The 2023 Annual Campaign: Developing and sharing knowledge about the biodiversity of coastal wetlands in order to preserve it more effectively.
The Annual Campaign in brief
This year, the setec Foundation’s Annual Campaign ran from January to November, involving 15 employee volunteers. 19 projects were sourced, and 3 were selected by the setec Foundation Executive Committee.
Candidate organizations and projects
The theme of the 2023 Annual Campaign attracted a rich pool of players. The setec Foundation had the opportunity to discuss and study applications from various types of organization, including large foundations, small local associations and public bodies such as regional nature parks.
As for the projects, they were very interesting. Some were action-research programs, others were geared towards participatory science in various forms, some projects were more focused on raising awareness and providing access for all to knowledge of these areas, and finally, some promoted wetland restoration using scientific protocols.
Geographical diversity was also an important factor: mainland France, Cameroon, Senegal, Morocco, French overseas departments…
The jury was particularly impressed by projects involving local communities in changing models based on respect for the environment.
Process and role of volunteers
January – March 2023
The theme of the campaign was decided at the end of 2022 by the Executive Committee of the setec Foundation. In early 2023, the operational team launched a call for volunteers among setec employees to take part in the pre-selection of projects. The employees who volunteered were also able to share their expertise to refine the framework documents (concept definitions, selection criteria, etc.) for the Annual Campaign.
March – July 2023
The second stage is the sourcing of potential structures that will present a project in line with the theme. The volunteers drew on a database of contacts at the setec Foundation, and on their own networks. During this stage, the volunteers acted as intermediaries between the structures and the setec Foundation’s operational team, presenting the campaign and helping the structures to formalize their applications.
July – August 2023
The last applications arrived at the end of July, after which the operational team and volunteers entered the pre-selection phase. A workshop was organized so that the volunteers, accompanied by experts on the subject, could pre-select 8 of the 19 candidate projects.
September – November 2023
This fourth stage is divided into 2 audition sessions for the remaining 8 projects. They were auditioned by the setec Foundation’s jury:
- COMEX members: Michel Kahan, Arnaud Moineville, Sophie Mougard, Jean-Bernard Datry , Stéphane Bicocchi and Eric Philippon.
- Two invited members of the Fondation de France: Gaëlle Kergraisse (Fondation de France referent for the setec Foundation); and Yves Henocque (President of the Comité Mer et Littoral of the Fondation de France).
- The setec Foundation operational team: Marie Hommeau, Constance Laloye and Léa Schmitt.
The auditions took place in a hybrid format, with the jury present in person and the structures auditioned remotely. They all had 20 minutes for presentation and 15 minutes for questions and answers. The jury was able to decide between the projects on the basis of a set of criteria.
At the end of these two audition sessions, the members of the Executive Committee, the setec Foundation’s decision-making body, selected 3 projects and awarded different grant amounts.
——————————
It was a rich and intense event. Both the setec Foundation and the volunteers were able to expand their network in the ecosystem of organizations specializing in environmental preservation.
To date, only the volunteers, the jury of auditions and the operational team know the 3 winners… You’ll have the opportunity to discover them during President Michel Kahan’s New Year’s greetings, at the beginning of 2024.
Please be patient!