The Total Corporation is a large and diversified energy company, operating in France and around the world.  The Foundation is the corporation’s philanthropic organization, among the largest corporate foundations in France. Projects are carried out in partnership with independent organizations in France and internationally 

Created in 1992 in the wake of the Rio Earth Summit, for twenty years the Total Foundation was dedicated to protecting the environment and, more specifically, marine biodiversity.    In 2008 the Foundation extended the scope of its activity, which now covers four areas: community support in France, health worldwide, culture and heritage, the environment and biodiversity.   It also supports Group employees as they engage with the community. Since 2006, it has funded 334 general interest projects championed by associations for which employees offer their services individually on a voluntary basis.   In all its areas of activity, the Total Foundation emphasizes long-term partnerships. It aims not just to provide financial support, but also to share and strengthen expertise to broaden collective knowledge.

 

Program Areas

Health

The Total Foundation has decided to tackle these inequalities. As partner of the Institute Pasteur since 2005, the Foundation contributes to the development of research programs and to the training of medical teams. The aim is to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

Its action is extended in the field, where it helps local healthcare workers take charge of patients.

For 10 years, 11 units of research have been supported in Paris and 20 field programs implemented in Africa and Asia.

On January 26 2015, this partnership, renewed for 3 years, will make it possible to carry out ambitious public health and research programs in order to better understand the vaccine and therapeutic responses in children.

• Research on Pandemics - Aids, malaria, hepatitides... pandemics affect almost all the countries in the world. To save lives, research on these diseases must be intensified. Mindful of helping this cause, the Total Foundation has renewed its commitment to the Institute Pasteur. To this effect it is helping create the Françoise Barré-Sinoussi endowed chair and is providing funding for research programs.
• Actions in the Field - The Foundation actively supports the fight against infectious diseases in the countries where Total does business. The Foundation is present in the field, working by the sides of health professionals, educators and teachers. At the very core of the action, the Foundation accompanies local projects, primarily in relation to maternal and infant healthcare and the combat against sexually- transmitted diseases.

 

Culture

The Foundation partners such major French cultural institutions as the Louvre Museum, the Quai Branly Museum, the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) and the Pompidou Center.  It regularly sponsors exhibitions, with a particular emphasis on showcasing the history and cultures of North Africa and the Middle East, where we have a strong presence.  As a result, the Total Foundation is the biggest French corporate donor to the Louvre’s Department of Islamic Arts, which opened its doors to the public in September 2012.

The Foundation also promotes access to culture for everyone, by creating gateways between cultural and community-based initiatives. Organizing open houses for people from disadvantaged communities is just one example. Moreover, the Foundation supports the preservation of traditional crafts and the restoration of industrial and cultural sites, in partnership with French heritage preservation association Fondation du Patrimoine.

 

Solidarity

In 2009, Total signed a partnership with the State to provide support for the Fonds d’expérimentation pour la jeunesse (FEJ), a development fund for youth created by the Ministry of Education. The FEJ aims to identify and evaluate innovative initiatives for youth integration that could inspire new public policies.

Total’s commitment to this Fund is a way of reaffirming the Group’s will to be involved, on a permanent basis, in helping young people.

Total is the FEJ’s main private partner; the Group has paid 50 million Euros into the Fund, on top of the190 million Euros provided by the State and another 3 million Euros donated by other companies. Beyond the financial support, Total also actively takes part in the various experimental programs funded by the FEJ and encourages networking among project initiators, youth and companies.

Nearly two hundred projects funded by Total are being experimented. Selected by a call for proposals procedure, these projects cover the entire educational process, from the beginning of primary school to arriving on the job market.

The Foundation also encourages the involvement of the Group’s employees and provides support for associations that enable employees to help young people with their projects.

 

Oceans and Biodiversity

For nearly twenty years now, the Total Foundation has provided funding for numerous scientific research programs. The goal is to understand the fragility of living things and contribute to their preservation. With this in mind, the Foundation forms partnerships with well-known environmental protection institutions and associations. Each and every project is accompanied by an awareness campaign to inform the public at large of the important role played by biodiversity in maintaining the ecological balance of the planet. 

To help preserve them, the Foundation forges partnerships with respected environmental organizations to achieve three objectives:

• Improve our understanding of biodiversity.
• Protect endangered species and ecosystems.
• Raise awareness of biodiversity issues among the general public.