Swiss foundation sector reaches new high - Preview Foundation Report 2026
The Swiss foundation sector continues to grow, reaching a new record high of 13,782 foundations at the end of 2025. The canton of Zurich has the most foundations and the canton of Basel-Stadt the highest density of foundations. The canton of Geneva achieves the highest net growth with 31 foundations.
The Swiss foundation sector is growing steadily
Last year, 325 new charitable foundations were established throughout Switzerland, while 253 foundations were deleted. This means that net growth (+72 foundations) was once again significantly more positive than in the previous year (+30).
At the end of the year, there were 13,782 active foundations in Switzerland, a new high.
These figures underline both the continuing growth and the increasing consolidation in the foundation sector.
The canton of Geneva is the leader in net growth
At cantonal level, developments vary. The cantons of Geneva (+31 foundations) and Ticino (+16) recorded particularly high net growth.
In the other cantons, net growth remained largely stable. In the canton of Zug, the boom in crypto foundations appears to have leveled off: Ten new foundations were established compared to eight deletions.
The average foundation density in Switzerland is 15.1 foundations per 10,000 inhabitants. It remains highest in Basel-Stadt with 42.9 foundations, followed by Zug (34.2), Glarus (27.5) and Graubünden (26.7).
Several cantons have recognized the importance of foundations for regional civil society and are responding with studies, such as in St. Gallen or Lucerne, or concrete implementation measures, such as in Geneva and Zurich. These current developments will be described in more detail in the Swiss Foundation Report, which will be published in May 2026.
The Swiss Foundation Report is published annually by the Center for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS) at the University of Basel, SwissFoundations, the association of Swiss grant-making foundations, and the Center for Foundation Law at the University of Zurich. It contains current figures, facts and trends from Switzerland and abroad and aims to contribute to a better knowledge base in the foundation sector.
The full report will be published on May 26, 2026.