Foundation Descroix-Vernier

What Foundation Descroix-Vernier does

The Fondation Descroix-Vernier is a private humanitarian foundation regulated under Belgian law (registration number 0888.180.696), formally established on March 12, 2007, by Jean-Baptiste Descroix-Vernier and his spouse Corinne. It operates across three domains: vulnerable humans, animals in distress, and environmental protection. The foundation does not maintain products or proprietary technology — its activity is grantmaking and direct funding of partner NGOs executing field programs. Documented outcomes include access to clean drinking water for over 500,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 100 sanitation infrastructure projects (wells, boreholes, latrines), and impact on over 30,000 homeless people in France. The foundation is headquartered at 187 Chaussée de la Hulpe, B-1170 Brussels.

The foundation's operating model is structurally distinctive within the charitable sector. It is funded entirely by the founders' personal fortune, with no public fundraising appeals, no paid staff, and an operating team of approximately half a dozen core volunteers supplemented by thousands working within partner NGOs. This 100%-to-field economics is the foundation's central value proposition. Geographic reach spans France, at least six African countries (Burkina Faso, Togo, Guinea, Benin, Rwanda, Congo), and Vietnam. The foundation maintains a portfolio of 17+ named NGO partnerships spanning water access (Hydraulique Sans Frontières), food security (Les Banques Alimentaires), homelessness (Fondation pour le Logement, La Bagagerie), animal welfare (SOS Cheval, Refuge GroinGroin, One Voice), and conservation (WWF France).

In 2023 the foundation extended its mission into a fourth vertical by co-launching the Prix Descroix-Vernier EthicScience with Pro Anima — a 110,000 euro prize fund for animal-free research methods, the first such award in France. The founder previously built and exited Rentabiliweb (renamed Dalenys), a European fintech acquired by Natixis in 2017, and now lives between Amsterdam and Dombes dedicating himself full-time to the foundation. Distribution is via the foundation's website (fondationdescroixvernier.com), YouTube channel, and earned media coverage; there is no paid marketing and no commercial sales motion.

Name

Foundation Descroix-Vernier

Legal name

Fondation Descroix-Vernier

Website

https://fondationdescroixvernier.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Fondation Descroix-Vernier is a private Belgian humanitarian foundation, entirely self-funded by founders Jean-Baptiste Descroix-Vernier and his spouse Corinne, that provides grants to NGO partners executing humanitarian, animal welfare, and environmental programs across France, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, with no paid staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Foundation / Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Animal Cruelty Prevention, Investigation & Humane Law Enforcement (BPAGAIAG), Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid funding
• Clean water access
• Animal welfare support
• Environmental conservation grants
• Homelessness assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Founder-funded operations: The foundation is funded entirely by its founders, Jean-Baptiste Descroix-Vernier and his spouse Corinne, who have chosen to share their entire fortune. The foundation makes no calls for donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Fondation Descroix-Vernier is a private Belgian humanitarian foundation that finances humanitarian, animal welfare, and environmental protection projects carried out by partner NGOs and associations. Its work spans humanitarian actions in France (supporting homeless populations, food insecurity, precarious housing) and internationally (clean water and sanitation infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa, orphan support in Vietnam), animal rescue and refuge infrastructure, biodiversity preservation through organizations such as WWF France, and the co-sponsored Prix Descroix-Vernier EthicScience for animal-free research. The foundation is funded entirely by its founders, has no paid staff, and does not solicit public donations.

Product overview

The Fondation Descroix-Vernier is a private Belgian humanitarian foundation founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Jean-Baptiste Descroix-Vernier. The foundation operates as a charitable organization rather than a product company. Its core activity is grant-making and direct funding of humanitarian, animal welfare, and environmental protection projects. The foundation has three main action areas: humanitarian actions in France (supporting homeless populations), international humanitarian actions (primarily in Africa subsaharian countries and Asia), and animal/environment preservation. Additionally, the foundation co-sponsors the Prix Descroix-Vernier EthicScience, a 110,000 euro prize awarded to scientific programs promoting animal-free research methods. The foundation is entirely self-funded by its founders and does not accept public donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Humanitarian Actions in France Funding and material support to French NGOs addressing homelessness, food insecurity, and inadequate housing; delivered through partner associations across France and impacting more than 30,000 homeless people.
• International Humanitarian Actions (Clean Water & Sanitation) Multi-year grant funding for water and sanitation infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa, delivered in partnership with Hydraulique Sans Frontières and other field operators.
• Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection Grants Grants to partner NGOs and associations for animal rescue, refuge construction and repair, veterinary care, animal welfare investigations, and biodiversity / species preservation programs in France and internationally.
• Prix Descroix-Vernier EthicScience Award program (prize) recognizing researchers and programs developing non-animal testing methodologies, co-sponsored by the foundation and Pro Anima.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 people provided with access to clean drinking water in sub-Saharan Africa
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and secondary.

