Fondation Yves Rocher

What Fondation Yves Rocher does

Fondation Yves Rocher is a French charitable foundation established in 1991 and headquartered at 23 quai de Conti, Paris, operating under the institutional auspices of Institut de France. The foundation is chaired by Jacques Rocher, son of Yves Rocher, and is structurally connected to the Rocher Group and the Yves Rocher cosmetics brand, but operates independently as a non-profit. Its mission centers on biodiversity protection, reforestation, and the recognition of women environmental leaders, with a staff of approximately 17 employees supporting programs across roughly 19 countries in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and South America.

The foundation's program portfolio is anchored by four core pillars: the Terre de Femmes award program (since 2001, rewarding nearly 500 women across 50 countries with prize money ranging from €3,000 to €10,000), the PlantForLife global reforestation initiative (credited with 100-135 million trees planted worldwide, with active expansion in Italy), the photography program anchored by the Prix Photo Fondation Yves Rocher in partnership with Visa pour l'Image (since 2015), and the Plantes & Biodiversité research and education program with three pillars: Connaître (knowledge), Préserver (preservation), and Sensibiliser (awareness). Supporting infrastructure includes L'Observatoire de la Biodiversité in La Gacilly, the Festival Photo La Gacilly (the largest outdoor photography festival in France, attracting 300,000+ annual visitors), the Plantons pour la Planète volunteer planting program, and the co-created Fonds pour l'Arbre endowment fund with AFAC-Agroforesteries.

The foundation operates a donation-based revenue model, funded through charitable contributions accepted via its website, corporate support linked to the Rocher ecosystem, and partnerships with organizations such as Institut de France, Jane Goodall Institute France (2025), Visa pour l'Image, AFAC-Agroforesteries/Réseau Haies, Firmenich, Abbaye de Royaumont, Conservatoire Botanique de Brest, Green Ethiopia Foundation, and Albin Michel. Its go-to-market is event-driven: awareness is generated through the annual Festival Photo La Gacilly, award ceremonies, press coverage, and newsletter (La Feuille) communications; donor and volunteer engagement is fostered through the website, social media campaigns (#cultivonslengagement, #letscultivatecommitmenttogether), and on-the-ground planting events worldwide. The foundation is celebrating 35 years of commitment in 2026.

Name

Fondation Yves Rocher

Legal name

FONDATION YVES ROCHER

Website

https://yves-rocher-fondation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondation Yves Rocher is a French non-profit foundation under Institut de France that funds environmental conservation through the Terre de Femmes award program, global PlantForLife reforestation, photography partnerships, and biodiversity research, serving activists, volunteers, and partner organizations across roughly 19 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Environmental conservation
• Biodiversity protection
• Reforestation programs
• Environmental awards
• Charitable foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: The foundation operates as a non-profit organization under the Institut de France, funded primarily through donations. The foundation conducts fundraising campaigns and accepts donations via its website to support environmental conservation projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fondation Yves Rocher is a non-profit charitable foundation operating under the auspices of Institut de France that funds and runs environmental conservation programs. It awards grants to women environmental activists through the Terre de Femmes prize, mobilizes volunteers for global reforestation via PlantForLife, supports environmental photojournalism through the Visa pour l'Image photo award, runs scientific research and awareness initiatives via Plantes & Biodiversité, and operates the Festival Photo La Gacilly outdoor exhibition.

Product overview

The Fondation Yves Rocher operates a portfolio of environmental programs centered on biodiversity protection, reforestation, and environmental awareness. The core offerings include: Terre de Femmes (award program supporting women environmental activists), PlantForLife (global tree planting initiative with 100+ million trees planted), Plantes & Biodiversité (plant conservation with Connaître/Préserver/Sensibiliser pillars), and Actions Photos (photography programs including the Visa pour l'Image prize and Festival Photo La Gacilly). Supporting initiatives include L'Observatoire de la Biodiversité (research observatory), Nature en Fête (awareness festival), Plantons pour la Planète (volunteer planting), and the Fonds pour l'Arbre (fund for tree planting). The foundation also publishes the book 'Au Nom de l'Arbre' as part of its outreach. The organization functions as a charitable foundation under the Institut de France, not as a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Terre de Femmes: Award program supporting women environmental activists worldwide, created in 2001 by Jacques Rocher and his father.
• Plant for Life
• Plantons pour la Planète

