Corporate Foundations in Europe

Corporate Foundations as Partnership Brokers in Supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

“…Second, this study is the first to survey CFs in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Germany comprehensively and includes an inventory of CFs in these three foundation sectors. Based on a small sample, this study has indicated the kinds of CFs (in terms of age, size, model, and area of activity) that the overall inventory is composed of, thus allowing a more accurate specification of the already known figures from previous studies [26]. Third, as not all companies that voluntarily donate funds, in-kind resources, or time formalize their corporate giving into a CF, the findings of this paper may also be valuable for research into other non-institutionalized corporate philanthropic activities (e.g., corporate volunteering and donations).…”

“…The enabling environment for CFs in these three countries is considered particularly favorable, as tax incentives for companies that donate money are in place, the legal status of CFs is the same as for charitable foundations, and the public perception of charitable foundations is generally positive. CFs are perceived, in these countries, as an important element of the foundation sector, which is particularly true for large foundations that are well-known by the public, such as the Vodafone foundations [26].…”

“…Although CFs, as an institutionalized form of CP, have become increasingly set up and visible in practice [12], their potential for achieving the SDGs has not been widely addressed in academic research. Previous studies on CFs have mainly focused on different types [18,19], their governance structure [20,21], their reputational benefit for the founding firm [22,23], their influence on corporate financial performance [24,25], or their institutional context in different regions and countries such as Europe [26], the U.S. [27], China [28], Russia [29], and Latin America [30].…”

How Managerial Practices Impact Perceived Organizational Effectiveness: A Study of Corporate Foundations

“…Third, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are recognized as international financial centers. Therefore, examining corporate foundations based in these countries can help us understand global philanthropy and the effectiveness of the philanthropic sector across borders (Gehringer and von Schnurbein 2020). Finally, each of these countries has a vital foundation sector, in which corporate foundations are perceived as important and well-integrated elements.…”

“…Finally, each of these countries has a vital foundation sector, in which corporate foundations are perceived as important and well-integrated elements. They benefit from the same positive public perception and tax advantages for their donors as other charitable foundations (Gehringer and von Schnurbein 2020). Following Minciullo and Pedrini (2020), eligible corporate foundations had to be (1) charitable, (2) have one or several corporate founding bodies, (3) from whom they were legally independent, (4) and received the majority of their endowment or annual income.…”