Organized by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, in partnership with the Center for Philanthropy Studies at the University of Basel (CEPS) and the Centre en philanthropie at the University of Geneva, the Master Class in Foundation Management took place from 17 to 19 June 2019 at Château de Bossey (VD).
The 2019 Master Class brought together 23 participants from Geneva, Lausanne, Berne, Schwyz but also from Portugal, the United Kingdom and Liechtenstein, mainly active in the foundations sector, but also in the financial, banking and legal fields.
The three days were punctuated by the intervention of philanthropy experts in fields as varied as they were complementary, relating to governance, the organization of the structure, impact, current developments and sustainable finance. These contributions were complemented by the testimonies of four representatives of the various roles in philanthropy, philanthropist, board member of a donor or project foundation, on various themes, such as culture, development aid and health.
The new module by Professor of Ethics François Dermange, devoted to the genesis of philanthropy, was also a great success with the participants. His lecture was devoted to questions of ethics, responsibility and duty around the gift and through the eyes of philosophers of antiquity and the Age of Enlightenment.
Participants unanimously agreed that they were better equipped to address the challenges and opportunities offered by philanthropy, and that they were all the more aware of the professionalism it requires.
“I have made mistakes in philanthropy but they have allowed us to move forward with the Foundation Board. You learn more in adversity,” said one of the participants.
Following the success of this edition, we invite you to pre-register online for the 2020 Master Class.
Previous