Products and services

• Terre de Femmes Award Program An international environmental award program recognizing and supporting women activists working for biodiversity; has rewarded nearly 500 women across 50 countries since 2001.
• PlantForLife A global reforestation initiative that plants trees worldwide to restore biodiversity, mobilizing a community of planters and having planted over 100 million trees globally.
• Actions Photos (Photography Initiatives) Photography programs including the Photo Prize in partnership with Visa pour l'Image, supporting committed photographers who document environmental issues and biodiversity.
• Plantes & Biodiversité Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 135 million trees planted worldwide through the PlantForLife program (French source)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Jane Goodall Institute FranceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership created in 2025 to establish the Prix Jeunesse Roots & Shoots award for youth environmental action, celebrating 35 years of the foundation.
• Afac-Agroforesteries (now Réseau Haies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for hedgerow and agroforestry planting projects in France. The foundation collaborates with AFAC-Agroforesteries on the 'Plantons pour la Planète' program, organizing volunteer planting events. They co-created the 'Fonds pour l'Arbre' (Tree Fund) endowment.
• Institut de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Yves Rocher Foundation operates under the auspices of Institut de France, providing institutional backing and credibility.
• FirmenichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner of the Plantes & Biodiversité program, contributing to the foundation's research and conservation initiatives.
• Abbaye de RoyaumontminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Le Voyage des Plantes' (The Journey of Plants) initiative, opening new horizons through cultural and educational activities.
• Visa pour l'ImageflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for the annual photo award; winners receive exhibition opportunities at the Visa pour l'Image festival in Perpignan and at Festival Photo La Gacilly.
• Conservatoire national Botanique de BrestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for biodiversity preservation, including work on the Ekman's juniper, an endemic species.
• Festival Photo La GacillyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated organization founded by Jacques Rocher; holds the largest outdoor photography festival in France with 300,000+ annual visitors.
• Fonds pour l'ArbrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndowment fund co-created by Fondation Yves Rocher and Afac-Agroforesteries to support tree planting and hedgerow restoration in France.
• Green Ethiopia FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for reforestation efforts in Ethiopia, working alongside Ruhama Getahun's Integrated Women's Development.
• Albin MichelminorOthersPublisher of 'Au Nom de l'Arbre' book featuring 9 photographers' work on reforestation, with 5 trees planted for each book sold.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF France: French arm of the world's largest environmental NGO, operating extensive biodiversity and conservation programs with corporate and donor funding. Comparable on the environmental grantmaking and project funding model, though at significantly larger organizational scale.
• Fondation de France: France's largest umbrella foundation that redistributes funds to hundreds of sub-foundations and programs. Comparable on grantmaking infrastructure, donor-advised fund mechanics, and institutional stewardship, though at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Fondation pour la Nature et l'Homme: French environmental foundation (formerly Fondation Nicolas Hulot) with a similar domestic footprint and analogous grantmaking/awareness programs focused on biodiversity, climate, and ecological transition. A directly comparable French peer at similar scale.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Global reforestation NGO that plants millions of trees annually across multiple continents using a partner-employment model. Closely comparable to the foundation's PlantForLife program on operational reforestation scale and cross-country implementation.
• Trees for the Future: US nonprofit focused on tree planting and agroforestry in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Comparable in deploying farmer-training and tree-planting models across multiple developing countries, mirroring the foundation's international planting footprint.
• Arbor Day Foundation: US-based environmental grantmaking foundation founded in 1972 with a similar core mission of reforestation and tree planting at scale. Closely comparable to Fondation Yves Rocher on the PlantForLife program given similar 'trees-planted' headline metrics and donor-funded operating model.
• Fondation RAJA: French corporate-affiliated foundation funded through the RAJA Group that supports women's empowerment and environmental causes. Comparable in being a brand-linked grantmaking foundation with overlapping focus on women-environment intersection and corporate-backed funding.
• Jane Goodall Institute France: French arm of the global Jane Goodall Institute and an active Flagship partner of Fondation Yves Rocher. Runs comparable programs in biodiversity conservation, environmental education, and youth engagement, making it both a collaborator and a directly comparable foundation.
• Lush Charity Pot: Lush cosmetics' philanthropic arm channels 100% of designated product sales to environmental and social justice causes. Comparable on the cosmetics-brand-linked environmental grantmaking model that mirrors Fondation Yves Rocher's corporate-affiliated structure.

Emerging players

• TreeSisters: UK-based nonprofit focused on women-led tropical reforestation with a strong community-activism model. Comparable on the women-environment intersection and grassroots-activist engagement that mirrors Terre de Femmes and PlantForLife.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-yves-rocher

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondation Yves Rocher