Philanthropy

Rêv’Elles offers innovative career guidance programs (free of charge and outside school hours) for young women from modest backgrounds so that “every young girl, regardless of her social background, can dream, choose, and take control of her own personal and professional life, with full knowledge of the facts.”

Apprentis d’Auteuil supports young people in difficulty through reception, education, training, and integration programs in France and internationally, enabling them to become free and fulfilled adults. Evolem Citoyen supports the rollout of the Hello Persévérance program in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, which works in conjunction with the French Ministry of Education to encourage young people aged 12 to 25 who are vulnerable or socially excluded to stay in school.

Proxité supports young people in difficulty to achieve academic success and find their chosen career path. The project specifically targets young people receiving child welfare services in the Lyon metropolitan area and the Drôme department. Thanks to mentoring provided by employees of partner companies or local authorities, these young people benefit from a network and crucial moral support to secure their career path and access to sustainable employment. The project also aims to train the association’s employees and volunteers in mental health.

As France’s first digital school for under-18s, EDEN School is continuing its mission to rekindle a love of learning through digital professions. Enrollment figures for 2024-2025 remain stable, with 67 students between Paris and Lyon. The school’s success is clear to see: all apprentices have obtained their web developer qualification (two years of higher education), proving the quality of an educational framework that is now well established. The school is engaged in strategic thinking to ensure the sustainability of its economic model and adapt its training courses to market needs. Supported by a committed ecosystem, EDEN School offers each young person a supportive environment to ensure their long-term integration into the sectors of the future.

Valdocco works with young people to promote education and professional integration in order to prevent them from dropping out of school and becoming marginalized. Since 2022, Evolem Citoyen has been supporting the experimental program “Valdocco Insertion.” This is a personalized support program that facilitates access to independence and integration for the most vulnerable 18-24 year olds (without qualifications and leaving the Child Welfare, Unaccompanied Minors, and Youth Judicial Protection systems, etc.) who lack career plans. In 2025, 37 young people received support from the association.

For 60 years, ATD Fourth World has been fighting extreme poverty. Since 2022, Evolem Citoyen has been supporting “Réussir Ensemble” (Succeeding Together), a national action research project promoting employment and vocational training for young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), initiated by ATD. A pillar of the project, the association L’Archipel des Métiers, launched in 2024, aims to experiment with the conditions needed to enable young people to reconnect with learning in the workplace, train for a trade, and move towards traditional training or employment. Following the restoration in mid-2025, a carpentry workshop will be launched in early 2026 to diversify the career paths on offer.

The popular education association “Les Cités d’Or” aims to identify and disseminate knowledge, skills, and attitudes that can be applied in personal and professional life, particularly among young people who have dropped out of school and are socially marginalized. The association offers an educational program that is inseparable from its civic program: enabling everyone to become fully involved in their own lives (autonomy) and in society (desire and ability to act).

Weavers supports the social and professional integration of refugees in France through training and the fostering of social ties with the local community. Objectif Emploi is an innovative, full-time, vocational pre-training programme leading to employment, aimed at young refugees (aged between 18 and 30). This programme aims to bring about systemic change by simultaneously training young refugees for in-demand roles and encouraging businesses to make the necessary adjustments to integrate these individuals sustainably into the French economy. Following support from Evolem Citoyen between 2023 and 2025, the project is now entering its expansion phase and aims to provide training and support towards employment for 252 young refugees by 2028, thanks to the commitment of 100 companies across six new regions.

Founded in 2024, the Le TAF association facilitates the integration of vocational training interns, mostly vulnerable 16-30 year olds, by securing their vocational training pathway. It brings together a group of training organizations (Les clés de l’Atelier, Weavers, IF2M, CFPH, etc.) to jointly develop innovative solutions and pool social support solutions. In 2025, 130 people benefited from this integrated social support, which is essential for removing barriers related to rights or housing, for example. One of the key pillars is the “1 Toit pour se former” (A Roof for Training) program, launched with several social landlords and social housing providers, which offers temporary accommodation solutions in Lyon. This innovative model thus guarantees that vocational training students can continue their training on a long-term basis.

