Getting involved with French community life - Associations
Associations offer many possibilities for connecting with residents with common interests
There is a large and growing cottage industry catering to people moving internationally, including from the U.S. to France. Some of these services offer advice on getting settled and building a new network of acquaintances,1 but few speak about the potential role of French Associations.
When speaking of associations in French, one often reads the phrase “la vie associative,” which gives a better sense of how to understand the word association as it is commonly understood in France. Translate “la vie associative” as “community life” and you’re halfway there. To be part of an association is to participate with people who form a community of interest—people who associate with each other to share interests and activities. In the anglophone world a “club” would be an example of what association means in French, but it goes beyond that to include many different types of non-profit groups. (The German concept of the Verein aligns better with the French association.)
Associations are extraordinarily diverse. A town band or orchestra? It’s probably an association. The same with groups dedicated to animal rights, to learning to dance, board games, cultural activities, walking and hiking, yoga, activities related to environmental protection, gospel choirs, board games, assisting students with academics, volunteer activities of many kinds—everything imaginable, especially in a larger city.
There is a legal and bureaucratic meaning as well.2 The French government distinguishes several kinds of associations, ranging from small informal groups of people without a need for managing the group’s finances, to larger entities that acquire legal recognition, tax status, and eligibility for receipt of public funding. These bureaucratically recognised and registered associations are viewed as an essential part of the French social fabric and their well-being and regulation is part of the portfolio of the Ministre des sports, de la jeunesse et de la vie associative.
To support associations and to promote involvement with them, public sector entities provide substantial infrastructure and information resources. There are, for example, more than one thousand Maisons des Associations across the country (though they might be called something different, depending on region). These facilities help local associations with advice and provide meeting rooms to allow them to meet their legal and social obligations, but they typically also disseminate information about the associations registered with them.3 Where I live, in Nice, there are no fewer than twelve Maisons des Associations scattered across the city’s neighbourhoods.4
The City of Nice also provides plenty of information online about associations active in its jurisdiction, too, including a website dedicated to current events sponsored by associations and an online directory searchable by topic and keywords.
As a newcomer to Nice in January 2022 I was interested in ways to integrate and to improve my conversational French. I happened to spot the Maison des Associations at Place Garibaldi, a major public square in the city centre, and looked at the information sheets for many associations posted on the bulletin board. I found an association that looked promising, made a phone call and started to meet weekly with a group of 15-20 people, primarily French and retired, for French and English conversation. The association also sponsors a more formal French learning activity, an “advanced French workshop” with a more literary focus. There is even a French-English scrabble group within the association. From members of this group I learned of another French association—this one more informally organised and without legal standing—offering a weekly language exchange programme that creates groups of two or three people to speak together for an hour in French, then another hour in English.
When you join an association, expect to pay a membership fee. A legally registered association has obligations that cost money, so a membership fee goes to pay such expenses (the association I joined to participate in language-learning activities costs €30 annually). Many small associations get help managing their finances from a non-profit called HelloAsso, which also is a good place to turn to find associations in your area of France—check out the page they sponsor for Nice, for example.
There is also an important national online resource that helps those interested in volunteering find suitable opportunities with associations, as well as with other civic organisations: the online resource JeVeuxAider.gouv.fr. Sponsored by the Ministry of Education, the site provides access to more than 20,000 volunteer missions across France as of January 2025. The discovery mechanism allows potential volunteers to find opportunities by municipality, type of activity, and keywords. It is also possible to register with the site and create a profile describing your interests, areas of competency, your availability, etc., enabling the site to match your profile to opportunities in your area, or even online volunteering opportunities. Once you register and have a public profile, expect to be contacted by local associations and other groups looking for volunteers.
Want to start getting involved with community life in your area of France? Want to find a charitable activity where you can volunteer your time and expertise? Stop by the mairie (city hall) and ask about associations. Chances are you’ll find a group that shares your interests and welcomes you into its fold.
See, for example, “How to find an expat group overseas,” sterlinglexikon (6 November 2023) https://www.sterlinglexicon.com/resources/how-to-find-an-expat-group-overseas (consulted 22 December 2024)
See “Les différentes formes d’association,” Ministère des sports, de la jeunesse et de la vie associative https://www.associations.gouv.fr/les-differentes-formes-d-association.html (visited 25 November 2024) ; and “Associations,” Service-Public.fr https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N31931 (visited 25 November 2024)
“Maison des associations (MDA) : de quoi s’agit-il et quel est leur rôle ?” AssoConnect https://www.assoconnect.com/blog/ (visited 25 November 2024)
“Liste des Maisons des Associations,” Mairie de la Ville de Nice https://www.nice.fr/uploads/media/default/0001/13/liste%20des%20maisons%20associations_5.pdf (visited 25 November 2024)
Great read and reminder of where to look. As a fellow recent mover to France (via the UK then Switzerland) I'm looking forward to reading more of your writing. Heading off there now.