actualityfinanceactualité

Solidarity Finance Week, November 10–16, 2025: Spotlight on Impact Investing

November 8, 202511 min readThe Planet Deals7 views
Solidarity Finance Week, November 10–16, 2025: Spotlight on Impact Investing

Introduction: A Key Event for Responsible Saving

From November 10 to 16, 2025, France is gearing up for Solidarity Finance Week—a nationwide event that grows in influence every year. Organized by FAIR, the leading association for social impact finance, this week is part of the broader Social and Solidarity Economy Month (ESS). The goal? To raise awareness among the public and investors about the importance of solidarity savings and impact investing—two essential drivers for a fairer, more sustainable, and more inclusive economy.

In 2025, the economic and social climate makes this initiative especially relevant: amid global uncertainty, escalating climate challenges, and rising expectations around corporate responsibility, more and more people are looking to give their money real meaning. Once seen as niche, solidarity savings products are now central to both individual and institutional investment strategies.

Solidarity Finance Week offers a unique platform to discover, understand, and discuss impact investing solutions, with a packed schedule of conferences, workshops, networking events, and testimonials from changemakers across France.

---

Solidarity Finance: Principles and Challenges in 2025

Solidarity finance refers to financial mechanisms that aim to balance economic returns with social or environmental value. It’s built on savings and investment products that channel part of their funds into projects with significant societal impact.

Definition and Goals

  • Solidarity savings: These are investments where all or part of the earnings—or even the principal—are allocated to financing social economy players, impact-driven companies, or local initiatives (such as job creation, affordable housing, ecological transition, or fighting exclusion).
  • Impact investing: This approach involves investing in projects or companies that generate measurable benefits for society or the planet, alongside financial returns.
  • The dual purpose:

  • Support the emergence and growth of meaningful projects (social inclusion, social innovation, ecology, international solidarity, and more)
  • Empower savers to actively drive economic transformation while protecting their assets
  • A Rapidly Growing Sector

    According to the latest figures from FAIR released for Solidarity Finance Week, solidarity savings in France have seen steady growth in recent years. After a strong surge in 2023, momentum remains high—despite a slight slowdown due to macroeconomic conditions—with increasing interest from young people and families in responsible investments.

    Key products include:

  • Solidarity savings accounts (offered by mission-driven banks)
  • Impact investment funds
  • Solidarity life insurance policies
  • Shares in cooperative or mutual companies
  • ---

    Solidarity Finance Week: A Nationwide Campaign to Raise Awareness and Drive Action

    For over 20 years, Solidarity Finance Week has established itself as the leading event for responsible investing in France. The 2025 edition, led by FAIR, is ramping up initiatives to reach an even broader audience.

    Goals of the Week

  • Inform and educate: Demystify how solidarity savings work, explain their benefits and real-world impacts.
  • Help people take action: Provide tools, guides, and events to help everyone take the leap and choose products that align with their values.
  • Highlight real results: Showcase projects funded through solidarity savings, from social enterprises and local initiatives to major national causes.
  • Program Highlights

    The week features a wide range of events:

  • Conferences and panel discussions in major cities, featuring experts, social entrepreneurs, and impact investment product managers.
  • Hands-on workshops to help people select investments, decode labels and certifications, or better understand the tax aspects of solidarity savings.
  • Afterwork events and community meetups where participants can share their expectations, motivations, and experiences.
  • Local initiatives led by networks like CIGALES, France Active, or partner banks, taking place all over the country.
  • In addition, FAIR offers a free educational toolkit on its website to help both individuals and professionals explore the world of solidarity finance.

    ---

    Solidarity Savings and Impact Investing Products: 2025 Overview

    The range of solidarity savings and impact investing products has never been more diverse. Financial institutions, insurers, and asset managers are innovating to meet the growing demand for transparency and social effectiveness.

