The Founding Moment

Ask a lawyer when a foundation is founded and she will point to the moment of formal registration, the entry in the commercial register that makes it legally real. And you will probably imagine a notary's office and a well-earned glass of champagne shortly after.

As a lawyer, I would not disagree. But there are far more founding moments on the path to creating a foundation than the one the law recognises.

For some, it is the moment a purpose clause finally lands. After weeks of reformulating, something clicks and you can feel everything falling into place. The words stop being a legal requirement and start being a commitment.

For others, it is the moment a well-considered structure is confirmed and you leave the tax authority's office with a small Hüpfer of joy.

And for others still, it is when a family has come together and is able to name the values, the thread that runs between the generations that came before and the generations yet to come.

All of these are founding moments. Each one necessary. Each one a condition for the foundation's long-term, sustainable success.

You know they have happened when truth has been spoken and reconciliation with the new reality has taken place. The feeling is unique and, when it arrives, unmistakable. Unfortunately there is no easy way to arrive at them. It is genuine and hard work. But the kind that allows you to sit back later and watch the magic unfold.

My takeaway for you: a foundation needs to be grounded before it is founded.