“Bridges, not walls”: a major community mobilisation in support of SINGA
Faced with a rise in xenophobic rhetoric and the collapse of a significant part of its funding, SINGA Global launched its very first crowdfunding campaign in 2025. In two months, more than 1,000 people rallied behind a simple conviction: a society is built through bridges, not walls.
On November 4th of 2025, SINGA Global launched an extraordinary crowdfunding campaign on Ulule entitled “Defend SINGA: Bridges, Not Walls”.
The goal was to raise €100,000 to ensure the continuity of the inclusion, entrepreneurship, and social connection programmes carried by SINGA across Europe.
A campaign born in a time of pressure on civil society
The launch of the campaign came at a critical moment for organisations committed to solidarity and inclusion.
Across Europe, the rise of nationalist and xenophobic rhetoric is increasingly undermining associations working on migration issues. In France, the budget cuts announced by the government in 2024 directly affected the solidarity and international aid sectors. At the same time, several private foundations pulled back from projects deemed “too inclusive” or “too anti-racist.”
In just a few weeks, SINGA lost more than 40% of its private funding, even as the need for support continued to grow. Due to the situation, the network made a choice: to turn directly to its community.
A major mobilization
On January 5th of 2026, at the end of the campaign, more than €110,000 had been raised thanks to over 1,140 contributors. Beyond the financial result, the campaign demonstrated SINGA’s ability to rally broad support around its causes and values.
Several highlights marked the campaign, including a live stream with the content creator Clemovitch that brought more than 7,000 people to discuss migration, the rise of hate speech, and the role of civil society organisations within this context of democratic backsliding.
A support dinner bringing together artists, comedians, and friends of the network, including Guillaume Meurice and Aymeric Lompret, further amplified this collective moment.
“This crowdfunding campaign became far more than a way to fund SINGA: it was an act of collective civic mobilisation, a democratic shield protecting the solidarity and the human connections that SINGA builds every day.”
Benoît Hamon, CEO of SINGA Global
A campaign carried by entrepreneurs and the SINGA community
One of the defining features of this campaign was its direct reliance on the entrepreneurs supported by SINGA, through the rewards offered to contributors.
Handcrafted products made by women entrepreneurs supported by SINGA Nantes, Plural coffee launched by Carlos, works by Iranian photographer Davood Maeili, the rewards were the concrete result of the talent, expertise, and initiatives flourishing within SINGA’s community.
A reminder that behind every programme supported by SINGA, there are people who create, build businesses, innovate, and actively contribute to the economic and cultural life of their environment.
Preserving spaces for solidarity and inclusion
The funds raised will support SINGA’s activities across its different countries throughout 2026, including:
- entrepreneurship programmes;
- initiatives fostering connections between people in exile and local communities;
- awareness-raising actions and efforts to shift the narrative around migration.
At a time during which several programmes were directly at risk due to insufficient funding, this campaign made it possible to protect jobs, preserve spaces of solidarity, and safeguard thousands of human connections built over the years.
