Janine Händel, Executive Director of the Jakob and Emma Windler Foundation, is taking over as chair of SwissFoundations. The experienced philanthropy manager brings more than two decades of expertise in the foundation sector to the role.
Patrizia Rezzoli, Executive Director of the Seedling Foundation, and Bettina Stefanini, Director of the Foundation for Art, Culture, and History (SKKG), will serve as co-vice presidents. Andrea Studer, CEO of the Botnar Foundation, was newly elected to the board.
Women in Philanthropy
According to the 2026 Foundation Report, 32 percent of seats on Swiss foundation boards are held by women. At the chairperson level, this share drops to 14 percent. In contrast, women hold 41 percent of executive management positions. By appointing a female chairperson, SwissFoundations is sending an important signal to the industry.
Swiss Foundation Symposium 2026
This year’s Swiss Foundation Symposium will take place on September 8, 2026, at the Kursaal in Bern. Under the theme “And Action!”, this gathering of Swiss grant-making foundations will explore how human dynamics enable, accelerate, or even hinder the impact of foundations. The diverse program focuses on interdisciplinary networking and a critical, dialogue-oriented exchange of ideas.
