Foundations

Executive Search for Foundations –

with an understanding of purpose, governance and impact.  

Between Volunteerism and Professionalization: Where the Foundation Sector Stands

At the end of 2024, 13,722 charitable foundations were registered in the Swiss commercial register, with a combined total asset base of approximately CHF 100–150 billion. With around 15 foundations per 10,000 inhabitants, Switzerland ranks among the world’s leading centers of philanthropy—roughly six times more than Germany or the United States. The sector continues to grow steadily, and with it, the demands placed on its leadership.

For many years, foundation leadership was largely shaped by volunteer engagement. This picture is increasingly changing. A sustained wave of new foundations—298 established in 2024 alone—highlights a trend in which wealthy individuals without direct heirs are increasingly using foundations as instruments for long-term wealth and estate planning.

At the same time, expectations regarding transparency, impact measurement, and professional governance are rising. Foundations that aim to actively shape this transformation depend on leaders who understand both the foundation’s mission and the operational and strategic requirements of modern organizations.

The challenges are often similar across sectors: attracting independent individuals to foundation boards who not only bring professional expertise, but also sufficient time availability and a credible commitment to the foundation’s purpose.

In addition, there is an inherent tension between long-standing traditions and the need for renewal, alongside growing expectations for executive management to take on a more proactive role—going beyond administration to drive areas such as impact measurement, digitalization, and strategic communication.

Structure and Focus Areas of the Swiss Foundation Sector 

The Swiss foundation sector is characterized by a wide thematic diversity. Funding purposes range from social causes to culture and education, as well as global health and sustainable development.

Despite this diversity, data from the ESA Foundation Directory reveals clear priority areas, each with distinct requirements in terms of governance, leadership, and subject-matter expertise. A differentiated understanding of these sectors is essential for the targeted appointment of key positions.

Leadership with a Clear Focus on Impact and Purpose

What sets a leader apart in the foundation environment is fundamentally different from other sectors. Impact orientation must be a genuine inner conviction – not a talking point. Independence on the foundation board is a legal requirement and an ethical non-negotiable. And the ability to create real impact within resource-conscious structures, without compromising on quality, is a leadership discipline in its own right.

Added to this is the regulatory reality: the foundation law revised in 2024 requires foundations to disclose total compensation annually under Art. 84b of the Swiss Civil Code, while simultaneously granting founders greater flexibility in adapting organisational structures and purposes. Whoever takes on leadership responsibility within a foundation must fully understand this dynamic – and engage with it constructively.

We fill positions where exactly that matters:

• Executive Director / CEO with a focus on stakeholder management, grant programmes and organisational professionalisation – or with experience in the founding and build-up phase
• Foundation Board Member (independent) with financial, legal or subject expertise and a deep understanding of fiduciary responsibility
• Head of Programmes / Grants Management for the substantive management of funding activities, partner relationships and impact evaluation
• CFO / Head of Finance for strategic asset management, investment oversight and regulatory compliance
• Head of Communications for transparent reporting to beneficiaries, the public and supervisory authorities

A Sector with Depth: What We Know from the Swiss Foundation World 

The Swiss foundation sector is more diverse than it appears at first glance. It ranges from billion-franc international grant-making foundations to local social foundations with a handful of staff – and everything in between. What unites them: the purpose is non-negotiable. Leadership must do it justice.

We draw on the standards set by the most professional Swiss foundations – and translate that understanding to the individual situation of our clients.

Four defining foundation types we know well:

1.  Large Grant-Making Foundations Institutions such as the Jacobs Foundation, the Ernst Göhner Stiftung or the Gebert Rüf Stiftung set the benchmark for professional grant-making, impact reporting and foundation board governance. Their structures demand leaders with strategic maturity and a deep understanding of impact measurement. 

2. Corporate-Linked Foundations Institutions such as the Fondation Hans Wilsdorf or the Fondation Sandoz combine entrepreneurial origins with a philanthropic purpose. Their leadership structures call for personalities who have genuinely internalised both business logic and foundation mandate. 

3. Operational Foundations such as the Aga Khan Foundation or numerous social and healthcare foundations run their own programmes, institutions and projects. They need leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset, specialist depth and a strong drive for execution. 

4. Family and Succession Foundations With the revised foundation law of 2024, family foundations are gaining in attractiveness. In Switzerland, it is no longer necessary to fall back on Anglo-Saxon trusts or Liechtenstein structures. This structural shift is creating growing demand for experienced, discreet leadership support in a sensitive environment. 

Placement with Conviction: Why Discretion and Shared Values Are Decisive Here 

In the foundation environment, trust is the hardest currency. Beneficiaries, the public and supervisory authorities observe how leadership is practised – not just how it appears on paper. A misplaced appointment on the foundation board or in the executive team affects not only internal dynamics, but the reputation of the entire institution.

The size of the managed budget, the number of staff, and the scope of responsibilities all play a decisive role in defining the right profile – but must always be assessed in the context of the foundation's purpose. What qualifies as strong leadership in a management consultancy may be entirely out of place in a foundation setting.

Wirz & Partners acts as a sparring partner for foundation boards, executive teams and founding families. We rapidly grasp the requirements of a role, identify the specific success factors – and develop a search profile that goes beyond the CV. Purpose alignment, independence and personal values are not a footnote in our process – they are central selection criteria.

Why Wirz & Partners? 

• Sector-specific expertise – deep understanding of foundation law, governance requirements and the logic of impact-driven organisations
• Structured search process – efficient, transparent and proven
• Discretion & confidentiality – sensitive handling of placement mandates in a values-intensive sector
• Long-term fit – we think beyond the placement: purpose alignment, independence and personal values are central selection criteria
• Exclusive network – rather than open advertising, we approach leaders directly and selectively – including those who are not actively looking
  
  

We bring together the language of foundation boards, executive teams and supervisory authorities – with sensitivity, precision and a long-term perspective. 

 Contact Wirz & Partners Today 

 Is your foundation facing a succession, a strategic realignment, or the build-up of a professional leadership structure? 

 Contact Wirz & Partners – for an initial, no-obligation conversation about your situation and the next steps.