A historic vocational training institution in Lyon, SEPR (Société d’enseignement professionnel du Rhône) has been working for 150 years to help young people enter the workforce. Through its Horizon endowment fund, SEPR has launched the “Donner pour une vie!” (Give for Life!) project with Evolem Citoyen to support learners in highly precarious situations. The aim of this initiative is to remove financial barriers (housing, health, transportation) to prevent school dropouts. In 2025, this program provided living grants to seven young learners below high school level who were experiencing difficulties. Each beneficiary receives €700 per month for 10 renewable months. In addition to this grant, enhanced social support ensures equal opportunities and perseverance toward graduation and employment.

Le 107 is an innovation hub serving the Lyon region, promoting cooperation to drive social and environmental change. In 2025, Evolem Citoyen is supporting the social innovation lab “Habitat des jeunes précarisés” (Housing for vulnerable young people) (2025-2028). This project follows on from our work in 2024 on housing for vulnerable young people and aims to develop housing solutions adapted to the diverse situations faced by young people in the Lyon metropolitan area, combining housing, social support, residential mobility, and local dynamics.

Chapter 2 is a charity that supports and guides vulnerable young people aged between 14 and 25 – who are generally in care or have a history of placement within the Child Welfare Service – on their journey towards independence through two programmes: – The Côte à Côte Programme: a peer-to-peer mentoring and support programme between vulnerable young people and volunteers of the same age, which helps break the cycle of isolation and develop key psychosocial skills to strengthen independence, as well as encouraging re-engagement. – The Service de Suite Programme: comprehensive, tailor-made social support provided by social workers for young people leaving the Child Welfare Service (ASE) in a state of disengagement and who are not supported by any professional or social services organisation in the area. Evolem Citoyen provides financial assistance to enable certain young people without income to cover their daily living costs, with the aim of helping them integrate into society.

Evolem Citoyen is a founding member and is represented on the Board of Directors of this regional endowment fund initiated by Alain Mérieux, bringing together companies from the Lyon metropolitan area in the fight against homelessness. Since its creation in 2019, L’Entreprise des Possibles has been a collective of 175 responsible and socially-minded companies that supports associations working in the Lyon metropolitan area to help homeless people and those in extreme poverty. It supports projects providing shelter, housing, and reintegration. This initiative is not intended to replace the work of associations, but rather to amplify their efforts by strengthening relationships between companies and associations, raising funds, mobilizing employees, and providing material and real estate resources. L’Entreprise des Possibles also explores innovative solutions and new avenues for solidarity.

For 50 years, Alynea – Samu Social 69 has been working in Lyon with homeless and isolated people. Evolem Citoyen supports action research focusing on young people in distress who have been in the care of child welfare services and have broken ties with institutions. The aim is to better understand the specific needs of this group in order to improve reception and support services in the region, in coordination with local public institutions.

SoliVet trains and supports social services in caring for homeless or vulnerable people who have pets. The association also runs a solidarity-based dog boarding facility that temporarily cares for the pets of vulnerable people and helps employees in integration programs return to work. It trains social workers in animal behavior approaches and organizes veterinary care for the pets of homeless people. By removing the obstacle that pets can represent, SoliVet facilitates access to accommodation and care facilities for young people in precarious situations.

Since its launch in 2024, the INSPIRE action-research project, jointly led by Ronalpia and Inter Made, has sought to explore – drawing directly on real-life professional experiences – the factors that undermine or strengthen leaders in the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and their organisations. It aims to: – Direct impact (action): to establish and support peer groups to exchange ideas, recharge, help one another and find inspiration. – A societal focus (research): to build and make accessible knowledge on the mechanisms that put SSE leaders at risk The action research will be rolled out between now and 2028 along two main lines: – The creation of a resource and discussion centre to raise awareness of the issues and equip those providing support – The development of support mechanisms to create spaces for reflection and foster a culture of care within organisations