Recommendation by SwissFoundations, the Association of Swiss Grantmaking Foundations
The Corona crisis is worsening day by day and requires solidarity, consideration and flexibility from all of us. We are especially concerned about the people who are particularly hard hit because of their economic, social or health situation. However, the crisis also poses great financial and business challenges for non-profit associations and organisations.Many funding foundations are already committed and see it as their responsibility to stand by their beneficiaries in this exceptional situation.
SwissFoundations encourages all Swiss grant-making foundations to respond unbureaucratically, quickly and flexibly to the needs of beneficiaries and to follow this recommendation.
This provides that
- funding already committed to non-governmental organisations will be paid out even if the planned activity is cancelled or postponed, and any reclaiming of contributions already paid will be waived;
- funding contributions already pledged to non-governmental organisations are paid out even if agreed milestones and targets cannot be achieved due to the Corona crisis;
- foundations motivate their beneficiaries to find alternative formats for cancelled events or projects and support them in doing so;
- foundations adjust the deadlines for agreed project reports and be accommodating with regard to content and design;
- Foundations are prepared to examine, according to their legal possibilities and on a case-by-case basis, whether project-linked funding can be adjusted if necessary or whether its earmarking can be removed altogether in order to give the organisations the opportunity to react flexibly to the crisis. react flexibly to the crisis;
- Foundations, if their financial resources allow, provide additional funding over and above their existing funding budget;
- foundations listen to the concerns and fears of their beneficiaries and are prepared to look for individual solutions to their challenges.