Fondation Des Fondateurs

What Fondation Des Fondateurs does

Fondation des Fondateurs (FdF) is a Swiss charitable foundation established in March 2007 by Lori and Karl Lutz-Dinkel in Buchberg SH, operating since July 2021 from its headquarters at Breitingerstrasse 35, 8002 Zurich. FdF functions as an independent umbrella foundation (Dachstiftung) supervised by the Swiss Federal Foundation Supervisory Authority (Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht, ESA) and is a member of SwissFoundations. It provides dependent foundations, smaller endowments, and individuals/families seeking philanthropic vehicles with a pooled administrative and asset-management platform, structured around two fund types — the Allgemeiner Fonds (general-purpose fund) and the zweckbestimmter Fonds (dedicated-purpose fund) — and additionally hosts independent foundations under its roof.

FdF's core service offering comprises administrative pooling (bookkeeping, accounting, auditing, annual reporting, regulatory accountability), professional asset management through an experienced third-party partner, and automatic tax-exempt status conferred through integration with the umbrella structure. It requires no minimum capital to establish a fund, in contrast to the CHF 50,000 minimum for an independent foundation under federal supervision and CHF 1–2 million recommended endowment for basic operational viability. The platform also hosts pre-existing independent foundations (notably the Hirschmann-Stiftung since 2022 and the Alfred Vogt-Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology since 2023) and absorbed the Stiftung Coop Tagungszentrum CTZ in November 2021.

FdF is governed by a Foundation Board (Stiftungsrat) including co-authors of the Swiss Foundation Code, and as of mid-2026 is led on an interim basis by Margrit Teuscher Bernhard following the departure of Dr. Pierre-Guillaume Kopp. With nearly 80 funds under management and an annual funding volume of approximately CHF 25 million in 2025 (versus CHF 20 million during Matthias von Orelli's 2015–2025 tenure), FdF positions itself as Switzerland's leading independent umbrella foundation. Revenue is generated through managed-services fees on hosted funds; no fee schedule is publicly disclosed.

Name

Fondation Des Fondateurs

Legal name

Fondation des Fondateurs

Website

https://fondateurs.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondation des Fondateurs is a Swiss independent umbrella foundation (Dachstiftung) that hosts nearly 80 dependent and independent charitable funds, providing pooled administration, asset management, and tax-exempt status to philanthropists, families, and legacy foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Administration Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Umbrella foundation services
• Foundation administration
• Endowment fund management
• Charitable foundation hosting
• Pooled asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Management Services: Revenue generated through administrative fees for managing endowment funds under the umbrella foundation. The foundation provides pooled administrative services including bookkeeping, reporting, asset management coordination, and regulatory compliance. Costs are shared among pooled foundations, making it more economical than independent foundation establishment. No explicit fee structure or percentage disclosed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fondation des Fondateurs is a Swiss umbrella foundation (Dachstiftung) that provides dependent foundations and endowment funds with pooled administrative services including bookkeeping, reporting, and asset management coordination. It offers two main fund vehicles — a general foundation fund (Allgemeiner Fonds) without content or geographic restrictions and purpose-specific dedicated funds (Zweckbestimmte Fonds) — along with automatic tax-exempt status, governance support, and foundation hosting for existing independent foundations.

Product overview

Fondation des Fondateurs operates as an umbrella foundation (Dachstiftung) established in 2007, offering a platform for pooling resources, administration, and asset management for charitable foundations. The core offering includes two fund structures: the Allgemeiner Fonds (General Fund) for unrestricted charitable giving and zweckbestimmte Fonds (Dedicated Foundation Funds) for purpose-specific initiatives. Additional services include administrative pooling (bookkeeping, auditing, reporting), professional asset management, and automatic tax exemption. The organization also hosts independent foundations under its roof and provides management services for existing foundations. With approximately 80 endowment funds and a funding volume of CHF 25 million, it is recognized as Switzerland's leading independent umbrella foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Umbrella Foundation Service (Dachstiftung) An umbrella foundation (Dachstiftung) offering pooled administrative services, asset management, and project support to dependent foundations and smaller endowment funds. Offers two main fund vehicles: a general foundation fund and purpose-specific dedicated funds, with tax-exempt status provided through integration.
• Allgemeiner Fonds (General Fund)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduction in annual administrative costs compared to independent foundation (up to 50,000 CHF for independent foundations)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EducaSwissminorOthers · 1 July 2021Office co-location partnership at Breitingerstrasse 35, 8002 Zürich. EducaSwiss (Swiss Foundation for Education Promotion and Financing) shares office space with FdF at the new location following FdF's relocation in July 2021.
• SwissFoundationscoreOthersFdF is a member of SwissFoundations, the association of Swiss grant-making foundations. This membership provides network connections, sector representation, and participation in foundation sector developments and best practices.
• Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht (ESA)coreOthersFdF is supervised by the Swiss Federal Foundation Supervisory Authority (ESA) as a charitable foundation with national and international operations, ensuring regulatory compliance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stifterverband: Germany's leading association and service network for science foundations and corporate giving, administering pooled programs and grants administration. Broader scope than FdF but operates a similar intermediary role between donors, foundations, and causes in a regulated market.
• Schwab Charitable: Largest US donor-advised fund sponsor, affiliated with Charles Schwab. Operates pooled investment and grantmaking infrastructure for HNW donors; comparable role at much larger scale and as an incumbent in the DAF category.

Direct peers

• StiftungSchweiz: Swiss foundation platform providing information, networking, and intermediary services to grantmaking foundations in Switzerland. Closest Swiss-headquartered organization to FdF in role and geography, with overlapping foundation-sector membership base.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): UK-based charitable giving intermediary operating Gift Aid, donor-advised funds, and corporate giving accounts. Directly comparable to FdF as a pooled administration, multi-vehicle charitable intermediary serving HNW donors and foundations in a regulated environment.
• Foundation Source: US-based provider of foundation administration, back-office services, and compliance support for private foundations and DAFs. Closely comparable outsourced-admin service model to FdF's pooled administrative offering.
• National Philanthropic Trust (NPT): US donor-advised fund sponsor and giving platform offering pooled giving, grantmaking, and back-office services to individuals and institutions. Comparable business model to FdF's umbrella foundation concept, scaled for the US market.
• American Endowment Foundation: US DAF sponsor providing donor-advised funds, endowment administration, and pooled back-office services to individuals and family foundations. Direct comparable in service model and customer profile.

Others

• SwissFoundations: Verband Schweizer Förderstiftungen — the industry association of Swiss grantmaking foundations, of which FdF is a member. Related as sector body and network infrastructure rather than direct competitor, but functionally adjacent in pooling resources and representing Swiss foundation interests.

Regional players

• Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft (FAG) / Haus der Stiftungen Zürich: Swiss foundation that previously housed FdF until its 2021 relocation; provides meeting infrastructure and advocacy for Zurich foundations. Operates in the same regional ecosystem with overlapping foundation-sector membership.

Emerging players

• Daffy Charitable: Tech-enabled US DAF platform offering low-cost, app-based donor-advised funds with fast onboarding. Represents the digital-native emerging model that could pressure traditional umbrella foundations like FdF if it expanded into the Swiss/European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-des-fondateurs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fondation Des Fondateurs