Recherches & Solidarités

What Recherches & Solidarités does

Recherches & Solidarités (R&S) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Lyon, dedicated to producing data, surveys, and studies on associative life, volunteering, philanthropy, and the non-profit health and social sector in France. Its portfolio comprises annual national publications (notably La France bénévole, now in its 21st edition, and La France associative en mouvement), recurring barometers of association leaders and volunteers (ORA and the Opinion des Bénévoles), regional and departmental fact sheets covering metropolitan and overseas France, and thematic studies on ecological transition, digital transformation, and AI adoption in associations. Methodologically, R&S combines access to official administrative data (URSSAF, MSA, Direction générale des Finances publiques, RNA) with its own online surveys conducted via quota sampling — typically reaching 3,000+ respondents annually — and validates outputs through a 40-member pluridisciplinary Expert Committee chaired by sociologist Roger Sue.

The organization operates with a deliberately lean structure: 2 salaried employees and 5 volunteers are supported by intermittent collaborators, members of the expert committee, and a Board of Directors. Its revenue model is non-commercial and built on co-financing with members and partners, exceptional subsidies tied to specific cooperations (it explicitly does not receive operating subsidies), marginal patronage, and ad-hoc consulting services. All publications are disseminated under a Creative Commons BY NC license, distributed through a 6,000-subscriber newsletter, free website downloads, media coverage in outlets such as Le Monde, Les Echos, Le Figaro, France Inter, and BFM TV, and partner networks that include Le Mouvement associatif, UNIOPSS, France Bénévolat, Tous Bénévoles, and Solidatech.

R&S serves three primary customer segments: the associative sector itself (associations, foundations, federations, and representative bodies seeking evidence on their own dynamics), public institutions and government bodies (DJEPVA, INJEP, URSSAF, regional councils, metropoles, and municipalities requiring official-grade statistics for policy and territorial decisions), and the broader research and media ecosystem (researchers, students, and journalists drawing on its datasets and publications).

Name

Recherches & Solidarités

Legal name

Recherches & Solidarités

Website

https://recherches-solidarites.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Recherches & Solidarités is a French non-profit association that produces annual surveys, barometers, and territorial studies on associative life, volunteering, philanthropy, and the non-profit sector, serving associations, public institutions, and territorial governments nationwide under a Creative Commons BY NC distribution model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit sector research services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

Keywords

• Nonprofit sector research
• Volunteer survey studies
• Associative life statistics
• Philanthropy research publications
• Territorial sector diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Co-financing with members and partners: The association operates on a co-financing logic with members and partners, taking into account their constraints to set contribution amounts
2. Exceptional subsidies: Exceptional use of subsidies only within the framework of cooperations (R&S does not receive operating subsidies)
3. Sponsorship and custom services: Marginal share left to sponsorship and ad-hoc consulting services, always built on common projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Recherches & Solidarit\u00e9s produces annual research publications, national barometers, thematic studies, and territorial diagnostics covering volunteering, associative life, philanthropy, and the non-profit sector in France. Outputs are based on quota-method surveys and official administrative data partnerships, and are disseminated free of charge under a Creative Commons BY NC license to associations, public institutions, federations, researchers, and the media.

