An introduction to the foundation

Facts and Figures

• We are a foundation with 30 years of experience in development cooperation. We are a non-profit-based organization and form part of the corporate responsibility portfolio of Novartis.
• We are a competence center for corporate responsibility and international health cooperation.
• The foundation has consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC) and contributes to UN objectives in particular.
• As a foundation we do not issue grants, that is to say we participate actively in the implementation of the health initiatives we support by lending both financial and technical assistance. Therefore we do not accept unsolicited project proposals.
• Our annual budget amounts to around 10 million Swiss francs.
• At present, we are engaged in eight main projects and programs in sub-Saharan Africa and on the Indian subcontinent.
• The foundation has six staff members; the President of the Board of Trustees and Executive Director is Klaus M. Leisinger.

Our vision

We are committed to “development with a human face” and want to help promote the emergence of a lasting social environment where human rights are guaranteed, basic needs are satisfied and there is maximum possible equality of opportunity and social justice for all. 

Our objectives and activities

Improving the quality of life
We develop and support pioneering health projects in developing countries aimed at achieving specific goals in the fight against poverty and disease as well as at inspiring and improving development policy and practice.

Continuing to think corporate responsibility.
We promote the important debate on the basic principles of a fair division of responsibilities and duties in society for the sustainable welfare of all. We seek to help determine the content and limits of social responsibility, especially of pharmaceutical companies, as objectively as possible.

Enabling dialog.
Through our positioning as a foundation with close corporate ties, we play a mediating and balancing role between the private sector, politics and civil society and facilitate dialog.