The Evens Foundation aims to foster democratic resilience and imagination in an era of rapid technological and societal change.
We believe in democracy’s core promise: government for and by the people. But European democracy is struggling to keep pace. (Young) people are losing trust in its institutions, while public discourse, political participation, and civic engagement are being reshaped in ways that threaten its future.
To meet this challenge, we are investing in digital initiatives, critical thinking, education, and innovative civic participation—online and offline. We aim to equip young people with the knowledge, tools, and agency to shape the futures they envision and interrogate their current realities.
Based in Brussels and Warsaw and active across Europe, the Evens Foundation is a hybrid organisation—we initiate and develop projects, co-fund and collaborate, and award strategic grants to support urgent initiatives.
Our current focus areas:
Civil Society & Civic Engagement
How can we reimagine and strengthen spaces for civic engagement, making them more accessible, relevant, and impactful for young people?
Media & Access to Information
In an era of contested information, how can we challenge, harness, and reshape the algorithms that guide attention online?
Public Education
With education systems under pressure, how can we rethink learning and interrogate the role of democratic education in both formal and informal spaces?
Political Pluralism
Polarisation is deepening. How can we equip young people with the tools to navigate and depolarise political discourse?
The Evens Foundation was founded in 1990 by Irene Evens-Radzyminska and George Evens as a commitment to the European Project—a vision of unity and solidarity over division. Having survived World War II and found new hope in Belgium, they dedicated the Foundation to fostering a just and inclusive Europe.
Under the leadership of their daughter, Corinne Evens, the Foundation expanded its focus to education, intercultural dialogue, and tackling racism and xenophobia. Through bold initiatives and strategic philanthropy, it became a catalyst for social change.
Today, a new generation is steering the Foundation forward. Jonathan Evens and Déborah Flon are reorienting its mission, recognising the urgent need to rethink civic participation in a rapidly evolving world.