In an interview with AGEFI, Etienne Eichenberger, co-founder of the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation (SPF), recalls the impact of the crisis on the actions of the sheltered foundations. He explains how SPF was able to use its expertise to help the WHO to approach non-state donors for the first time. The launch in partnership with the United Nations Foundation of the Covid-19 Solidarity Reponse Fund is already a success, with contributions amounting to 149 million dollars. Still in connection with the current pandemic, he mentions the Verbier Festival Emergency Relief Fund, initiated by the founder and director of the Verbier festival Martin T:son Engstroem and patrons of the arts to help festival artists affected by the virus.
While the priority of donors is currently to support the medical emergency, notably through research into a vaccine against the coronavirus, Etienne Eichenberger outlines longer-term perspectives and orientations for a sheltering foundation such as SPF and philanthropy. His response to the scale of the new challenges facing society implies ambition and humility.
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