Eight years after the launch of the study Advancing Philanthropy in Switzerland: A Vision for a Co-operative and Recognized Philanthropic Sector, this study thus presents a new effort to assess and support the continued development of the Swiss philanthropic sector. Its goal is twofold. First, it seeks to assess the sector’s effectiveness, collaboration, visibility, and transparency by means of high-quality empirical research to establish a current baseline. Second, it aims to derive recommendations that help to further strengthen the philanthropy ecosystem. Since resources continue to be finite, the question is essentially still the same as it was almost a decade ago: how can we do better, more efficiently?

The study represents a sector-wide initiative. The study counts the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Geneva, the Center for Philanthropy Studies at the University of Basel, proFonds, SwissFoundations, and the Canton of Geneva as academic, third- and public-sector partners. The study was incubated by Fondation Lombard Odier, and FSG served as its principal consultant. It has been co-financed by actors including Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Gebert Rüf Stiftung, Stiftung Mercator Schweiz and Fondation Lombard Odier. Via a cross-sector Steering Committee representing cantonal government, academia, local foundations and service providers, the authors aimed to assure the study’s depth and relevance. Moreover, forty-three experts across Switzerland and abroad helped identify the most relevant vitality indicators. A widely disseminated stakeholder survey added additional perspective to the analysis, and helped derive and put in perspective the recommendations put forth in this study for achieving additional progress over the next five years.

Steering committee: Dr. Maximilian Martin (chair)/Fondation Lombard Odier, François Geinoz/proFonds – Association faitière des fondations d’utilité publique en Suisse, Dr. Claudia Genier/SwissFoundations, Laetitia Gill/Geneva Centre for Philanthropy, Catherine Lalive D’Epinay/DDE Geneva, Prof. Henry Peter/Geneva Centre for Philanthropy, Marc Pfitzer/FSG, Prof. Georg von Schnurbein/CEPS, University of Basel, Catherine Zimmermann/DDE Geneva