Leaders League: Could you describe the United Fund for Belgium organization of which you are the Executive Director, what are its missions and scope of action?
Catherine Tricot: The United Fund for Belgium is a charity organization created in 1972 by a group of American companies present in Belgium who wanted to give something back to society. With the help of the American ambassador and the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham), this association to help the most deprived in Belgium and improved social inclusion. For 50 years, we have been raising funds mainly from businesses, their employees and individuals. We operate throughout Belgium and focus on small to medium-sized companies or non-profits (ASBL), as larger structures already benefit from public subsidies. These funds are 100% redistributed to finance concrete projects that improve the beneficiaries’ lives.

We have very good governance, both at the United Fund structure level and when it comes to selecting projects to finance and allocating funds to them

We know that the projects of small businesses or ASBLs are somewhat under the radar and often experience difficulties in connecting with donating companies and therefore have more need of support.

We do not finance operating costs, but rather concrete measures such as the acquisition of a vehicle to transport disabled people or a vegetable garden where distressed children can learn to how to grow food. Our action focuses on social inclusion, targeting those on the breadline, supporting early those in early childhood and their caregivers, mentally and physically disabled individuals, refugees or isolated women who have experienced domestic violence.

We have very good governance, both at the United Fund structure level and when it comes to selecting projects to finance and allocating funds to them. We conduct due diligence on each project we finance and have an allocation committee that visits projects on-site and provides an opinion. We are strict in terms of governance, and that is also why companies trust us: they know that every euro donated goes to a perfectly identified and validated project. 

How many projects did you support last year?
On average, we distribute €700,000 to €800,000 per year. Each selected project receives an average of €10,000, so an average of 80 projects are supported annually. Last year, we made a call for donations for the floods in Liege and decided to support fewer associations but in a more significant way, given the needs following this major national catastrophe. Generally, once we support a project there is a three-year gap before the organization behind it can apply for support from us. 

Is your support exclusively financial?
Our support is mainly financial because we are a small organization whose role is to connect companies with the charitable world in Belgium. The allocation committee comprises around 20 volunteers who visit these organizations and discuss the project. We also manage volunteering requests. With the growing attention to CSR issues, companies ask us to find organizations with which their teams can volunteer. There is a strong demand from companies at the moment because of the need to demonstrate ESG commitment. We can help them find different nearby charitable associations based on the skills sought and available within the company. We perform the role of a go-between.

There is a real demand from younger generations who want to work in a company that makes a difference and defends values. Money or salary are no longer the only variables

What are the major topics or pressing needs that donors express to you?
There is an onus on companies to demonstrate they are making a social governance impact (the S and G of ESG). Soon they will have to make reporting on the subject. Therefore, we are an important instrument for the concrete development of their CSR policy. We also meet their needs to find trusted partners. We are demanding and transparent in identifying beneficiaries, from screening to feedback on support received. This new dynamic is an opportunity for us.

Donors have the option to choose projects, establish a lasting relationship with the organizations helped, and monitor progress via our dedicated platform. For a few years now, we have noticed that donors want the direct contact and involvement that employee volunteering provides.

Today, the entire company wants to get involved. There is a real demand from younger generations who want to work in a company that makes a difference and defends values. Money or salary are no longer the only variables. For a company today, commitment keeps cropping up as a factor in talent retention.

For a few years now, we have noticed that donors want the direct contact and involvement that employee volunteering provides

In what ways is your approach innovative?
We accompany companies from A to Z and are the only one to offer such a diversity of very concrete small-scale projects. In addition, we offer a platform where companies can do fundraising internally by inviting their employees to register and directly choose a project they wish to support, either by donating or by skills-based volunteering. Furthermore, they can follow the progress of donations or a project they participated in. We are a non-profit organization approved to issue tax-deductible certificates. We also visit companies to present projects and organize volunteer days. 

What other added value do you provide through your services?
We have been in existence for 50 years and have a great deal of experience in supporting projects. We have knowledge of the business world, so we respond as a B-to-B partner to businesses. With the monitoring of projects and the aid we distribute, we furnish donors with quantified reports and impact analyses that provide a high level of transparency. We do not use this aid to finance our own company, whose operation is supported by an endowment fund. 

What are the development goals you have set for yourself?
We want to quickly reach the milestone of having raised a million euros in annual donations. We want to increase our impact and are considering supporting fewer associations but with larger amounts. We are thinking about improving our brand awareness among members of the entrepreneurial world to attract more donors. To this end, we are organizing more B-to-B events to create links with companies and donors.

In Belgium, a lot of SMEs are deeply rooted in the economic fabric. These companies are not yet fully ready for ESG compliance, the deadline for which is 2026

Can you describe the ESG/CSR environment in Belgium?
Large companies are compliant, especially those listed on the stock exchange, because they have to apply European directives. Many have even created ESG responsible functions and dedicated departments. It is a real opportunity for us, but there are also more and more charity organizations and ESG policies. What’s new is large companies creating their own foundations. Some institutional donors are engaging in missions different from our own, such as climate, biodiversity, or Africa-related projects.

In Belgium, a lot of SMEs are deeply rooted in the economic fabric. These companies are not yet fully ready for ESG compliance, the deadline for which is 2026. They must nevertheless begin to organize themselves. Soon they will have to produce ESG reports. There initiatives for the moment are intuitive but not yet structural. We can thus accompany them because these smaller structures are not well-equipped (financially or in terms of human capital) to engage in CSR policies. We have a role to play with them. 

Is UFB involved in an international network?
The United Ways Organization originated in the United States, and is well-known and present in other European countries. In Belgium, the peculiarity is that they created United Fund for Belgium with an independent structure. Nevertheless, we function in the same way and do charity work based on it. We are also certified by Donorinfo.be, which is a guarantee of good management, and we are members of the AERF (Association for Ethics in Fundraising), which is a prescribing non-profit organization in the field.
 

Interview by Aude Ghespière