Respon­si­ble.

Warum ist Verant­wor­tungs­be­wusst­sein heute so Why is respon­si­bi­lity so central today?

Andrea Studer: Phil­an­thro­pic capi­tal is asso­cia­ted with a great deal of respon­si­bi­lity. Foun­da­ti­ons take on comple­men­tary tasks that no one else is willing to perform, either by state insti­tu­ti­ons or the private sector, often also invol­ving risk issues. Chari­ta­ble foun­da­ti­ons are tax-exempt, which crea­tes obli­ga­ti­ons to the public, inclu­ding the need to make trans­pa­rent decis­i­ons and to consis­t­ently fulfil their purpose. Respon­si­bi­lity is not limi­ted to indi­vi­dual grant decis­i­ons. It encom­pas­ses stra­tegy, commu­ni­ca­tion and invest­ment policy equally. If you want to have an impact, you have to show what you are doing, why – and with what results.

Where is this heading – what oppor­tu­ni­ties and chal­lenges will arise? 

Public expec­ta­ti­ons are high and foun­da­ti­ons are obli­ged to act and commu­ni­cate in a coher­ent manner. Digi­tal tools help foun­da­ti­ons to present their profiles, crite­ria and results in a visi­ble and trans­pa­rent manner. Those who are not alre­ady trans­pa­rent will be forced to become so by digi­tal tech­no­logy. The oppor­tu­nity lies in proac­tive clarity: from dialo­gue on appli­ca­ti­ons to report­ing, from guide­lines for gran­ting to bench­mar­king and cost trans­pa­rency on the invest­ment side. The major chall­enge is to embed this in ever­y­day prac­tice – in the office, the foun­da­tion board and in opera­tio­nal business. 

What does this mean for prac­tice today? 

Start with stan­dards and live by them. Walk the talk. Use the Swiss­Foun­da­ti­ons Code as a compass, publish crite­ria and proces­ses precis­ely, keep profiles up to date. Include invest­ment policy: define goals and guide­lines, regu­larly ques­tion and review crite­ria – not as a compul­sory exer­cise, but as part of impact orien­ta­tion. Less programme, more prag­ma­tism in imple­men­ta­tion. This is how credi­bi­lity is crea­ted – not as an aspi­ra­tion, but as a practice.

Get invol­ved now

Respon­si­ble foun­da­tion work takes the Swiss­Foun­da­ti­ons Code seriously: impact-orien­ted, trans­pa­rent and coher­ent – in grant-making and in asset manage­ment. The Sphe­riq theme focus on “Digi­tal Asset Manage­ment” in autumn 2025 will provide orien­ta­tion. In the boot camp, we will show you in a prac­ti­cal way what a modern invest­ment policy that fits the purpose can look like.

spheriq.ch/en/responsible