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dotation

English translation: endowment

14:26 Feb 28, 2021
French to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Accounting
French term or phrase: dotation
Statuts of a medical foundation.

I'm aware that there are a lot of entries for dotation, but most of these refer a specific accounting operation. This is about assets.

"La dotation de la fondation, d'une valeur de huit millions d'euros (8 000 000 euros), est constituée de :
- biens immeubles : terrains et immeubles bâtis de laboratoires et de bureaux ... "

"Il vote les budgets et leurs modifications ainsi que les prévisions en matière d'effectifs, en prenant en compte l'objectif de pérennité de la dotation ;"

"Il définit un cadre de référence pour la gestion du patrimoine, notamment pour les biens composant la dotation dans le respect des articles 11 et 12 ;"

"A la date d'approbation des statuts, la dotation s'élève à 8 millions d'euros."

"Ces biens sont irrévocablement affectés à la dotation."

"A l'exception des opérations de gestion courante des valeurs mobilières composant la dotation, leur aliénation n'est valable qu'après autorisation administrative, délivrée sous réserve de maintien de la valeur réelle de la dotation."

"La délibération indique alors la part du produit de la vente qui sera réaffectée à la dotation."

"Les actifs éligibles aux placements des fonds composant la dotation sont ceux qu'énumère l'article R. 332-2 du code des assurances."

"La dotation est accrue d'une fraction de l'excédent des ressources nécessaires au maintien de sa valeur.
Elle peut être accrue en valeur absolue par une décision du conseil d'administration. Le directeur général informe chaque année le conseil d'administration de la consistance et de la valeur actualisées de la dotation à l'occasion de l'approbation des comptes."

As I say, they seem to be talking about nothing more nor less than "assets". My ordinary dictionary has "allocation; endowment". Bridge has "endowment; grant; appropriation; civil list; subsidy; subvention". None of these really seems to fit that well. In particular I don't understand the bit in the first sentence of the last quote. It seems that it is important that the "assets" (if such they be) have been held at a certain designated value.
Mpoma
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:04
English translation:endowment
Explanation:
What Is an Endowment?

An endowment is a donation of money or property to a nonprofit organization, which uses the resulting investment income for a specific purpose. An endowment can also refer to the total of a nonprofit institution's investable assets, also known as its principal or corpus, which is meant to be used for operations or programs that are consistent with the wishes of the donor(s). Most endowments are designed to keep the principal amount intact while using the investment income for charitable efforts.

Source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/endowment.asp

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Note added at 12 hrs (2021-03-01 02:34:16 GMT)
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https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/endowmen...
Selected response from:

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 22:04
Grading comment
Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1endowment
Francois Boye
4undertaking; equity fund
Adrian MM.
3the Foundation Fund
Daryo
Summary of reference entries provided
endowment
philgoddard

Discussion entries: 11





  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
undertaking; equity fund


Explanation:
It seems to me that dotation is being used in the sense of 'une entreprise' or partnership-type equity fund for the foundation.

If the foundation were inessence a trust, then trust fund would come into the frame.



Example sentence(s):
  • services referred to therein originate from the proprietor of the trade mark or an undertaking economically connected to it or, on the contrary, originate from a third party.
  • One of the biggest differences between a trust and a foundation is that a trust is not registered on any register or with any authority.

    Reference: http://taxguru.in/company-law/meaning-undertaking-section-18...
    Reference: http://www.tbf.org/what-we-do/special-funds/business-equity-...
Adrian MM.
Austria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 41

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Daryo: "the foundation fund" could make sense?
13 days
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
endowment


Explanation:
What Is an Endowment?

An endowment is a donation of money or property to a nonprofit organization, which uses the resulting investment income for a specific purpose. An endowment can also refer to the total of a nonprofit institution's investable assets, also known as its principal or corpus, which is meant to be used for operations or programs that are consistent with the wishes of the donor(s). Most endowments are designed to keep the principal amount intact while using the investment income for charitable efforts.

Source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/endowment.asp

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2021-03-01 02:34:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/endowmen...

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 22:04
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 150
Grading comment
Thanks
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks. See my comment to philgoddard's reference. But that is a very useful definition... "principal" or "corpus" might be marginally preferable.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rocsana Guignaudeau
5 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  Cyril Tollari
2 days 4 hrs
  -> Thanks!
disagree  Daryo: on a point of method: it maybe be, or maybe not be right - but with your method there is no telling - you DIDN'T check first what kind of beast would be "la dotation" as used in this ST
13 days
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13 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
la dotation
the Foundation Fund


Explanation:
seems to be a pretty good fit.

- has a legal personality
- only income can be used
- income is meant to finance some specific activity "of general interest", like research, education, sport ...

The Foundation Fund

A key objective for the World Federation is to ensure its own growth and sustainability as an organisation, so it can continue to have a positive impact around the world through community-centred projects.

To help achieve this, a Foundation Fund was set-up (= it would have a legal personality) in 2010, with a primary aim to generate sufficient income from capital invested to cover the indirect and infrastructure costs of the organisation.

Following years of development of this fund, total investments at the end of 2017 made up £4.74 million. These investments have been made across a diverse range of asset classes, with returns generated from property investment, community investments, joint ventures and asset backed opportunities.
...

https://www.world-federation.org/news/foundation-fund

no time for a more thorough research, so only CL3

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Note added at 13 days (2021-03-13 19:33:44 GMT)
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regarding

leur aliénation n'est valable qu'après autorisation administrative

can't be 100% sure without more details, but "autorisation administrative" sounds to me more like "the approval of some state authority" - that would have the oversight ("la tutelle") over this institution - rather than "the administrators of this Fund".



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Note added at 13 days (2021-03-13 19:37:49 GMT)
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I think that "l'Administration" is more likely to mean "the Civil servants in charge" (same as in the "Ford / Reagan / Obama" "administration")

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:04
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Francois Boye: The Foundation Fund is called its endowment
12 days
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Reference comments


9 mins
Reference: endowment

Reference information:
I know this is just one person's glossary entry, but I agree with it:
http://www.proz.com/personal-glossaries/entry/1612685-dotati...

Endowment
the property, funds, etc., with which an institution or person is endowed.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/endowment

philgoddard
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 89
Note to reference poster
Asker: Yes, "endowment" is the word I've been favouring, but I have sufficient doubt about it to have posted this question. In particular, it seems to me that in English we use this word to mean, really quite specifically, something which someone/some entity has given to another entity, often a charitable foundation. Phrases here tend to suggest that this dotation can be changed, seemingly at will, by the directors, and that there is some "duty" to maintain it at a certain level. To me that takes it a little bit too far away from any known use of the English word for comfort. I suspect it's something regulated by the State and by law, of a kind we don't really have in the Anglo-Saxon world.

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