From the articles to the final impact: follow these examples to multiply the impact of your non-profit
Examples of non-profits with an impact
Did you know that there are over 1.3 million active voluntary organisations in France? These organisations, often voluntary, play a crucial role in supporting social, cultural, humanitarian and environmental causes. However, only a fraction of this huge number seize the opportunity to multiply their impact. This article presents a list of impact non-profits, explains why you should set up an non-profit, how to do it effectively, and above all, how to make it stand out from the crowd by multiplying its impact tenfold.
Against Malaria Foundation
Against Malaria Foundation is a humanitarian organization fighting against malaria by distributing treated mosquito nets to the most affected populations. Malaria affects nearly 263 million people each year and kills at least 500,000, primarily young children under five years old, in sub-Saharan Africa (source). However, a mosquito net costs only €5 and can protect up to two people for two years. Numerous studies confirm the effectiveness of this approach.
Hellen Keller International
Hellen Keller is an organization dedicated to the visually impaired. Vitamin A deficiency causes blindness in 250,000 to 500,000 children every year, and half of them die within twelve months. Their vitamin A supplementation programme reaches almost 73 million people, and costs less than €2 per person protected, saving the lives of many children.
The Humane League
The Humane League is an organization for the protection of farmed animals: 80 billion land animals are bred and slaughtered every year, the vast majority under factory farming conditions. The rearing of hens in cages, in particular, has been documented as a very painful practice for gallinaceous animals. Over the past ten years, through activism, negotiation and legal action, The Humane League has obtained commitments from more than 400 companies to cease battery egg production. Just €0.85 is enough to save a hen from a life spent crammed together with others in a cage.
Good Food Institute
The Good Food Institute promotes research into alternative proteins, making it possible to create a food system without animal suffering and with a lower carbon impact. Their aim is to create products that are equal in terms of taste, price and availability. This encourages meat eaters to use plant-based options. Every euro donated saves an average of 5.3 animals in intensive farming, and every 3 euros saves one tonne of carbon.
Clean Air Task Force
Climate Action Task Force is an international organization aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions as efficiently as possible, relying on scientific advocacy, policy reforms, and technological innovation. For one euro, an average of one ton of carbon is avoided.
You can support these non-profits by visiting our donations page.
An effective legal framework: the 1901 law association
An “association” governed by the Law of 1901 is a not-for-profit organisation. What does this mean? The aim of a registered association is to promote the general interest or meet a specific need, whether it be humanitarian aid, environmental protection or a cultural association. Unlike a company, a registered association does not seek to generate profits for its members. Its objective is concrete – to reduce the number of sick people or help animals – and ideally, measurable.
Why is this important? Because some objectives cannot be achieved effectively through private enterprise. Associations make it possible to mobilise collective efforts and access resources that are often inaccessible to isolated individuals. This includes public subsidies, tax-deductible donations, and even strategic partnerships with companies.
Examples of not-for-profit associations: which form to choose?
Different types of non-profits have different impacts and opportunities. Here are the different types of association to be aware of:
1 - The "classic" 1901 Law associations
They are simple to set up, flexible and suitable for almost all not-for-profit activities. They take their name from the law of 1 July 1901, which established their legal framework. An association governed by the 1901 law can benefit a restricted group of people, be of general interest, or even be recognised as being of public utility if it meets strict criteria and obtains a decree to this effect. They must find innovative ways of raising funds. When they receive help from the public services, they become approved associations. L214, for example, was created as an association under the 1901 Act before being relocated to Alsace.
2 - Charitable or general interest non-profits
An association of general interest is a not-for-profit organisation that carries out an activity of a philanthropic, educational, scientific, social, humanitarian, sporting, family or cultural nature, and whose actions benefit a wide public without aiming to enrich a restricted group. In France, these associations can benefit from tax advantages, particularly for donations, provided they meet criteria defined by the tax authorities. Their mission is generally to provide aid to people in need – although some of them are concerned with animal welfare. Notable examples include the Against Malaria Foundation and Hellen Keller International.
3 - Associations recognised as being in the public interest (Reconnue d'Utilité Publique)
This is a special status, often granted to large associations after they have been in operation for a certain length of time. Although this reflects the trust placed in them by the authorities in terms of management, it does not necessarily mean that they are more efficient. One example is the French Red Cross.
4 - Linking associations and foundations
Some <i>associations</i> are linked to a second structure, a foundation, which either funds them independently or ensures that the association’s members fund other recipient associations. This is the case, for example, with Mieux Donner.
What’s the key point here? Clearly identify your objectives from the outset so that you can choose the most appropriate form. A project can remain an association under the 1901 Act without being of general interest, while a project that wants donations to be eligible for tax relief will need to meet certain criteria. If you are planning to distribute money or require large sums of money, setting up a foundation will make things much easier.
