Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations

This page presents the main objectives of the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations, and informs you about the latest actions of the office:

• The call for proposal 2013 : click here to learn more about the application process !! Deadline: May 15th !!

• Latest events : Jean-Michel Sévérino in Washington, Diplomatic Reception for CARE, Luncheon in honor of Monique Barbut, Discussion on Post-Disaster rehabilitation in Haiti

• Newsletters : the issues 1 to 8 (in french) are available here

• Latest publication: American grants allocated to French CSOs (in French)

  

  American grants allocated to French CSOs

Every private and governmental actor acknowledges today the importance of "making as much, if not more, with less". French and American International Solidarity Organizations (ISOs: NGOs with a focus on humanitarian action and development) face the same challenge of finding new sources of funding.

Similar to InterAction in the United States, Coordination Sud and the Portal for National NGO Platforms in France take part in international debates on such topics as: aid effectiveness, the search for innovative funding, the place of philanthropy, the recognition of the private sector as a new mechanism of development, and recent trends linked to social entrepreneurship, to the up and coming "bottom of the pyramid" (BOP) market, and to private equity.

At the same time, the traditional bilateral and multilateral actors of development aid engage in dialogue with ISOs and recognize their capacity to execute on-the-ground work.

Primary undertakings of the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations

The Office’s aim is to foster an overseas network of transatlantic civil society organizations (CSOs). The Office facilitates partnerships amongst ISOs and amongst CSOs, fosters collaboration between the philanthropy sectors of the two countries, and works to increase the visibility of French development institutions in the U.S.

The Office co-organizes topical conferences (French and American Partnerships among NGOs, Violence Targeting Women) and co-finances micro-projects selected by a French-American committee.

The Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations takes part in various liaison committees with the civil society sector organized by the U.S. Department of State (as well as other American governmental agencies) or multilateral institutions such as the UN and World Bank.

The Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations shares information by publishing thematic reports (previous topics include American environmental foundations and American foundations financing French ISOs) in addition to a newsletter that keeps readers informed about major events pertaining to global philanthropy, actions of American international NGOs and news from institutions like the World Bank.

In addition, the Office serves the General Department for Globalization (a division of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs) through the disbursement of information on current U.S. issues. In particular, The Office provides information on subjects related to development and the preparation of large international conferences such as the World Water Forum and RIO +20. The Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations also keeps abreast of any changes in upcoming deadlines (Beyond 2015, Post-Busan discussions, etc).

InterAction Forum- 2013. Three French NGOs participated in the 2013 Interaction Forum: Eau Vive, La Voute Nubienne and SOS Sahel

Global Philanthropy Forum (April 2013) : Olivier Lafourcade from Investisseurs & Partenaires and Christophe Person from the Grameen Credit Agricole Foundationwere at the 2013 Global Philanthropy Forum.

The office is engaged with the Women in Public Service Project, a project aimed at developing leadership among women around the world, in order to achieve the target of 50% women in leadership positions in 2050.

Click on the link above to learn more about the call for proposals 2013

Every other month, French actors receive news on US philanthropy and on debates linked to US nonprofits serving overseas. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to share information through this tool.

If you would like to suscribe, click here.

Please click here to access the full version of the first 8 newsletters (in French)

EVENTS

The OCCSE helped organize Jean-Michel Sévérino’s participation to the 2013 Interaction Forum, which brings together nearly 1,000 participants from civil society and the private and public sectors each year. Former CEO of the French Development Agency, member of the UN High Level Panel on the post-2015 agenda and current CEO of an Impact Investing firm, M Sévérino spoke in a panel discussion on the post-2015 agenda, alongside Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children, and Donald Steinberg, Deputy Administrator of USAID.

DISCUSSION ON IMPACT INVESTING WITH THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR On April 30th, the Ambassador hosted a lunch in honor of Jean-Michel Sévérino, gathering major actors of Impact Investing in the US, such as Jin-Yong Cai, President of the IFC, Lisa Hall, CEO of the Calvert Foundation, Mirza Jahani, CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation...

In a sign of France’s commitment to fruitful dialogue with civil society representatives, the French embassy hosted a reception on March 5 for CARE’s Conference and International Women’s Day Celebration.

As an international non-governmental organization, CARE aims to eradicate poverty, concentrating on the empowerment of women and girls.

Ambassador François Delattre hosted the event, organized by the Office for Cooperation With Civil Society Organizations of the French embassy.

“We fully share your commitment and are truly at your disposal for help,” said Amb. Delattre. “As Ambassador of France, one of my key priorities is to strengthen relationships between the philanthropic sectors of our two countries, especially in non-governmental cooperation.”

In recognition of France’s collaboration with the group, CARE President and CEO Helene Gayle presented Amb. Delattre with a plaque of appreciation.

In addition to remarks from Dr. Gayle and Amb. Delattre, the event featured a screening of the film Girl Rising, a documentary on the influence of education, which profiles nine girls from nine developing countries. The screening was followed by a discussion between Dr. Gayle and the film’s senior producer, Martha Adams.

The French Embassy and The General Consultate in Washington were very pleased to welcome on March 4th in Washington the famous French environmentalist Monique Barbut, Special Advisor to the CEO of Agence Française de Développement and former CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, and Philippe Lévêque, National Director of CARE France.

The Office for Cooperation with Civil Society and the General Consulate ceased this opportunity to organize a luncheon on March 4th, that was the occasion for them to present the conclusions of the French Consultations on Development Aid (Les assises du développement et de la solidarité internationale).

Indeed last November, the Minister of Development Mr Pascal Canfin launched - at the request of Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, and in close collaboration with Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs – an extensive consultation process of French civil society bringing together all development actors, including our Southern partners. Seventeen working groups gathered each one more than eighty persons from different backgrounds: think tank, NGOs, unions, corporations, foundations, local authorities and parliamentarians.

The outcome of these consultations, a series of recommendations on French development policies, were presented on March 1st to major French development actors, in the presence of the President of the Republic. This was a great honor for us to have Mrs Barbut and M Lévêque in Washington discuss about the process and its results.

The General Consulate of France and the Office for Cooperation with CSOs of the French Embassy organized on January 15th, 2013 a dialogue on Post-Disaster Rehabilitation in Haiti, with representatives of two French NGOs : Marie-Hermine de Montangon, program coordinator for Entrepreneurs of the World Haïti, and François Grunewald, Executive and scientific director of Group URD.

They presented their work and discussed with specialists from the American civil society about innovative, successful and easily replicable ways to take action in post-emergency situations.

On December 6th 2012, the OCCSO was pleased to host a reception at the French Embassy to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Handicap International. This celebration was organized under the High Patronage of Francois Delattre, Ambassador of the French Republic to the United States. The OCCSO was honored to welcome Jean-Baptiste Richardier, President and Co-Founder of Handicap International, and John Lancaster, President of Handicap International in the United States.