Posted on July 19, 2012 by PM Team
Solid growth for Fondation Philanthropia in 2011
Fondation Philanthropia, a Swiss umbrella foundation created in 2008 to support the philanthropic initiatives of Lombard Odier’s clients, continues to grow, according to its annual report published this month.
During 2011, Fondation Philanthropia provided funds to
30 organizations, with total paid or committed donations of
approximately CHF 3.3 million. This is an increase on 2010 levels
when the foundation allocated donations worth CHF 2.1 million.
Donations were made to a diverse range of charitable projects, both
by theme and size of organisations selected. The budgets of these
organisations fall across a broad spectrum from less than CHF
500,000 to more than CHF 10 million.
The foundation's strategy is based primarily on supporting the
aspirations of its donors. "Our clients first of all want us to
help them understand the challenges presented by the sector they
want to get involved in, to structure their project, and, lastly,
to assess its results and impact," says Karin Jestin, a member of
the board of Fondation Philanthropia and head of
philanthropy at Lombard Odier. "Donors are now just as concerned
about effectiveness and results in their philanthropic engagements
as they are in their working lives."
The report describes two distinct ways of giving: thematic funds
for donors wishing to support pre-selected projects and sheltered
funds for donors wanting to be more actively involved in choosing
projects and allocating their donations. Both approaches attempt to
reduce administrative tasks and operating costs through shared
services.