- ATD Fourth World

The purpose of this Foundation

In 1970, Joseph Wresinski wrote to donors: _I know that you understand the importance of what I am aiming at. I have always been impressed by the financial and human investments that were at the origin of movements promoting the poor and often the poorest. In time, when the initiators and the first partners disappeared, the institutions and associations often changed their orientation towards activities whose beneficiaries were no longer the most vulnerable. This is something I absolutely want to avoid. I don’t want the sub-proletariat to be deprived of everything that so many of my friends did for them or allowed me to do for them.
For this purpose, I have created teams of men and women capable of dedicating their life to the Fourth World. I also wanted that the assets of the Fourth World, entrusted to our association, are never turned against the most disadvantaged."

This spirit resulted in the creation of the Foundation ATD Fourth World. The Foundation receives the donations and makes them available for ATD Fourth World associations under the form of financial aid and buildings. The Foundation guarantees their use in favour of the people living in extreme poverty and their families. It has a responsibility to promote international solidarity together with ATD Fourth World associations worldwide. Its public utility has been recognized since 1971 and its status has been modified by a decree of the State Council on the 10th October 2007.

Providing a long-term commitment

Faced with the challenge of ending the cycle of extreme poverty, ATD Fourth World needs to maintain its reserves at a level that is sufficient to exercise its action over time. The Foundation ATD Fourth World, recognized of public utility, is responsible for the management of these reserves. It must ensure their permanence, something that is essential for the irrevocability of the assets and resources received, dedicated to its general objectives to fight extreme poverty.

The Foundation ATD Fourth World not only guarantees the long term financial stability of the ATD Fourth World in France, but it must also be able to bring its support to the ATD associations from around 10 countries, in case of financial difficulties or for projects that need important financial investments. It must preserve some financial reserves in order to be able to offer education and training opportunities and also pensions, when the time comes, for the full-time volunteers who have given 5, 10 or 30 years of their lives to commit to the cause of the families of the Fourth World. Finally, the Foundation wishes to set aside financial means in order to manage the predicted development of ATD Fourth World in countries economically poor and with the rapid development of volunteer recruitment worldwide.

Proposing to young people to commit themselves in a life-style project in solidarity with the Fourth World, modernising our education and training spaces and our resourcing of people committed to fighting extreme poverty, guaranteeing an opportunity of financial support to ATD Fourth World association in those countries where our Movement is still fragile, but also in the poorest of countries – those are the three areas that will orientate the use of our financial resources in years to come.