Independent validation for Swiss foundation boardsIndependent validation for Swiss foundation boards
The assurance that what your board oversees is sound
Sitting on a foundation board means being personally responsible for assets that someone else manages every day. Our job is simple: we check, independently, that everything is being done properly, and we put it in writing. If everything is in order, your board holds an independent written opinion confirming it. If something needs attention, you hear it first, from an adviser who works only for you.
WHY OVERSIGHT IS HARD
The board's dilemma
- Board members are personally accountable for decisions that rest on the manager's own reporting.
- The one proposing a solution is also the one evaluating it.
- A board of people highly capable in their own fields does not always have an external point of comparison to know whether everything is truly in order.
What we bring
- An independent, written opinion on the mandate, from an adviser with no custody, no products and no stake in the outcome of the review.
- Documented evidence, year after year, that the board has verified what it oversees and exercised its duty of care.
- Early, candid warning when something deserves the board's attention, before it becomes a problem the board has to explain.
The board's dilemma
What we bring
- Board members are personally accountable for decisions that rest on the manager's own reporting.
- An independent, written opinion on the mandate, from an adviser with no custody, no products and no stake in the outcome of the review.
- The one proposing a solution is also the one evaluating it.
- Documented evidence, year after year, that the board has verified what it oversees and exercised its duty of care.
- A board of people highly capable in their own fields does not always have an external point of comparison to know whether everything is truly in order.
- Early, candid warning when something deserves the board's attention, before it becomes a problem the board has to explain.
Our record is established. Our discretion more so.
We advise foundation boards across Switzerland, and we do not publish their names. What we do for a foundation is reported to its board, not to the market, and yours would be treated the same way. References demonstrating the quality of our work are available upon request under a confidentiality agreement.
Five different services we could provide you
Independent review of the mandate
We go through how the foundation's money is being managed and confirm, in writing, that it matches what the founder intended and what your board agreed to.
Performance and risk analysis
How much risk was actually taken to produce the return you were shown, what drove it, and whether comparable institutions are paying less for the same service.
Review of the investment policy and strategic allocation
How well the current approach funds the grants you make each year, and for how long the foundation can sustain them at this level.
Choosing and testing a manager
We run the search, put the candidates through a proper competitive process, check them thoroughly, and negotiate the terms before anything is signed.
Support through the year
Preparing the meetings where the manager reports to you, and keeping a clear written record of everything your board has verified, year after year.