    Must-Have Products

  • Solidarity savings accounts: Offered by banks like La Nef or Crédit Coopératif, these accounts help finance socially beneficial projects, often with returns comparable to traditional savings accounts.
  • Social or environmental impact funds: Invest in funds certified by labels like “Finansol” or “FAIR,” which rigorously select companies based on their societal impact.
  • Solidarity life insurance policies: Several insurers now offer policies where a portion of premiums or interest is donated to nonprofits or invested in impact projects.
  • Shares in cooperative companies: Invest in the capital of social economy organizations or local cooperatives to support their growth while benefiting from potential value appreciation.
  • Labels and Certifications

    To ensure product transparency and quality, several labels exist:

  • FAIR Label (formerly Finansol): Certifies solidarity savings products and their genuine contribution to public-interest projects.
  • SRI Labels (Socially Responsible Investment): Guarantee that ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria are integrated into fund management.
  • These labels serve as valuable guides for investors seeking real impact from their investments.

    Key Figures for Solidarity Savings in France

    In 2025, according to FAIR, solidarity savings in France exceed €30 billion—a nearly 8% increase over 2024. It’s estimated that more than 2.5 million French people now hold at least one solidarity savings product, a number that’s been rising steadily for five years.

    Here’s how the invested funds break down:

  • Ecological transition: 45%
  • Social inclusion and employment: 30%
  • International solidarity: 15%
  • Affordable housing: 10%
  • These figures reflect a real shift in saving habits, with growing expectations for transparency, tangible impact, and traceability.

    ---

    Key Players in Solidarity Finance in 2025

    The success of Solidarity Finance Week relies on a diverse network of organizations that help structure and energize the sector.

    Institutions and Networks

  • FAIR: The association behind the event (formerly Finansol), which certifies products and leads the solidarity finance community.
  • CIGALES: Citizen investor clubs, especially active in northern France, that support local project leaders.
  • France Active: A major network for funding and supporting social entrepreneurs, often cited among the top solidarity financiers.
  • Mission-driven banks: La Nef, Crédit Coopératif, Banque Postale, and others offer dedicated products and support the social economy.
  • Asset management companies: Specialists like Mirova or Ecofi manage certified impact funds.
  • Beneficiary Organizations

  • Social economy enterprises: Cooperatives, mutuals, and nonprofits that use solidarity savings to fund their growth.
  • Local projects: Social housing, workforce integration, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and more.
  • National and international causes: Fighting poverty, improving access to clean water, advancing global solidarity.
  • Influencers and Ambassadors

    Each year, public figures, experts, and committed entrepreneurs are invited to champion solidarity finance through interviews, conferences, and personal stories.

    ---

    Real-World Impact: Markets, Investors, and the Economy

    The rise of solidarity finance in France is reshaping the financial landscape, pushing traditional players to integrate more social and environmental criteria into their offerings.

    For Investors

  • Portfolio diversification: Solidarity savings let you broaden your investment strategy with moderate-risk products that also deliver social value.
  • Purpose-driven investing: More and more savers—especially younger generations—want their money to help drive social change.
  • Tax benefits: Some solidarity savings products offer attractive tax incentives, such as income tax reductions or partial capital gains exemptions.
  • For Financial Markets

  • Growth of SRI labels: Impact and socially labeled funds now account for over 20% of life insurance inflows in 2025, according to France Active.
  • Ripple effect: The popularity of solidarity savings is prompting banks and asset managers to develop more responsible products, boost transparency, and publish detailed impact reports.
  • For the French Economy

  • Supporting social innovation: Invested funds help create thousands of jobs, finance affordable housing, and back sustainable projects.
  • Strengthening local economies: Citizen investment through CIGALES or local funds helps anchor and build resilience in regional economies.
  • Driving the ecological transition: Nearly half of all funds raised go toward energy transition or biodiversity protection projects.
  • ---

    Trends and Outlook: Solidarity Finance Comes of Age

    The 2025 edition of Solidarity Finance Week marks a new era of maturity for the sector, with both challenges and opportunities on the horizon.

