The role of nonprofit associations in combating social exclusion in France

Associations are increasingly participating in matters concerning social policies in France. The fight against the problems of social exclusion and the development of a social urgency field offer many opportunities for partnerships between the associative/nonprofit and public actors. Associations are invited to implement policies, with or sometimes instead of government administrations. At the same time, many strong associative networks intervene directly as experts supporting the ministerial cabinets that coordinate policy formulation. From this point of view, individual and contractual relations play an important role. Today, all the main social reforms in France are, in large part, founded on analyses and ideas provided by associative actors. Beyond the reinforcement of associations, and despite the fact they are simultaneously partners and interest groups, different associative leaders are working with some administrative and political actors to develop a new foundation for joint action between the government and nonprofit sectors. Under the guise of recent laws which normalize the position of the associations, this coalition is seeking to transform the national public accountancy in order to acknowledge the activities and riches produced by the nonprofit sector, Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.