The Countess Albina du Boisrouvray, together with her family and some of François' friends, founded the Foundation in memory of her only child, François-Xavier Bagnoud, a helicopter pilot killed in a 1986 crash at the age of 24 on a flying mission in Mali, West Africa, during the Paris-Dakar road race.

Independant of the other philanthropic activities of the Foundation, the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud is involved in more than two dozen initiatives involving children's rights, health and human rights, and pediatric HIV/AIDS in 17 countries. The Association's operations are independent of the Foundation and require co-financing from other sources