365 Swiss foundations established in 2021 but sector consolidation continues

A large number of new foundations were established in Switzerland in 2021 according to a preview of the 2022 edition of the Swiss Foundation Report – one for every day of the year.

The number of new foundations – 365 – is an increase on the previous year, when 287 foundations were created. However, the number of liquidations also rose marginally during the year – from 208 to 219 – signalling a continuation of the Swiss foundation landscape’s consolidation.

These figures, collected by the Center for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS) at the University of Basel, indicate overall growth for the foundation sector, with a total of 13,524 charitable foundations registered in Switzerland at the end of 2021.

Growth of foundations by region

The Swiss foundation market varies at a regional level. The canton of Zurich now has the most foundations, at 2,232, followed by Bern, Vaud, Geneva, Basel-City and Ticino.

While the cantons of Zurich and Genva recorded the highest number of new foundations set up in 2021, in terms of net change, it is the cantons of Zug (+8%), Thurgau (+6%) and Aargau (+4%) that are seeing the most growth. With higher numbers of liquidations, net growth for foundations in Zurich rose by just 0.6 percentage points and fell by 0.8 percentage points in Geneva.

When it comes to density, Basel-Stadt reports the most foundations per 10,000 inhabitants at 46.3, although Zug, Glarus, Graubünden and Geneva also score highly in this regard.

The Swiss average is almost unchanged at 15.5 foundations per 10,000 inhabitants, which places the country in a top position worldwide.

The 13th edition of the Swiss Foundation Report will be published on 25 May. The annual foundation report provides an up-to-date picture of the Swiss foundation landscape. In addition to the facts and figures, it also deals with legal developments as well as topics and trends.

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