    What Savers Want Now

  • Greater transparency: Investors demand full traceability of their funds and clear impact reports.
  • Digital-first offerings: Online platforms, mobile apps, and impact tracking tools are now must-haves for managing solidarity portfolios.
  • Personalized investments: Individuals are looking for products tailored to their values and risk profiles, with a customized approach.
  • Challenges Ahead

  • Measuring impact: Standardizing and strengthening social and environmental impact metrics to avoid “social washing.”
  • Accessibility: Making solidarity savings even more accessible, especially for small savers and those underserved by traditional financial channels.
  • Institutional engagement: Encouraging large investors and institutions to allocate more of their portfolios to impact products.
  • The Future of Solidarity Finance

    Experts agree: solidarity finance is set to play a central role in the ecological transition and the fight against inequality. Partnerships between public, private, and nonprofit sectors are expected to intensify, all with a shared goal—channeling savings into projects that create lasting change.

    The movement is also going global, with best practices and collaborations emerging across Europe, especially through events like the Global Social Economy Forum and Belgium’s own Solidarity Finance Week.

    ---

    Conclusion: A Pivotal Moment to Make Your Money Matter

    Solidarity Finance Week 2025 stands out as a key moment for anyone who wants to align their investments with their values. The range of solidarity savings and impact investing products has never been richer, more diverse, or more accessible. This is more than a trend—it’s a real transformation in how we think about money and investing, driven by civil society, institutions, and industry professionals alike.

    As economic, social, and environmental challenges intensify, choosing solidarity savings means actively contributing to building a more sustainable, equitable, and humane economy. Whether you’re a saver, investor, entrepreneur, or simply a concerned citizen, the week of November 10–16, 2025 is the perfect opportunity to take the leap and make your money count.

    Find the full program, resources, and tools to learn and get involved on the FAIR website, La Finance Pour Tous, and local ESS networks. Together, let’s make solidarity finance a driving force for the future.

    ---

    Solidarity finance, savings, impact investing, FAIR, November 2025: these are the keywords shaping the future of responsible investing in France. Now it’s your move!

    ---

    ❓ FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

    1. What is Solidarity Finance Week and when does it take place?

    Solidarity Finance Week is a nationwide French event dedicated to responsible saving and impact investing. The 2025 edition runs from November 10 to 16 and is organized by FAIR as part of the broader Social and Solidarity Economy Month (ESS). Its purpose is to raise awareness, inform, and help people take action by choosing savings and investment products that finance projects with strong social or environmental value. The week features conferences, workshops, networking events, and testimonials across France, and FAIR provides a free educational toolkit to guide both individuals and professionals.

    2. Why is Solidarity Finance Week especially relevant in 2025?

    In 2025, global uncertainty, escalating climate challenges, and greater expectations around corporate responsibility are pushing more people to seek meaning in their money. Once niche, solidarity savings products now sit at the heart of many individual and institutional strategies. In France, momentum remains strong after a surge in 2023, with growing interest from young people and families. The week offers a practical way to understand solutions, see real impacts, and take concrete steps to align investments with social and environmental priorities.

    3. What is solidarity finance, in simple terms?

    Solidarity finance uses savings and investment mechanisms to balance financial returns with measurable social or environmental value. Money is channeled—through dedicated products—into projects such as job creation, affordable housing, the ecological transition, and fighting exclusion. The approach has a dual purpose: to support meaningful initiatives (social inclusion, innovation, ecology, international solidarity) and to empower savers to actively contribute to economic transformation while protecting their assets.

    4. What’s the difference between solidarity savings and impact investing?

    Solidarity savings are products where all or part of the earnings—or even the principal—are directed to financing social economy players and local initiatives with strong societal impact. Impact investing focuses on investing in companies or projects that generate measurable benefits for society or the planet, alongside financial returns. Both aim to combine purpose and performance: solidarity savings emphasize the channelling of funds to impactful beneficiaries, while impact investing emphasizes intentional, measurable outcomes within investee companies or projects.

