Le choix des donataires. Ethnographie d’un comité de sélection d’une fondation philanthropique atypique
Sylvain Lefèvre & Annabelle Berthiaume, PhiLab
“The deserving few. Ethnography of a grant selection committee in an atypical philanthropic foundation”. In many ways, the Mauges Foundation corresponds to the ideal type of philanthropy for social change, characterized by a commitment to social justice, support for a strong social state, but also a desire to deconstruct the power relation between donor and recipient. To fulfill this mission, this foundation has chosen to involve activists on its funding committee. In this article, we propose an ethnographic observation of this committee. This analysis focuses on the debates inherent in the selection process : how to choose ? According to what criteria ? It also examines current questions in the Quebec philanthropic sector at a time of budget cuts : what should we fund ? Is philanthropy replacing State involvement ? How can we avoid complicity ? Finally, this article analyzes the funding committee as a collective representation, enabling a specific philanthropic ideal and establishing the role of the Foundation as an institution
In French only