The Auchan Foundation
Auchan Retail, through its Foundation, enables its employees and partner non-profit associations to rally around its core purpose: “Good accessible food that brings people together”
The Auchan Foundation
Standing together to change the lives of as many people as possible …
The Auchan Foundation, acting under the umbrella of the Fondation de France, provides civic-minded, socially-conscious responses to the new expectations of employees and customers.
It unites, energies and encourages everyone to participate in a collective effort around a common project or a cause, such as, for example, making it a priority to help the most vulnerable people break out of social isolation.
Vision screening programmes for children in need living in the Sibiu Launched in October 2021, the Auchan Foundation came about through the convergence of the Auchan Youth Foundation and the Weave Our Future Foundation. Its mission is to promote access to good food, especially for those in need, by understanding “food” in its broadest sense, including aspects such as pleasure, identity, socialisation and nutrition.
It operates in 12 countries: Bangladesh, Spain, France, Hungary, India, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine.
Discover our Vision
Auchan Retail employees are the main stakeholders in the Auchan Foundation, so their commitment is encouraged. Such actions instil a sense of pride and open people’s minds, giving extra meaning to their work. What’s more, the beneficiaries and non-profit associations that receive funding from Auchan Foundation to put their plans into action are given recognition and solutions to their needs. It helps each individual to better fulfil their role within the company.
An organisation working closely with non-profit associations
The work of the Foundation is carried out through delegation. As first-line points of contact with the various people and structures on the ground, the employees at Auchan Retail’s stores, The Foundation’s work is carried out through delegation. As first-line points of contact with the various people and structures on the ground, the employees at Auchan Retail’s stores, warehouses, sites and sourcing areas are both catalysts and key participants in the actions of the Fondation Auchan.
The joint applications submitted by the non-profit associations, stores and sourcing offices are examined by the members of the country selection committees, who decide on which projects to fund. They listen to the people behind the project, examine the projects that have been preselected and reviewed by the Foundation’s team, and decide on which ones should be backed.
The priority areas support long-term projects with a strong social impact aimed at:
- promoting food knowledge and know-how
- bringing people together through food
- fighting malnutrition*
*According to the WHO: Nutritional status that deviates from the “normal” as defined by physiologists and which is the consequence of a poorly balanced diet in terms of quantity and/or quality. (Malnourishment includes undernourishment, overeating, and poor absorption.)
The Foundation works with Auchan Retail employees in a spirit of partnership and respect for local cultures. This gives the country committees more leeway by enabling them to select the projects that will be supported, come up with the most suitable responses to the needs of local associations, and operate in a more pragmatic manner.
The store teams choose and investigate the projects with a strong social impact that they would like to support, and work closely with the people on the ground.
Depending on the number of applications received, a local and/or national selection committee may meet to decide which projects to support. Dialogue makes it possible to better understand the social difficulties encountered and the nature of the needs expressed, before deciding whether the Foundation can provide financial support. Once a project is approved, the store managers and their employees become involved and support it over the long term.