A year ago, the Onet Foundation and nine organizations in Marseille launched the “Entreprendre pour toi” Endowment Fund, a coalition of businesses working alongside nonprofit organizations that combat substandard housing in the Aix-Marseille Provence region.
Dedicated to serving community organizations, the “Entreprendre pour Toi” collective has been active on several fronts:building and renovating housing, providing professional support to people in vulnerable situations, and implementing educational programs. In just one year, more than 10 organizations have received assistance through financial support, pro bono services, and in-kind donations: Just, La Maison de Marthe et Marie, the Noailles-Belsunce Neighborhood Association, Synergie Family, Soliha Provence, Loger Marseille Jeunes, Les Apprentis d’Auteuil, La Caravelle, HAS, La Maison des Femmes, and Droits et Habitat.
Through concrete actions, “Entreprendre pour toi” has made this year a year of solidarity and social commitment.
This endowment fund was established in the wake of an initial collective initiative that emerged in the aftermath of the tragedy on Rue d’Aubagne in Marseille in 2018. Faced with the urgent need to address the housing crisis, the project “Entreprendre pour les marseillais délogés” (SupportingDisplaced Residents of Marseille), coordinated by the Onet Foundation, was launched with the goal ofsupporting displaced individuals through financial, skills-based, or in-kind donations. In partnership withSoliha and Adoma—organizations mandated by public authorities to provide temporary housing and social support for displaced households—the business collective offers them a complementary program to improve the quality of life for those receiving assistance. To date, 200 households have received support through this first project of the “Entreprendre pour toi” endowment fund.
Initially, the endowment fund brought together 10 companies that wanted to join forces to address the societal issue of substandard housing. Since then, the Onet Foundation has continued to play a key role in coordinating and providing logistical support for this project, which now includes 17 companies. The collective is open to companies of all sizes and from all sectors located in the Aix-Marseille-Provence region. “Entreprendre pour Toi” offers three avenues of action for companies: skills-based sponsorship, in-kind donations, and financial donations, which include the donation of paid time off that is monetized and matched. “Our goal is to bridge the gap between the institutional, nonprofit, and business sectors. We aim to mobilize companies to pool their financial, material, and human resources in order to amplify the impact of nonprofit organizations,” explains Émilie de Lombarès, Chair of the Onet Executive Board, Vice Chair of the Onet Foundation, and Chair of Entreprendre pour Toi.
Through “Entreprendre pour Toi” and the strength of its collective, acting locally gives every business and its employees the opportunity to support concrete projects and play an active role in bringing about tangible change, thereby fostering a strong sense of solidarity in our region.
Caisse d’Epargne CEPAC, Candide, EDF, Erilia, Fondation Onet, FDD Compagnie Fruitière, Kedge Business School, SEMM, Stan and Travaux du Midi, CIC Lyonnaise de Banque, Constructa, CVE, Ekho, GMBG, and Immostone.