Glossary
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Foundation
Like associations, foundations are legal entities. They often provide funds for charitable institutions. They are governed by the Civil Code (CC) in Articles 80 to 89bis. Foundations are not people-oriented, they are capital-oriented. A foundation is not based on members but on foundation capital dedicated to a specific purpose. The Board of Trustees makes sure that the foundation’s purpose is pursued. Similar to the executive committee of an association, the Board of Trustees is responsible for the management of the foundation. Foundations are supervised by the cantons or the federal government.
A distinction is made between operational foundations and grant-making foundations. An operational foundation does not fund projects by third parties. It invests its funds in projects that it initiates and implements itself. In practice, many foundations perform both operational and grant-making activities.
Swiss Foundations (www.swissfoundations.ch) is an association of grant-making foundations in Switzerland.
A distinction is made between operational foundations and grant-making foundations. An operational foundation does not fund projects by third parties. It invests its funds in projects that it initiates and implements itself. In practice, many foundations perform both operational and grant-making activities.
Swiss Foundations (www.swissfoundations.ch) is an association of grant-making foundations in Switzerland.
