Exclusive access for SwissFoundations members

Vision
Advancing digitalisation will lead to increased pressure to act for all participants in the philanthropy sector over the next few years. As in other areas of society, digitalisation will also lead to significant changes in the foundation sector. As the voice of Swiss grant-making foundations, SwissFoundations is actively shaping and steering this development together with its members.

Co-operation

SwissFoundations, the association of Swiss grant-making foundations, and stiftungschweiz.ch, the Swiss online portal for the charitable world, are working together in a pioneering collaboration to strengthen the foundation sector in Switzerland. As part of the cooperation, the organisations are exploring the digital possibilities of philanthropy. All news can be found here or linked at the bottom of this page.

Action
During the pilot phase until the end of 2026, SwissFoundations members will benefit from free use of all digital tools from stiftungschweiz.ch at the ‘Partner’ subscription level. In addition to unlimited research, the creation of their own networks, access to funding and SwissFoundations networks, this also includes free use of the new application management tool. Our members also have the opportunity to play an active role in the further development of digital opportunities. You can find all the details in these FAQs.

In contrast to many other sectors, the foundation sector still has the opportunity to actively shape digitalisation and use it as a tool to strengthen impact-oriented funding activities. Used correctly, digitalisation offers five key opportunities for the foundation sector in particular:

1. More collaboration: Digitalisation is above all an opportunity for more collaboration and the pooling of resources and strengths – both among the funding foundations and within the sector as a whole.
2. Better knowledge exchange: Digitalisation facilitates sharing and inspiration across all stakeholders, sectors and national borders. Do’s, don’ts and best practices can be made easily accessible and discussed together.
3. Increased transparacy: The use of digital tools creates greater transparency and traceability in funding activities and strengthens the ‘licence to operate’, including vis-à-vis national and international authorities (FATF, AEOI).
4. Increased efficiency: The automation of certain tasks and the support provided by digital working tools create leaner and faster internal processes.
5. More effective funding activities: By using and evaluating data, the allocation of funds can be optimised, while analysing data allows relevant trends and developments to be identified at an early stage and funding activities to be geared towards the future.

When used correctly, digitalisation offers the Swiss foundation sector a unique opportunity to achieve even greater impact. SwissFoundations has therefore set itself the goal of unlocking the potential of digitalisation for the sector and making the best possible use of it by the end of 2026. To this end, the association is joining forces with the StiftungSchweiz platform in a pioneering partnership and, together with its members, is testing how digital tools and artificial intelligence can be used to support social change even more effectively and in line with needs. The partnership with StiftungSchweiz enables SwissFoundations and its members to use customised digital solutions that make their work more efficient and strengthen their position in the sector.

StiftungSchweiz offers a wide range of resources, tools and networks that have been specially developed for grant-making foundations. These are in particular:

• Application management tool:  StiftungSchweiz contains an integrated application management tool that enables streamlined and efficient funding processes. As a SwissFoundations member, you benefit from free access and can test it at any time without obligation.
• Better networking via selected networks:
  The network offering facilitates collaboration in the virtual space (similar to LinkedIn for philanthropy). You can join existing networks (e.g. those of the SwissFoundations working groups) or open new ones yourself, form alliances and exchange information on specific topics. The privacy settings can be customised as required (e.g. ‘private and not visible’, ‘only visible to members’ or ‘public’).
• Better overview of all philanthropic actors and topics: StiftungSchweiz enables an easy search and overview of other players and various topics in the philanthropic sector.
• Further education and knowledge: Step by step to more knowledge about philanthropy – StiftungSchweiz, SwissFoundations and other partner organisations offer various webinars and online workshops on the platform.
• Publications: Comprehensible and inspiring expertise in factsheets, white papers and in the industry magazine ‘The Philanthropist’.
• Outlook – AI tools for more efficient funding: StiftungSchweiz is currently developing AI tools that can support the funding process and enable more efficient allocation of resources.

During the three-year pilot phase (until December 2026), access to the StiftungSchweiz platform is free of charge for members of SwissFoundations at ‘Partner’ level (highest level, equivalent to CHF 1,650 per year). If the platform proves successful for our members, they will also be given free access beyond the pilot phase.

Before the end of the three-year pilot phase, a joint evaluation will be carried out to assess the effectiveness of the partnership and the achievement of the common goal of using digitalisation to the best possible advantage of Swiss grant-making foundations. Based on these results, a decision will be made as to whether the partnership will be continued and how it can be further developed if necessary. This could include the integration of new functions, the scaling of the collaboration or the development of new projects.

Follow the step-by-step registration process on StiftungSchweiz. Please note: In the ‘Find your organisation’ step, it is essential to link up with the SwissFoundations member foundation in order to benefit directly from the free partner offer on StiftungSchweiz.

If you have any questions, please use the chat function at stiftungschweiz.ch or send an e-mail to support@stiftungschweiz.ch.