What is the AlphaOmega Foundation?
The AlphaOmega Foundation is dedicated to promoting educational success of young people from modest backgrounds. Founded in 2010 by Maurice Tchenio, a pioneer of private equity in France, the Foundation applies a model inspired by venture capital: Venture Philanthropy. This approach combines financial support with strategic expertise to help high-impact social organizations scale up — with the goal of significantly reducing school dropout in France.
Who founded AlphaOmega?
Maurice Tchenio, a pioneer of private equity who introduced the model in France in the early 1970s by founding Apax Partners, is himself a product of the public education system. Coming from a modest background, he studied at Lycée du Parc in Lyon before pursuing distinguished academic studies — at HEC in France and then at Harvard internationally.
In 2010, after selling his shares in Apax Partners, he created the AlphaOmega Foundation with a desire to give back to the public school system that shaped his journey. His guiding belief: “A successful country is one where every young person has the chance to succeed.”
How is the AlphaOmega Foundation funded?
The AlphaOmega Foundation has established a professional private equity fund, which has attracted around thirty French investors.
What are the values of the AlphaOmega Foundation?
The AlphaOmega Foundation promotes educational success, — not only academic achievement, but also emotional, social, and psychological development, with the goal of helping every young person build a fulfilling personal path. To this end, the Foundation advocates for an educational alliance that brings together schools through teachers, families, and community-based educational partners such as nonprofits. The Foundation is non-political and non-religious.
What are the jobs of the AlphaOmega Foundation?
The AlphaOmega Foundation team is organized into two main areas of expertise. The first group — our Social Investment Directors — comes directly from the world of private equity, with backgrounds in finance and organizational consulting. The second group includes specialized roles in fundraising, human resources, digital transformation, public affairs, and communications.
Beyond education, do you support other causes?
The AlphaOmega Foundation dedicates all its financial and human resources to promoting the educational success of young people from modest backgrounds. This focused approach is a core principle of our Foundation, aimed at avoiding the dispersion of resources and responding to the urgent needs of students facing severe educational hardship.
How do I apply to join the Foundation?
The AlphaOmega Foundation recruits Pro bono professionals and welcomes interns and apprentices for periods of 3 to 6 months in the areas of social investment, fundraising, digital, and communications. You can send your application (CV and cover letter) to: contact@alphaomegafondation.com
What is Venture Philanthropy?
Venture Philanthropy is a strategic approach to philanthropy aimed at scaling up nonprofit organizations. Beyond financial support, it involves providing skills and expertise to help increase their social impact. This long-term engagement — typically over five years — focuses on organizational development and is grounded in a detailed analysis of impact on beneficiaries. It supports leadership teams in building their strategic roadmap, while also assisting operational teams in implementing it effectively.
What are the AlphaOmega Foundation's eligibility criteria?
The AlphaOmega Foundation supports educational nonprofits that operate at key moments of school dropout risk and have the potential to scale. Our eligibility criteria include:
– Nationwide presence
– A minimum of 10,000 beneficiaries
– A proven, scalable model
– Demonstrated impact
– A governance team committed to scaling up
Why is the Foundation not supporting more associations?
The AlphaOmega Foundation prioritizes deep strategic and operational support over one-off assistance to a large number of organizations. This approach accelerates the scaling of selected nonprofits and ensures lasting impact. By focusing its resources on a limited number of high-potential organizations, the Foundation maximizes their capacity for transformation and large-scale growth.
What is the duration of support for the AlphaOmega Foundation?
The support provided by the AlphaOmega Foundation is long-term, with a minimum commitment of three years. This duration allows for effective organizational structuring, team strengthening, and successful implementation of the nonprofit’s development strategy.
What is the average annual donation granted to associations?
The AlphaOmega Foundation’s financial support is tailored to each nonprofit’s needs, based on its stage of development and scaling ambitions. On average, the Foundation provides between €200,000 and €500,000 per year, primarily to fund key positions, strengthen organizational structure, and accelerate digital transformation.
How to become a pro bono partner?
The AlphaOmega Foundation partners with experts from the business world — including strategy consulting firms, digital transformation agencies, legal advisors, and communications agencies — to accelerate the structuring of nonprofit organizations. By working with the AlphaOmega Foundation, you maximize your social impact through a carefully selected portfolio of high-potential nonprofits, rigorous preparation, missions aligned with your expertise, and dedicated support from design to implementation. For more information, feel free to contact our Social Investment or Development Directors.
Why become a financial partner of the AlphaOmega Foundation to support educational associations?
The AlphaOmega Foundation supports leading education nonprofits, selected through a rigorous evaluation process. Becoming a financial partner allows you to amplify their impact on young people in difficulty and maximize the effectiveness of your contribution. The Foundation provides detailed reporting for each financial partner, ensuring full transparency and clear insight into the impact of your donation.
How can I finance the work of the AlphaOmega Foundation?
You can support the AlphaOmega Foundation through two main channels:
- A financial donation – The AlphaOmega Foundation is a government-recognized public-interest foundation (FRUP), making your donation eligible for a 66% income tax deduction, up to 20% of your taxable income.
- An investment via a shared-return financial product, allowing you to combine financial performance with social impact.
I am an investor, what are the different impact investment modalities offered by the AlphaOmega Foundation?
The AlphaOmega Foundation offers several investment opportunities aimed at supporting the educational success of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, through the development of two education-focused shared-return funds:
- The “Alpha Diamant VI” private equity fund, managed by Altaroc Partners S.A., is designed for large-scale investors, such as corporations, family offices, and institutional investors.
- The “Education” private equity shares of the FPCI “Altaroc Odyssey”, are intended for individual investors or qualified professionals.
How do I engage my employees in a CSR approach with the AlphaOmega Foundation?
Skills-based volunteering is at the heart of the AlphaOmega Foundation’s model. Employee engagement provides valuable expertise to nonprofit organizations. The Foundation supports companies in structuring skills-based volunteering missions, whether short-term (2 to 3 days per year) or long-term (1 to 2 years). Thanks to this structured approach, the Foundation identifies and offers missions where needs are most urgent. The AlphaOmega Foundation also welcomes professionals on long-term skills-based volunteering assignments within its own team, for periods ranging from 1 to 3 years.
