A new edition for SOMFY Foundation’s solidarity challenges

What is a solidarity challenge?

It's SOMFY Foundation's event format.

A challenge takes the form of a 3-hour workshop, bringing together the NGO, the facilitation team (a facilitator and a SOMFY time keeper) and the volunteers.

The challenge aims to respond to an issue raised by an NGO, by seeking a different perspective, complementary to that of the associative world, that of the company.

SOMFY employees come from all walks of life, and use their creative and collective energy to provide the NGOs with as many ideas as possible.

How is SOMFY Foundation preparing for this event?

It's a long-term project, which requires a lot of anticipation.

Every year, the SOMFY Foundation offers its partner NGOs the chance to experience collective intelligence, by taking part to the solidarity challenges, starting in June. This format is mainly proposed to new NGOs that have not yet had this experience, and also to NGOs with older partnerships that have a problem they would like volunteers to work on.

Once they have given their agreement, the NGOs have a fairly substantial period of work with Adrien and Rose from ProbonoLab, a SOMFY Foundation partner and skills sponsorship specialist, between July and September. A complete diagnosis is made with the association, enabling the problem to emerge that will be proposed during the challenges.

SOMFY Foundation then takes over from the beginning of October until the November challenges, and supports the NGOs from start to finish by offering several workshops: a meeting with employees, a workshop on solidarity challenges methodology, a workshop on "efficient presentation" and a final workshop on "feedback".

At the same time, SOMFY Foundation is looking for volunteers to run the challenges, and for volunteers to take part to the challenges, even up to the day before the solidarity challenges.

Why is this a challenge? And why is there a timekeeper in the facilitation team?

Because employees and NGOs only have 3 hours to get to know each other, make alliances, work together and come up with the best ideas. And time flies. Hence the importance of the timekeeper's presence. This is a key role. It's the timekeeper who keeps track of the time of each sequence, informs the group and reframes any drift. He or she completely relieves the moderator of time management, so that participants can concentrate solely on the content.

Who is present this year?

This year, 6 "French" NGOs and 2 "international" NGOs are pleased to come and meet us. SOMFY Foundation has chosen to have 2 NGOs representing each of its fields of action:

• Poor housing and social ties: Habitat et Humaine and Entraide Internationale des Scouts de Cluses
• Environment: Hopika and Ecotrivelo
• Equal opportunities: Apprentis d'Auteuil and Energie Jeunes
• International "A house is a home" program: Habitat for Humanity and Acted

How many employees will be involved?

In all, more than 80 employees will be giving their time and ideas to the associations on the same day. The energy generated by this mobilization in record time is impressive.

What happens next?

The NGOs will have time after the Solidarity Challenges to review all the ideas contributed by the employees. They leave with all the materials they need to take them back and present them to their salaried and/or volunteer colleagues.

A get-together is organized every year in June. The main idea is to get together, catch up and see how the associations are getting on. Of course, they also talk about what they've been able to put in place following the challenges.

To be continued in 2024...