Our services

A bespoke approach for you

To understand your goals and help you shape your vision, we start by listening closely. Together, we identify the causes you care about most and discuss where you could make the difference. We offer a bespoke service, meaning we provide exactly the support you need.

We listen carefully to you, helping you to identify your inspirations, motivations, convictions and terms of engagement, using a tool specifically developed for this purpose, named “Family Philanthropy Navigator“. We help you to define your goals and to be strategic in your choices by providing the resources needed to answer any questions you may have.

Clarify the goal of your engagement including both your motivations and your ambitions,
Clarify how you will involve others in your project, as much within your family, your partners in the field as people who are important,
Organize your philanthropy by helping you choose the right structure and how to decide between you.

Once your engagement profile is established, we provide a portfolio of partner organizations based on our rigorous and independent selection model. These are organizations that provide a credible and efficient answer to the problems being addressed, achieve excellent results and have the potential to be viable and autonomous. Our methodology is based on rigorous expertise developped over many years with the aim of optimizing the resources you committed. Each organization that we recommend is closely analyzed and visited.

Source quality partners, organizations, and projects
Define the strategic allocation of your grants
Monitor and report on the impact of your grants

We have created educational programs in the field for the younger generations (20-40 years old) of the families we work with. The purpose of these training programs is to help the younger generation understand what the stakes are and experience the variety of possible ways that a family’s resources can be engaged in philanthropy.

We facilitate field trips between you and the project’s beneficiaries, providing an opportunity to better appreciate the impact of your donation. Enjoying the journey is all part of the adventure.

Every year, we organize a course for grant-making foundations in the French speaking part of Switzerland.

Design personalized field trips
Coordinate family retreats and next-generation involvement
Facilitate access to specialized training courses for donors

We are by your side to help you to reach the best impact possible, whether it is punctually by supplying you an external eye on your activities and processes, by organizing a workshop for the members of your family or foundation, or by accompanying you extensively in each projects of your foundation.

Assess the quality, results, and global impact of your philanthropy
Provide advice and expertise to achieve maximum impact
Facilitate collaborations with peers and foundations

Next Gen

Philanthropy NextGen Boot Camp 2021

A difference can be made in the field as well as within your family, shaping the kind of philanthropy that corresponds to your personality, your generation, your vision.

In order to achieve this, we will accompany you in your journey to understand your own family philanthropic model, get to position yourself on what are the strength of your family philanthropy and what you would do differently, define your own family philanthropic ambition, identify your role to inspire your family, and get prepared to make your philanthropy evolve.

For whom is the Bootcamp

To representatives of the younger generation who are asking themselves a number of questions about how to engage in philanthropy.

Young family members of philanthropists who wish, in an open but confidential space, to be inspired, reflect, exchange and build their own commitments in connection with history or family values.

Finally, to all those who want to exchange and share around the notion of commitment and generosity.

Discover the training in our presentation video in French.

Purpose of the Bootcamp

Exchange and share around the notion of generosity ; Inspire and reflect on your commitments in an open but confidential space ; Learn practical tips from other participants and from practical case studies.

When and Where

From September 1 to 4, 2021 near Lausanne in Switzerland

How to participate

To have more information about the program or to register, contact us : contact@wise.net

Foundation Board Academy

The Foundation Board Academy is a training and networking platform for board members of charitable foundations, co-founded by Beate Eckhardt, former CEO of SwissFoundations and expert in strategy and philanthropy, Professor Georg von Schnurbein CEPS director at the University of Basel and Etienne Eichenberger for WISE philanthropy advisors.

The Academy aims to promote professionalism and diversity in foundation boards and to contribute to an increased impact of donor foundations in Switzerland.

Through agile seminars and interactive training, reconciling pragmatism and anticipation, we are committed to transmitting our current knowledge of best management practices … while putting foundation board members in touch with their peers and with other stakeholders’ inspirations from the foundation industry.

For whom is the Academy

The Foundation Board Academy wishes to support the professionalization of Foundation board members. It is therefore addressed to:

To the President or member of a foundation that is entering a transition phase,
To the member of a board wishing to acquire or perfect good practices,
To the young professional wishing to become involved in the foundation boards and
To the one who explores the possibility of founding his own foundation.

Purpose

The importance of the Swiss foundation sector continues to grow. Not only are new foundations regularly created, but they are now recognized as important actors in civil society. The result is a requirement for exemplarity …

More than ever, the quality of the governance of the foundation boards of public utility foundations plays a key role. Discussions around good management practices, the reality of the impact societal or diversity reflect the increased public interest in foundations and the demand transparency associated with it. The persistence of a demanding financial environment as well as changes in the legal and regulatory framework also call for new skills and continuous professionalization process.

Our Agile Seminar offers current and future Foundation Board members training in quality, reconciling useful pragmatism to manage the daily life of foundations with the ability anticipation necessary to reflect on new organizational models, as well as the challenges of company to come.

Next Seminars

Through the Foundation Board Academy, we offer quality seminars and continuing education courses that are stimulating and focused on everyday life. We thus wish to transmit our expertise on the sector, and to network the members of our trained foundation boards, among themselves and with the foundation sector.

We offer the following seminars:

Better Foundation Governance, spring 2023, on the shores of Léman, (in French)

Thursday, March 23, 2023, 8h – 17h30 Lausanne, Meeting room at Café de l’Union

Before boarding, let’s respect the navigation rules

Thursday, April 27, 2023, 8h –17h30 Genève, Lake Geneva Hôtel

Stay on strategic and financial course

Thursday, May 25, 2023, 8h– 17h30 Lausanne, Meeting room at Café de l’Union

In the captain’s cabin

For more information, you can consult the training program.

How to Participate

Registrations are open now and the number of places is limited to 25 people.

For applicants under 35, you have the option of obtaining a scholarship by registering on the Board for Good website: Stipendienprogramm für junge Stiftungsrät:innen gemeinnütziger Stiftungen in der Schweiz (boardforgood.org).

We also remain at your disposal for any questions : fba@wise.net

Applications will be accepted on application.

Phone (Switzerland)	+41 22 321 77 37
e-mail	contact@wise.net
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