Tonika Hirdman, Director General of the Fondation de Luxembourg, and Henri Grethen, President of the Board of Directors of the Fondation de Luxembourg.

Other 2021 highlights from the Fondation de Luxembourg:

• 99 sheltered foundations have been created since its launch in 2009. The milestone of 100 foundations was reached in early 2022.
• 65 million euros have been distributed to charitable projects since its creation, including 10.5 million euros in 2021.
• The Health & Research and Education sectors received the most support.

Since its launch 13 years ago, the Fondation de Luxembourg has noted a growing interest in long-term philanthropy, an interest that has now been further strengthened by the pandemic. As of 2021, the Foundation had overseen the creation of 99 foundations under its aegis, and the symbolic milestone of 100 foundations was reached at the beginning of 2022.

Faced with the challenges of the crisis, many philanthropists chose to increase their contributions this year. This upward trend was also reflected in the nearly 10% increase from 2020 to 2021 in cross-border donations through the Transnational Giving Europe network, of which the Fondation de Luxembourg is a member.

The Fondation de Luxembourg is delighted with the growing number of Luxembourg and international donors. Indeed, almost half of the founders of its sheltered foundations reside outside Luxembourg's borders, notably in France, Belgium, Germany, but also in the United Kingdom and even in South Africa.

Considering the scope of the projects supported, the President of the Fondation de Luxembourg, Henri Grethen, stressed that "real change comes from successful collaborations between civil society, governments, international organizations and the private sector. The Fondation de Luxembourg is uniquely positioned to bring these forces together for the benefit of the most vulnerable members of society."

Of the more than 300 projects supported in 2021 across five themes and 52 countries, Health and Research-themed projects received the largest amounts, and remarkably, the same record level of support as during the 2020 health crisis (41% of all funding). At the same time, Universal Education projects, particularly those related to inclusion of special-needs youth, received increased interest in 2021, a welcome response to the learning disruptions following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Examples of projects supported in 2021 include the launch of the Science for Society Prize to combat the spread of "fake news", as well as a national initiative to screen Luxembourg schoolchildren for hypercholesterolemia, funded by the Fondation Cœur Daniel Wagner. In the field of youth education and integration, the Eduq Foundation launched several projects, notably to reduce school dropout rates in vulnerable communities in Europe, while the Piou Redo Foundation supported the creation of a cultural center in Marrakech, offering new perspectives to disadvantaged youth through its activities.

Tonika Hirdman, Director General of the Fondation de Luxembourg, commented: "I am proud that we have now reached the milestone of 300 million euros dedicated to philanthropy. These commitments allow us to provide a strong and innovative response to the current challenges facing our society. This demonstrates the relevance and attractiveness of our structured philanthropy model."

Looking ahead to 2022, the Fondation de Luxembourg anticipates the modernization of the legal framework guiding the non-profit sector in Luxembourg, thanks to a new bill on foundations and associations. These long-awaited changes will strengthen Luxembourg as a destination of choice for philanthropy.

In addition, in response to the war in Ukraine, the Fondation de Luxembourg has mobilized for the benefit of war victims through its recently launched Ukraine Solidarity Foundation, which is open to external donors. Through this initiative, the sum of 150,000 euros has already been committed to emergency projects in Luxembourg and areas affected by the war.  

The Fondation de Luxembourg 2021 Annual Report is available here: www.fdlux.lu/en/page/annual-reports