HEC Foundation Wraps Up Historic Fundraising Campaign: Over €200 million Raised

The HEC Foundation’s fundraising campaign, launched in June 2019, is the largest ever by a French higher education institute, totaling over €200 million thanks to the generosity of HEC’s donors. The money has already been invested in pursuit of HEC’s public-interest mission, financing equal opportunities, education programs and research as well as to step up HEC’s transformation process.

The HEC Foundation has announced the successful conclusion of its “Impact tomorrow” fundraising drive, designed to guide HEC through its transformation in the face of the economic challenges and changes confronting higher education. One of the goals of the campaign has been to consolidate HEC’s independent financing model while creating an inclusive, cutting-edge campus dedicated to training future leaders.

The campaign has raised over €213 million, easily beating the original 2019-2024 target of €200 million, and doubling the total of the previous 2013 effort. This success is due in no small part to the contributions made by almost 6,000 donors and Major Donors, whose numbers have increased two-fold. Notable benefactors include the French businessman Philippe Foriel-Destezet: the founder of Adecco, who passed away in 2021, remains the largest single donor to the Foundation. In addition, 53 corporate sponsors have rallied to give their backing to the school, representing 40% of the total amount.

The profile of donors has grown more diverse, including not just foundations and HEC graduates of all generations but also a growing number of non-alumni driven by the desire to support a higher education institute with HEC Paris’s impact capacity. Likewise, university chairs, which have traditionally been funded by private companies, are now also backed by private benefactors.

The share of international donations is on the rise, too, today accounting for 30% of contributions. 

In line with the campaign’s public-interest mission for greater inclusiveness in society, the monies raised have financed a host of educational initiatives for supporting students and championing equal opportunities. The mechanisms for promoting the latter have been scaled up, with over 5,000 students (more than 1,000 a year) benefiting from scholarships, mentoring and coaching schemes. The Prép'Etoile program has seen its scholarship students in preparatory classes double, jumping from 280 in 2018 to 580 in 2024. Additionally, 2,339 academic excellence scholarships have been awarded to attract top talent from around the world to HEC Paris.

Philanthropic patrons have funded international scholarship programs, such as the HEC Imagine Fellowship intended for students from war-torn countries; the Laidlaw Scholarship for facilitating access to the MBA program for disadvantaged women; the CMA CGM Excellence Fund for Lebanon; and PACT Afrique, which helps prepare young African students for HEC Paris.

The campaign has helped develop HEC Paris's centers and institutes of expertise, such as the Sustainability and Organizations Institute, the Hi! PARIS Center, and the Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute.

Research has also benefited from “Impact tomorrow”: 20% of research topics and 50% of case studies produced now focus on ESG subjects. The campaign has also been one of the driving forces behind the revamp of the school’s programs and the inclusion of sustainability-related subjects. 

Olivier Sevillia (MBA.90), President of the HEC Foundation, adds: “Thanks to the generosity of our community and beyond, we haven’t just hit the ambitious €200 million target we set in 2019 but surpassed it. The ‘Impact tomorrow’ fundraising campaign is a crucial milestone for the Foundation, laying down very solid foundations for the future”.

Eloïc Peyrache, Dean and CEO, remarks: “The ‘Impact tomorrow’ campaign has consolidated HEC Paris’s role as an impact platform in three ways: it has strengthened equal opportunities, transformed our teaching programs and supported innovation and social entrepreneurship. It has been instrumental in changing lives, creating new opportunities and equipping our students with the tools they need to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. These donations are vital for transforming our school and building its capacity to navigate the huge changes the world is going through”.

Delphine Colson (H.94), General Delegate of the HEC Foundation, concludes: “We’ve been able to deliver some remarkable initiatives thanks to the exceptional involvement of students, alumni, partners and friends of HEC throughout the five years of the campaign. Every donation has had a direct impact on HEC’s future, not just on teaching and research but also on the careers of talented young students. We’re immensely grateful to our donors, volunteers and ambassadors in France and internationally for their all-important support”.