Report of the French Court of Audit: “An exemplary management”
An original action
Regarding the evaluation of the overall approach, the Court of Audit noted the originality of the action of ATD Fourth World, aiming at the access of all people to essential human rights through a real partnership with people living in extreme poverty. The Court of Audit particularly underlined the will of ATD Fourth World to never abandon he most vulnerable and of ensuring an original mediation between them and their environment.
Almost 90% of the budget goes on projects
The art of these “social missions” in the total budget is “particularly high”, noted the Court; on the contrary, the money for fundraising represents only 3% and governance only 5%. The Court of Audit considers the link between the money for fundraising and the amount raised “very satisfying”.
Ethical choices
These taxes are explained by ethical choices in the manner of searching for the resources and in their use: In order to call up public generosity, ATD Fourth World has very strict fundraising criteria: no use of guilt to appeal for donations whose message would be in contradiction to our action, no expensive advertising campaigns and no recourse to consultants paid to design our appeals. No exchange, no local sale or renting of members’, friends’ or donors’ addresses file is practised. Those responsible either give their time voluntarily or are full-time volunteers. Every full-time volunteer receives a monthly stipend of 540 Euros in France, plus an accommodation allowance and between 65 and 155 Euros per child. Regardless of their education level or of their responsibility and experience, the full-time volunteers receive an identical stipend. The overall evaluation is “extremely positive”, according to the terms of Philippe Séguin. We are happy to see recognized, through this report, the efforts ATD Fourth World makes to place the most vulnerable at the heart of society choices and to lead coherent practices towards this objective. The report of the Court of Audit and the speech of its First President Philippe Séguin are available on the website of the Court of Audit www.ccomptes.fr