    5. Which solidarity savings and impact investing products are available in 2025?

    The offering is diverse and expanding. Key products include solidarity savings accounts (e.g., from mission-driven banks like La Nef or Crédit Coopératif), social or environmental impact funds (often certified by labels such as FAIR/Finansol), solidarity life insurance policies (where part of premiums or interest supports nonprofits or impact projects), and shares in cooperative or mutual companies to finance the social economy. Financial institutions, insurers, and asset managers are innovating to improve transparency and social effectiveness.

    6. How can I verify that a product is truly impactful? What do labels mean?

    Labels help ensure transparency and quality. The FAIR Label (formerly Finansol) certifies solidarity savings products and their genuine contribution to public-interest projects. SRI labels (Socially Responsible Investment) guarantee that ESG—Environmental, Social, and Governance—criteria are integrated into fund management. These labels serve as reliable guides for investors seeking traceable, tangible impact and are commonly referenced in product documentation and during educational workshops featured in the Week’s program.

    7. What happens during Solidarity Finance Week, and how can I get involved?

    The program spans conferences and panels with experts and social entrepreneurs, hands-on workshops to select investments and decode labels or tax aspects, afterwork meetups, and local initiatives across the country. Networks like CIGALES, France Active, and partner banks host events. FAIR also provides a free educational toolkit on its website. To get involved, explore the program and resources via FAIR, La Finance Pour Tous, and local ESS networks, then attend sessions that match your interests and values.

    8. What are the key figures for solidarity savings in France in 2025?

    According to FAIR, solidarity savings exceed €30 billion in 2025—nearly an 8% increase over 2024. More than 2.5 million people in France now hold at least one solidarity savings product, a number rising steadily for five years. Fund allocation reflects current priorities: 45% to the ecological transition, 30% to social inclusion and employment, 15% to international solidarity, and 10% to affordable housing. Interest is growing particularly among younger savers and families.

    9. Who are the main players and networks in solidarity finance?

    Key actors include FAIR (the association behind the Week and the sector’s leading certifier), CIGALES (citizen investor clubs supporting local projects), and France Active (a major network funding and supporting social entrepreneurs). Mission-driven banks such as La Nef, Crédit Coopératif, and Banque Postale offer dedicated products, while asset managers like Mirova and Ecofi manage certified impact funds. Beneficiaries range from social economy enterprises and local projects (housing, integration, sustainable agriculture, clean energy) to national and international solidarity causes.

    10. What are the potential benefits for investors?

    For investors, solidarity savings can diversify portfolios with moderate-risk products that also generate social value. Many savers—especially younger generations—want their money to support social change, and solidarity products are designed for purpose-driven investing. Some offerings include tax incentives, such as income tax reductions or partial capital gains exemptions. In certain cases, returns are comparable to traditional savings accounts, particularly for solidarity savings accounts offered by mission-driven banks.

    11. How is solidarity finance influencing financial markets and the economy?

    The rise of solidarity finance is prompting banks and asset managers to develop more responsible products, increase transparency, and publish detailed impact reports. Impact and socially labeled funds now account for over 20% of life insurance inflows in 2025, according to France Active. Economically, invested funds support social innovation, create thousands of jobs, finance affordable housing, and drive the ecological transition—nearly half of funds raised target energy transition or biodiversity protection projects. Citizen investment also strengthens local and regional economies.

    12. What trends and challenges should savers watch in the coming years?

    Savers increasingly expect greater transparency, digital-first offerings (online platforms, mobile apps, impact tracking tools), and personalization aligned with their values and risk profiles. Key challenges include standardizing and strengthening impact measurement to avoid “social washing,” improving accessibility for small savers and underserved groups, and encouraging more institutional capital to flow into impact products. Looking ahead, experts expect solidarity finance to play a central role in the ecological transition and the fight against inequality, with more public–private–nonprofit partnerships and growing international collaborations.