• Hydraulique Sans FrontièrescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership for over 10 years providing clean water to rural populations in Africa. Has brought water to tens of thousands of people in over 30 villages in Burkina Faso and Togo. Foundation provides both financial support and presence when additional budgets need to be closed to start projects quickly.
• WWF FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for species preservation programs including snow leopards, sea turtles in New Zealand, elephants, and other endangered species.
• Les Banques Alimentaires (French Food Banks)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for food banks fighting poverty and food insecurity in France.
• Fondation pour le LogementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2018 supporting the 'A fixed and decent home for all' program to help people living on streets or in makeshift shelters.
• Les Enfants du DragonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting orphans and abandoned children in Asia; 7 branches in 4 countries, sponsoring dozens of children. Foundation supports emergency situations for orphans and the most deprived populations.
• Association TremplinsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for building a second well to irrigate organic gardens in the Dombes region. These gardens employ people in precarious situations or exclusion, providing training and support.
• Pro AnimacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-launch of the Prix Descroix-Vernier EthicScience in 2023, supporting ethical scientific research without animal testing. The foundation helped make the prize more attractive and enabled researchers to improve their research through cutting-edge scientific methods.
• L214 Ethique & AnimauxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for exposing conditions in farms and slaughterhouses through filmed investigations.
• One VoicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for animal rescue, nature protection, and human assistance programs.
• Gamelles PleinesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFighting social exclusion through the animal dimension, supporting both people in precarious situations and animals.
• La Bagagerie / Association Esp'ErrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for homeless people in Marseille since 2012. Foundation provides financial, strategic, and material support.
• SOS ChevalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded entire infrastructure improvement project including hay storage tunnel, boxes, and fencing for equines.
• Refuge GroinGroinsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded roof and fence repairs enabling emergency rescue of 18 pigs, 2 sheep, 3 goats, and 1 cow.
• Solidarité Animaux en Détresse 06secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for local animal welfare activities and sponsorship of partner refuge in Beni Khiar, Tunisia.
• Refuge Equin de Terre PlainesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for building infrastructure and veterinary care for equines in the largest sanctuary in Bourgogne Franche-Comté.
• Droit de VivresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing support for cat rescue shelter in Vif, Isère, which would have closed without this help.
• Les sans voix d'EdensecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimal protection association in Gard investigating animal cruelty and caring for abused animals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fondation Brigitte Bardot: Private French foundation funding animal welfare and protection against cruelty. Directly comparable: founder-driven, grantmaking-only model focused on animal causes including farm animal conditions (overlap with FDV's L214 funding) and companion animal rescue.
• Fondation Nicolas Hulot: French private foundation focused on environmental education, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Directly comparable: founder-led private foundation funding environmental causes including wildlife and ecosystems — overlapping FDV's WWF France-partnered nature pillar.
• GoodPlanet Foundation: French foundation focused on environmental preservation and ecological education. Comparable structure: private foundation funding environmental and humanitarian programs; shares FDV's human–nature cross-cause narrative and French anchor.
• Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis: France's leading private foundation dedicated to animal welfare, funding refuges, rescues, and advocacy. Directly comparable: similar private, founder-endowed animal welfare mandate operating across France, funding same types of small NGO partners as FDV (SOS Cheval, refuges, etc.).
• Fondation Abbé Pierre: Major French humanitarian foundation focused on homelessness and inadequate housing. Directly comparable: same French geographic focus on vulnerable populations, similar grantmaking-to-NGO-partners model, and explicitly cross-referenced in FDV's published testimonials.
• Fondation pour le Logement: French foundation dedicated to housing access for vulnerable populations. Directly comparable: FDV's active partner on the 'A fixed and decent home for all' program; same homelessness/housing focus in France.
• Fondation Veolia: Corporate-backed French foundation funding environmental and humanitarian causes, particularly water access and biodiversity in developing countries. Comparable: similar water/sanitation focus in sub-Saharan Africa overlapping with FDV's Hydraulique Sans Frontières-funded programs.

Emerging players

• WWF France: Major international environmental NGO with French chapter focused on species and habitat preservation. FDV explicitly funds WWF France's species programs (snow leopards, sea turtles, elephants); comparable nature/biodiversity mandate at much larger scale.
• L214 Ethique & Animaux: French animal advocacy organization known for undercover investigations into farm and slaughterhouse conditions. Directly comparable as an FDV-funded partner; complementary animal welfare / advocacy focus but operates as implementer rather than funder.

Broad incumbents

• Fondation de France: France's largest cross-cause grantmaking foundation, distributing hundreds of millions of euros annually across humanitarian, environmental, animal welfare, and social causes. Comparable: same multi-cause French grantmaking model, but vastly larger scale and institutional structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmjJkQBrojILzQd073von4w

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Foundation Descroix-Vernier