailed project description will be requested, presenting the general context (social, scientific, geographic, and/or political), the challenges, needs analysis, general and specific project objectives, its impact on beneficiary populations, project actors and partners, impact indicators, monitoring modalities to evaluate results when the time comes, the projected timeline, a budget precisely describing fund utilization, and an assessment of potential risks.

1.d When choosing a partner, The Ivory Foundation will ensure the technical and financial feasibility of the presented project (analysis of the social and political intervention context, presence of other operators in the country in the same sector, etc.). It will also consider the experience of the project holders in the chosen sector and the quality of their partners. The originality, exemplarity, sustainability, and capacity for independent functioning in the medium term will be thoroughly studied. If possible, The Ivory Foundation will organize a preparatory trip at its own expense before committing to any new project, to ensure its viability and meet with local stakeholders involved. If necessary, The Ivory Foundation may cover the travel expenses of one or more representatives of the project holder to accompany them during this phase.

1.e Alongside this preparatory phase, The Ivory Foundation will conduct a due diligence audit to ensure the accuracy of information provided, the soundness and integrity of the project holder and partners involved, and the absence of any conflicts of interest. To do so, the following documents may be requested:

• Copy of the association/organization’s statutes
• List of association/organization’s directors
• List of members of the Board of Directors, if applicable
• Activity and financial reports for the past three years (depending on the date of creation)
• Bank account details
• Examples of partners who can testify to previously undertaken projects
• Etc. This due diligence is essential to guarantee the proper use of resources to contributors, the Advisory Committee, and the Board of Directors of The Ivory Foundation.

2. Agreement

2.a The Ivory Foundation will establish a detailed agreement with each partner, encompassing the elements mentioned in 1.c, and specifying the modalities of the partnership, particularly mutual commitments, allocated detailed budget, duration of support, duration of the engaged action, and possible communication actions.

2.b A schedule will be included in this agreement, detailing the deadlines for financial contributions, and funds release may be subject to the project’s conformity with the objectives defined in the agreement. An interim report and its alignment with the predetermined objectives may be requested to validate each financial contribution, and the absence of submission or non-compliance with the objectives mentioned in 2.b may invalidate the funds release.

3. Reporting

The reporting modalities, especially the frequency of meetings and indicators for measuring project impact, will be defined between The Ivory Foundation and its partner from the beginning of the partnership and will be reviewed together during the project’s evolution.

The Ivory Foundation reserves the right to organize, at any point during the project’s cycle, an on-site visit to verify its proper implementation or assess its impact.

In such cases, the project holder and local stakeholders must commit to maximum transparency to enable this evaluation.