Interview with philanthropists
The Horizon(s) endowment fund was created by Catherine and Fabrice VERNIERE, as they wished to bring their family together around two charitable causes dear to them: promoting equal opportunities for women and girls during their studies and later during their professional careers, and supporting families with a child affected by neurodevelopmental disorders.
Their philanthropic project is the starting point of a family story founded on the values of sharing and mutual aid.
1. What motivated your philanthropy?
When realizing a major investment, we asked ourselves the question of using part of it for charitable causes. One of us was already involved for several years with associations and endowment funds through the schools our daughters had attended.
Our second motivation was to involve our children (our daughters, our niece and their partners) in a family philanthropic adventure. We were also keen to ensure that our actions would have a long-lasting effect, possibly for several generations. Hence the decision to create our own philanthropic vehicle.
2. Tell us more about your philanthropic commitment, the actions you support and the future of the endowment fund?
We decided on the charitable causes we would support after an initial brainstorming session with our family members. Two themes quickly emerged:
- The first one is about supporting the parents of children affected by neurodevelopmental disorders, as we ourselves are personally concerned by this issue; and
- The second was born from a shared awareness of the persistent existence of differences in treatment between the sexes to the detriment of girls and women and a common desire to take action to promote equal opportunities.
In terms of actions, we have just closed our first two calls for projects and are currently in the final selection phase for the projects we will be supporting in 2025.
In the long term, we hope to be able to showcase our achievements and launch fundraising campaigns aimed at the general public.
3. Would you please share with us what this family adventure brings you personally and collectively?
Individually, this project allows us to contribute to the common good and collectively to give each other a different perspective and to enrich us.
We are learning to listen to one another and to take into account each other’s constraints in running the endowment fund.
4. What advice would you give to others looking to do something similar?
When creating a family foundation or endowment fund, the first piece of advice would be to onboard family members as early as possible in the reflection process in order to avoid a future constraint imposed by the founders on their family. It’s a good way to make sure their involvement in the philanthropic project is a voluntary decision.
Whatever the type of philanthropic vehicle, we also recommend approaching associations or think tanks that bring together members who have already experienced the subject. We have become members of a network called « Un Esprit de Famille » (literal translation: “A Family Spirit”) which brings together only family foundations and endowment funds.
5. How has the individual philanthropy advisory team helped you?
We have benefited from careful listening and very professional support.
Our adviser was particularly good at deciphering what we knew about philanthropy and what we did not know. We received sound advice on technical areas as well as good suggestions for support from experts in the field of philanthropy.
We also appreciate that this support is long term with regular meetings enabling us to measure our progress and what remains to be accomplished.
