foundation
Let an agent handle foundations by legal form, purpose, governance, funding and transparency, using official registers, without legal or tax advice.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent handle foundations by legal form, purpose, governance, funding and transparency, using official registers, without legal or tax advice.
A legal entity, usually non-profit, established with endowed assets or funds dedicated to a purpose such as charity, education, research, culture or religion, governed by a charter and board, such as a Stiftung, charitable foundation or political foundation.
What it is for: Funding and carrying out purposes for public or private benefit.
It can be find a foundation in official registers; check purpose, governance and accounts; find grant programmes; recognise fake charities.
Distinguishing features
Asset-based legal person
Dedicated purpose
Board governance
Often tax-privileged
What it looks like
Not physical; offices, websites, charters and annual reports.
How it is recognised
Names with Foundation or Stiftung
Charity or foundation register numbers
Associations are member-based rather than endowed
Related models
is a kind of - category
is governed by - governance
provides - funding
is confused with - another sense
In practice
Families and kinds
charitable foundations
corporate foundations
political party foundations
religious foundations
banking and savings foundations
Standards and regulation
National foundation and charity law
Tax rules for public-benefit entities
Transparency and anti-money-laundering rules
Failure modes and hazards
Fake charities
Opaque funding
Agents giving legal or tax advice
Also called
+28
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.foundation-group
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Identity Which foundation.
Registers identify.
Register
Official record.
Register
Registration.
- Is the foundation listed in an official register, and under what number? provenance
- Is it active? provenance
Purpose
Mission.
Purpose
Purpose.
- What is its stated purpose, according to its charter? provenance
- Who benefits? definition
Governance Board and accounts.
Transparency matters.
Board
Trustees.
Board
Board.
- Who sits on the board, according to official filings? provenance
- Who founded it? provenance
Accounts
Finances.
Accounts
Accounts.
- What do its latest annual accounts show? provenance
- How much goes to its purpose? measurement
Grants Funding.
Foundations fund work.
Programmes
Calls.
Programmes
Grant programmes.
- Which grant programmes does it run, and who is eligible? provenance
- What are the deadlines? provenance
Scams
Fake grants.
Scams
Grant scams.
- Is an unsolicited grant offer asking for fees a scam? boundary
- How can it be verified? action
Limits Advice.
Professionals advise.
Advice
Legal and tax.
Advice
Advice limit.
- Is the user asking how to set up or tax-plan their own foundation? boundary
- How should they be referred to a lawyer or tax adviser? action
Senses
Disambiguation.
Senses
Other senses.
- Is a building foundation or cosmetic foundation meant? boundary
- Which entry fits? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should foundation types be separate entries?
- How should registers be linked?
- How should other senses be split off?