Product overview

Recherches & Solidarités is a non-profit association of experts serving the associative sector in France. Rather than a software product, the organization offers a portfolio of research publications, annual barometers, and thematic studies. The core offerings include: annual publications on volunteering (La France bénévole) and associative life (La France associative en mouvement); national barometers tracking volunteer and association leader opinions; territorial studies at regional, departmental, and city levels; and thematic studies on digital transformation, ecological transition, philanthropy, and patronage. All publications are disseminated under Creative Commons BY NC license and are updated annually, based on official data partnerships and the organization's own survey methodology (conducted online using quota methods). The research outputs serve to inform association actors, guide decision-makers, and sensitize the general public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• La France b\u00e9n\u00e9vole Annual national publication providing a comprehensive portrait of volunteering in France based on national surveys and IFOP polling; the 2026 (21st) edition explores emotions related to engagement and the impact of economic uncertainties on volunteer participation. Aimed at associations, public decision-makers, researchers, and the media.
• La France associative en mouvement Annual publication presenting the state of associative life in France, combining national surveys with official statistical data; the 2025 (23rd) edition analyzes the surprising associative dynamism against a backdrop of concern. Targeted at associations, federations, and public authorities.
• Barom\u00e8tre ORA (Opinion des Responsables Associatifs) Annual national barometer surveying association leaders on the situation of their associations, resources, fragilities, perspectives, and support needs. Produced in partnership with DJEPVA and serves as a benchmark for the health of the French associative sector.
• Barom\u00e8tre d\u2019Opinion des B\u00e9n\u00e9voles Annual barometer capturing how volunteers experience their engagement, covering motivations, satisfactions, difficulties, expectations, and evolving context. Tracks volunteering trends over time through recurring questions in partnership with France B\u00e9n\u00e9volat and Tous B\u00e9n\u00e9voles.
• La place du num\u00e9rique dans le projet associatif Triennial thematic publication produced jointly with Solidatech, tracking the role of digital technology in associative projects, including its effects on mission execution and organizational functioning, and (from 2025) on AI adoption in associations.
• La g\u00e9n\u00e9rosit\u00e9 des Fran\u00e7ais Annual publication analyzing French generosity and charitable giving over more than 28 years, based on official tax data from the Direction g\u00e9n\u00e9rale des Finances publiques and released each November\u2013December during the peak giving season.
• M\u00e9c\u00e9nat studies Studies analyzing corporate patronage and sponsorship trends in France, tracking the evolution of corporate giving and the impact of tax incentives since the 2003 patronage law. Based on data from the Direction g\u00e9n\u00e9rale des Finances publiques.
• Les associations face \u00e0 la transition \u00e9cologique Survey-based study providing the first comprehensive assessment of how French associations are addressing ecological transition, including environmental engagement across the sector.
• Bilan annuel de l\u2019emploi (sanitaire et social non lucratif) Annual employment report for the French non-profit health and social sector, produced in partnership with UNIOPSS using URSSAF and CCMSA data to track employment evolution.
• Les Essentiels de la vie associative (d\u00e9partements) Annual four-page fact sheets providing key associative life indicators for each French department, built on official sources with comparable methodologies. Distributed to local partners and territorial authorities.
• Regional associative studies Annual regional publications presenting the most recent data on the associative sector at regional level across metropolitan and overseas France, supported by INJEP and developed in cooperation with Le Mouvement associatif.
• Territorial cooperation studies Custom studies produced in cooperation with cities, metropolitan areas, and regions (including Lyon, Bordeaux, Paris, and Metz) to assess the associative sector at local level and build dialogue with association leaders. A multi-year Brittany Regional Council partnership (2025-2026) extends this offering to regional volunteering studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ publications per year distributed widely
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Ministry of Youth, Sports and Associative Life (DJEPVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership for producing data and studies on associative life, including support for the annual Opinion des Responsables Associatifs (ORA) barometer
• INJEP (Institut national de la jeunesse et de l'éducation populaire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation for regional fact sheets on associative life and access to official statistics
• URSSAF Caisse nationalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for employment data in associations from official social security records
• Caisse centrale de la Mutualité sociale agricolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for agricultural sector associative employment data
• Le Mouvement associatifcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational representative body of the associative sector, co-developing studies and surveys on associative life
• UNIOPSS (Union nationale interfédérale des œuvres et organismes privés sanitaires et sociaux)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the annual employment balance sheet in the non-profit health and social sector
• SolidatechmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the triennial barometer on digital transformation in associations, including AI adoption studies
• France BénévolatmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for volunteering surveys and data collection
• Tous BénévolesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for volunteering research and tele-benevolat initiatives
• Coalition Formation (Coalpta-formation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for La France bénévole publication and field-based analysis
• Coalta FormationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for La France bénévole 2024, 2025, and 2026 editions with operational field insights
• Les Ateliers du Bocage (Emmaüs France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for Solidatech program supporting digital transition in associations
• Bretagne Regional CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for a comprehensive study on volunteering and associative life in Brittany (2025-2026)
• Répertoire National des Associations (RNA)coreTechnology or IntegrationSource of official data on association creation and status
• Direction générale des Finances publiquescoreTechnology or IntegrationSource of data on charitable donations and corporate sponsorship (mécénat)

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tous Bénévoles: French association dedicated to promoting volunteer engagement and researching volunteer trends, partnering with R&S on data initiatives. Comparable as a volunteering-focused research and outreach actor in France.
• Observatoire de la Fondation de France: Research arm of France's largest philanthropic foundation, producing data-driven publications on philanthropy, mécénat, and French generosity. Closely comparable in publishing research reports on French civil society and partnering with media.
• France Bénévolat: National association promoting and researching volunteering in France, conducting its own surveys and partnering with R&S on data collection. Comparable in producing volunteer-focused research and serving French associations.
• UNIOPSS: National federation of private non-profit health and social organizations in France, partnering with R&S on the annual employment balance sheet. Comparable in producing data-driven research on a French non-profit sub-sector and serving public decision-makers.
• Centre Français des Fonds et Fondations: Membership organization representing French foundations and endowment funds, producing sectoral research and publications on philanthropy and foundation activity. Comparable in producing foundation-sector research and policy-facing data.

Regional players

• Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association): European philanthropic infrastructure body producing research and data on European foundations and philanthropy. Comparable as a producer of cross-country civil society research, though at pan-European rather than French national level.
• Independent Sector: US national membership organization producing flagship research (e.g., Giving USA) on civil society, volunteering, and philanthropy. Comparable as a research-driven civil society observatory serving government, media, and sector actors, but US-focused.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies: US-based academic center producing global data on the non-profit sector (e.g., the Johns Hopkins Comparative Non-profit Sector Project). Comparable in producing longitudinal, internationally cited civil society research, though focused on global comparative data.

Broad incumbents

• INJEP (Institut national de la jeunesse et de l'éducation populaire): French public institute producing official statistics and research on youth, popular education, and associative life. Directly comparable as a producer of associative-sector data and a partner of R&S, but operates at much larger scale as a government body.

Others

• Le Mouvement associatif: National representative body of French associations, producing its own data and reports on the associative sector. Adjacent comparator: a partner of R&S that also commissions sector research and advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recherches-&-solidarit%C3%A9s

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Recherches & Solidarités