The King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) (, KBS; ) is a foundation based in Brussels (Belgium). It seeks to change society for the better and invests in inspiring projects and individuals. The Foundation was set up in 1976, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of

King Baudouin Baudouin (; 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the last Belgian king to be sovereign of the Congo, before it became independent in 1960 and became the Democratic Republi ...

's accession to the throne, and has been under the honorary Presidency of

Queen Mathilde Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz (; born 20 January 1973) is Queen of the Belgians as the wife of King Philippe. She is the first native-born Belgian queen, and has four children. She formerly worked as a speech therapist. S ...

since 2015. The Foundation supports projects in Belgium and at the European and international level. To support its international goal, the KBF set up a US

public charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of ...

and an office in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Since 1999, the KBFUS facilitates philanthropy in the US, Europe and Africa. In 2017, KBFCanada was launched.

Organisational structure

The King Baudouin Foundation Advisory Council and the Board of Governors determine the key areas of work. The board of governors is chaired by

Thomas Leysen Thomas Leysen (born 1960) is a Belgian entrepreneur who graduated from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven with a degree in law. Career Leysen spent a large part of his career at Umicore (formerly Union Minière), which was transformed under hi ...

. The managing director is Luc Tayart de Borms, who is being succeeded by Brieuc Van Damme.

Domains of action

The King Baudouin Foundation supports projects in various fields of action: * Social justice and poverty * Health * Heritage and culture * Social engagement * Africa, Latin America, Asia * Education and development of talents * Europe * Climate, the environment and biodiversity In 2021, the King Baudouin Foundation and the Funds it administers provided 132.541.857 euro in support to 1.448 individuals and 3.508 organizations. KBF also organises debates on important social issues, shares research results through free publications, enters into partnerships, and encourages

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

, in Belgium, in Europe and at the international level.

Ukraine Aid

Following the start of the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, the King Baudouin Foundation provided support to Ukraine through the

Caritas International Caritas Internationalis (Latin for ) is a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The name Caritas Internationalis refers to both the ...

network. In 2022, the King Baudouin Foundation provided €1.23 million for

Caritas Ukraine Caritas Ukraine ( Ukrainian: ) is a Ukrainian Catholic not-for-profit and humanitarian relief organisation. Caritas Ukraine is a member of both Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis. Within Ukraine, it is one of two national Caritas organi ...

, a Ukrainian Catholic not-for-profit and humanitarian relief organisation. In 2022, the foundation supported Ukrainian researchers whose work has been disrupted by the war, providing scholarships for research in the European Union (in cooperation with

European Policy Centre The European Policy Centre (EPC) is a Brussels-based not-for-profit think tank on European Union affairs, founded in 1997. Activities Under the presidency of Brigid Laffan, the EPC's Chief Executive is Fabian Zuleeg, a German economist. ...

). In 2023, the King Baudouin Foundation, in partnership with the Schréder Together fund, supported the reconstruction of

Borodianka Borodianka (, ) is a rural settlement in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of , one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: According to the 2001 census, its population was 12,535. The town is located on the which ...

, a Ukrainian town heavily damaged by the Russian invasion. The initiative included developing a city lighting plan and installing over 100 energy-efficient street lights.

References

External links

*
King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS)
* Foundations based in Belgium Organizations established in 1976 {{Belgium-org-stub

Organisational structure

Domains of action

Ukraine Aid

See also

References

External links