Working methods

We support civil society organisations, such as voluntary associations, public social services centres, universities and local authorities, as well as citizens committed to working for a better society. All of this we do in numerous fields, including health, the fight against poverty, the environment and heritage, in Belgium and internationally. Our support is generally financial, but may take the form of a.o. coaching, mentoring and networking.

Every year, we launch more than 200 calls for projects and we support almost 5,000 organisations and citizens.

We foster philanthropy in all fields of public interest in Belgium, Europe and elsewhere in the world – via, and not for, the King Baudouin Foundation. Thanks to our network, which notably includes Transnational Giving Europe and the Myriad alliance for borderless giving, we are able to facilitate global and cross-border philanthropy.

We support individuals and businesses that wish to commit to a better world and give meaning to their activities. In function of their needs and objectives, we develop together with each philanthropist a made-to-measure concept that ensures maximum impact and sustainable results. This was the thinking behind the creation of our Philanthropy Centre, which today can count on over 30 years of experience.

We raise awareness among policymakers and citizens about specific issues, such as health, the fight against poverty, the environment and education. We mobilise opinion and persuade people to act in the interests of positive and sustainable change in society. The pursuit of society’s common interest is the guarantee of our legitimacy, as are our independence and pluralism.

We gather ‘around a table’ the various stakeholders concerned by a particular issue. The objective of so doing may be, for instance, to improve comprehension of the subject, to develop shared solutions or to share good practices. One such example is the Platform to Fight Fuel Poverty, which brings together various groups concerned by this problem.

We bring together researchers and actors in the field in order to exchange experience and views. We also commission research centres to analyse current problems, to collect and analyse facts and figures, or to explore potential leads. We compile the data we have collected in reports and publications, which we make freely available to everyone. We tackle a huge range of issues. Our independence and our pluralism guarantee objective consideration of the information assembled.

• We organise debates, seminars and study days etc.on social issues. Such events may be aimed at a wide group of people or target a more specific group.
• We organise exhibitions, especially at the BELvue museum, which focus on democracy and the history of Belgium. The King Baudouin Foundation’s Heritage Fund also regularly organises exhibitions that feature Belgian works of art that it has been able to acquire.

• We work in partnership with actors in the private and public sectors (e.g. for-profit social organisations, research centres and businesses). At the European level, we have developed a vast network of partners, including the European Policy Centre, the European Foundation Centre and the Network of European Foundations, with which we regularly work. Our contacts in Africa, Asia and Latin America are progressing in the same direction.
• We conduct projects commissioned by government bodies, at various levels. These are above all pilot and participatory initiatives, such as citizen consultations. Our strengths in this area lie, for instance, in the collection of relevant information, the bringing together of various stakeholders in an independent and neutral context, the ability to make citizens’ voices heard – particularly the voices of the most vulnerable – and the development of recommendations.