Setting up an Association under the 1901 law: Key steps to success
Setting up an association in France is a relatively straightforward process, but doing it properly requires a rigorous approach:
Allow time for drafting the Articles of Association ( Statuts)
The articles of an association are compulsory. This founding document sets out your objectives, your rules of governance and your obligations. Remember to include clauses on transparency and democratic decision-making. Setting up your association is the stage at which you establish your working culture, which may disproportionately affect the rest of your business.
Register your association
You can register your association at the prefecture or online at Service-Public.fr. Once validated, your association must be published in the Journal Officiel des Associations to be legally recognised. This will enable you to join the national register of associations, which will provide you with an RNA number. However, you will need to indicate a registered office, which is often the address of one of the co-founders.
Structure your governance
An effective non-profit is based on clearly defined roles (chairman, treasurer, secretary) and transparent decision-making mechanisms, such as the organisation of General Meetings. If you want to act and adapt quickly, opt for a small group of decision-makers, typically two or three people.
Measure and demonstrate your impact
Donors and partners are sensitive to results. If you support projects, track key indicators such as the number of beneficiaries or the results achieved by your actions (for example, lives saved or CO2 emissions avoided). Cost-effectiveness (“X per euro spent”) is a simple yet sufficiently rigorous measure that can shed light on the use made of the resources allocated to you.
Challenges and solutions for a sustainable non-profit
Like any collective project, setting up an association involves meeting challenges. Funding often seems to be the main obstacle. In reality, the greatest difficulty often lies in having a real impact – that’s what counts in the end, much more than funding. You can read our article on impact organisations to find out more.
To obtain funding, you need to have preliminary results or an outline of an activity to show to donors. You need to have the resources to put together a dossier to obtain subsidies. At the same time, members and volunteers need special attention. You can
- Prepare a newsletter to inform them of the latest news
- Offer them workshops and training
- Adapting assignments to their skills and interests, and recognising their work
- Organise get-togethers to share experiences and experiences outside working hours, to create a real team spirit
- Encourage “one-to-one” meetings between your members. These short discussions in pairs are a very effective way of getting to know each other, analysing problems or helping each other out.
How do you stand out from the crowd?
Non-profits have an important characteristic: unlike profit-making companies, whose aim is to make money, they aim to improve the world in the light of certain values.
That’s where a lot of charity projects end, but this distinction gives them a decisive advantage: they can concentrate fully on their mission, without being distracted or destabilised by the winnings.
Defining your objective
Clearly define your objective and your means of achieving it. A good tool for this is the theory of change: clearly define the state of the world you want to reach, and the states of the world corresponding to the intermediate stages.
For example:
- Goal: The number of people killed by malaria in 2040 is 250,000 or less.
- Intermediate steps:
- The most at-risk countries are covered by net
- distributionNets are mass producedetc.
- .
- . Nets are mass distributed
- distributionNets are mass producedetc.
- Beneficiaries use the nets
- correctlyBeneficiaries are
- trainedLocal partners train beneficiaries
- correctlyBeneficiaries are
- The nets workThe
- quality of the nets is checked every year.
- Malaria vaccines are deployed
- etc.
- The most at-risk countries are covered by net
This example is far from complete, but this exercise will force you to identify your presuppositions and points of ignorance. Each intermediate step involves a hypothesis that needs to be verified beforehand, for example by contacting experts, people in the field or reading scientific studies. You will also need to find tools to measure your impact and check that you are achieving your objectives. You will then be able to realise your vision without any detours.
Focusing on the most promising interventions
If you take the time to compare your different options, you will identify a certain pattern: the essence of your impact often lies in a small proportion of the type of action you can take. If you are rigorous enough to measure the effectiveness of your actions, you can quickly identify this rare pearl and concentrate your efforts on it: these are the actions that give the most positive effects per unit of time or money invested. A key reflex for good non-profits is to change strategy quickly in the event of poor results.
Have an entrepreneurial spirit
One trait that characterises the founders of successful non-profits is their grit. Setting up a non-profit is an adventure, with difficult obstacles, such as funding refusals, members leaving, or tensions between colleagues. It requires staying firm in the face of adversity, adjusting to criticism and having good social skills. You can surround yourself with advisers and experienced people, or go to forums and conferences to find partners.
If you want to learn more about how to create a high-impact charity, you can read How to launch a High-Impact Nonprofit.
Why and how to give effectively?
If you’re not ready to set up your own charity, you can still make a significant impact by supporting good causes through your donations. Do your research, choose transparent organisations and focus on those that maximise the impact of your donations.
On our website, you’ll find recommendations for the most cost-effective charities, whether in global health, the environment or animal welfare. A well-targeted donation can change lives.
Take the first step today
Setting up a charity or supporting a cause has never been easier. Start by defining your objectives, explore the resources available and take action. You have the power to turn ideas into action and contribute to a better future.
Visit our website to find a charity to support today. Don’t hesitate to share this article with your friends and family and inspire them to take action. Together, we can build a more caring and sustainable society.
