The funding landscape does not end at the Swiss border. Liechtenstein’s nonprofit foundations can now also be searched in the Spheriq directory. This expands the search scope for nonprofits and fundraisers to include a small but significant hub for philanthropy.
Anyone researching grant-making foundations should not stop at the national border. Liechtenstein, in particular, despite its modest size, is a major hub for philanthropy and thus a promising part of the grant-making landscape for many Swiss nonprofits. A frequently expressed wish from our users was therefore to be able to search for Liechtenstein-based grant-making foundations directly on Spheriq. That is now possible: Liechtenstein’s nonprofit foundations are now part of the Spheriq directory. The foundation is in place and is being continuously expanded with additional information.
A small country with a high concentration of foundations
Anyone who first thinks of Liechtenstein’s area or population is underestimating the scale of its foundation sector. At the end of 2024, there were 1,398 nonprofit foundations in the Principality. By comparison, Switzerland had 13,722 at the same time—with a population roughly 225 times larger.
The conditions for philanthropic engagement are also noteworthy. In the 2025 Global Philanthropy Environment Index, Liechtenstein ranks first, just ahead of Switzerland. The index evaluates, among other things, the legal and tax frameworks, opportunities for cross-border donations, and the political and economic environment.
Particularly relevant to funding practices: Liechtenstein foundation law does not require charitable foundations to restrict the use of their funds to Liechtenstein. Accordingly, they may also provide funding internationally.
For fundraisers, it is therefore particularly worthwhile to look across the Rhine.
Until now, research ended too soon
Until now, Spheriq has allowed nonprofits and grantmaking organizations to conduct comprehensive research within the Swiss foundation landscape. Anyone wishing to expand their search radius to Liechtenstein had to consult additional sources and then incorporate the information found into their own work.
This meant that a significant portion of the foundation landscape was missing—particularly for organizations in Eastern Switzerland, but also for nonprofits operating nationwide or internationally.
The fact that access to grant-making foundations is not always easy, even within Liechtenstein, is also evident within the sector itself. The Association of Liechtenstein Charitable Foundations and Trusts (VLGST ) points out that NGOs and associations may have difficulty identifying suitable foundations and gaining access to them. At the same time, many foundations deliberately operate behind the scenes and vary in their level of public visibility.
This is precisely where structured data makes a difference.
Liechtenstein is now part of the Spheriq directory
Until now, the Spheriq directory has included all Swiss charitable foundations as well as other organizations from Switzerland and abroad. With the addition of charitable foundations from Liechtenstein, this search pool expands to include many more potential funding organizations for Swiss nonprofits. As a first step, Liechtenstein’s charitable foundations are now available on Spheriq along with their basic organizational data and locations. This makes them searchable and allows them to be directly included in existing searches.
For a growing number of foundations, the information is already being shared more widely. Depending on the available data, we supplement the information with the following, among other things:
- the foundation’s purpose
- known governing bodies
- a thematic classification of the foundation
In this way, a registry entry is gradually transformed into a profile that can actually be used for grant research in fundraising.
It’s important to note that this process is not yet complete. Not every Liechtenstein foundation profile currently offers the same level of detail. This is due to the fundamentally different starting point compared to Switzerland—much of the information that is freely accessible in the Swiss Commercial Register is not disclosed in the Liechtenstein Commercial Register. However, the data is now being continuously reviewed, supplemented, and organized. So where only basic information is available today, further details regarding the foundation’s funding focus may be added as early as tomorrow.
Do you represent a Liechtenstein foundation?
Then you can take over management of your foundation profile on Spheriq. You can enrich the profile with additional information and use it seamlessly in conjunction with the platform’s other features.
Growing Data Depth
Liechtenstein’s inclusion is not a one-time data import, but rather the beginning of an ongoing expansion.
Our goal is to gradually supplement the profiles with the information that is actually relevant for conducting thorough grant research. The same principle applies here as for the entire Spheriq directory: Data should not only be available, but also as up-to-date, structured, and practical as possible. A key element in this effort is the funding logic, which we add wherever there is sufficient information—ideally in direct collaboration with the funding organization.
The more information becomes available, the more accurately a foundation can be assessed. And the faster fundraisers can distinguish between a merely interesting name and a funding organization that is actually worth a more in-depth review.
In the future, national borders shouldn’t determine where a good partnership begins.
What addition to the Spheriq directory would you like to see next?
Write to us and share your ideas.
