Attorney Stampanoni, what's your professional background, and how did you end up joining the ASFESI board of directors?

After completing my university studies in Bern and obtaining my bar exam, I entered the world of fiduciary law, working for over twenty years as a consultant in commercial, tax, and inheritance law. Over the years, I have developed extensive knowledge of foundations and trusts, and provided family office services.

What are the values ​​and personal experiences that led you, and still lead you, to become involved in philanthropy and foundations?

Thanks to my professional work, I've had the fortunate opportunity to meet people who, over the course of their lives, have built particularly significant fortunes and have developed, respectively, a sense of desire to help those less fortunate. The world of philanthropy is fascinating precisely for this reason: it's a crossroads of emotions, desires, and expectations.

Thus, the needs and necessities that existed at the beginning of the last century are not the same as today, just as the sensibilities of those who charitably address one issue or another have changed. Society is developing at an impressive rate, creating ever-increasing global imbalances, and this makes it even more difficult to achieve coordinated and cohesive philanthropic activity, a challenge as complex as it is exciting. 

You are a member of the ASFESI Committee - Association of Grant-making Foundations of Italian-speaking Switzerland. What is the Association's main mission and what impact does it have on grant-making foundations in Ticino?

The Association of Grant-Making Foundations of Italian-speaking Switzerland – ASFESI – was born partly, or perhaps above all, from this awareness. That is, from the need to share experiences, to network, to join forces, both by focusing together on shared projects, but also by facilitating analysis and decision-making, sharing information, and acting more cohesively, wherever useful and possible, all in a protected environment. ASFESI has quickly become a family, within which its members, the associated foundations, feel free to exchange experiences, projects undertaken, and new ideas.

What are the main challenges facing grant-making foundations in Ticino today?

It's not possible to generalize, since answering this question depends greatly on a foundation's purpose and geographic reach. However, the number of inquiries foundations receive is undoubtedly growing. I sit on several foundation boards, and not a week goes by without some incoming request. This means having to examine each one, understand it, evaluate it, and then decide whether, to what extent, and at what frequency, to consider a contribution. This is no easy task, often requiring in-depth analysis to better understand the topic at hand. This requires time and a great deal of skill and willingness to listen.

In today's society, where everything is increasingly fast-paced, where decisions are expected to be made in the space of a click, this entire process can only be achieved with a great expenditure of energy and resources. This, I believe, is the greatest challenge for grant-making foundations: using their resources, both financial and personal, as efficiently and effectively as possible, thus ensuring that the assets made available by the Founder are put to the best possible use. 

How does ASFESI support foundations in achieving their philanthropic goals?

ASFESI is making a significant contribution to the benefit of grant-making foundations. It does so by organizing meetings, some of which are specialized and cover specific areas of philanthropic action, or through broader conferences. These meetings seek to raise awareness among the foundations themselves, as well as among key stakeholders such as supervisory, tax, and broader administrative authorities, of the importance of such a strong foundation presence (Ticino has a very high density of foundations per capita, placing the canton among the top three in the country) and the potential behind these numerous entities. As mentioned, the aim is to create a network, providing opportunities for exchange and sharing: this is making it possible to fund projects that only recently would have been rejected because they were too costly: together, we are stronger and more willing to dare.

Are there any recent initiatives that ASFESI has promoted to strengthen cooperation between foundations?

"ASFESI's calendar of activities is quite busy. It's always worth checking out the website, which is constantly updated.

As I mentioned earlier, there are specific activities for distinct thematic areas, such as conferences in the field of solidarity, or in the science and research sectors, up to broad-spectrum conferences. The latest was the one organized in the presence of Zurich State Councilor Carmen Walker Späh and our State Councilor, Christian Vitta, which aimed to lay the foundations for a frank and constructive dialogue for an even more constructive future for the Ticino Foundations.

How do you see the Ticino philanthropic landscape evolving in the coming years?

There is still potential. Many prominent families have chosen to live here in Ticino for various reasons: these join the many Ticino families who have promoted thriving businesses. Many of them are already committed, with their own foundations or by supporting existing foundations. Others are entering the world of philanthropy and I am certain they will do so with ever greater conviction, knowing that they can be supported by industry associations like ASFESI.

Society is constantly confronted with new issues, which are always evolving very quickly. The State, even if it wanted to, can't reach everywhere, and in any case it does so relatively slowly. This is the area where foundations can play a fundamental role, certainly not by replacing the State, but by becoming a quality partner.

What is the role of foundations in promoting social innovation and economic progress in the region?

Just as it is in the many, if not countless, other areas where foundations can contribute. Important, growing, and exciting: that's how I would summarize their role. We must move away from the image of a foundation that makes its own donation without further addressing the initiative it supports. Today, the opposite is true: increasingly, in areas where this is conceivable, we are addressing and supporting initiatives that have an impact, which in turn can have a positive impact on society and are therefore no longer ends in themselves. This is true both locally and abroad.

How does ASFESI ensure transparency and accountability in resource management?

All Committee members work—and I admit the commitment is significant—free of charge. The resources, which are nothing other than the membership fees paid annually by the member foundations, whose number is constantly growing, are used to organize the meetings that make up ASFESI's agenda. Like any association, we meet annually with our members to discuss past achievements, future projects, and to submit the annual accounts, which are also audited, to the association's plenum. In other words, maximum transparency and rigorous care in managing the association's resources. 

What are the specific legal conditions in the Canton of Ticino that influence the establishment and management of foundations?

The regulatory framework for establishing a foundation is governed by civil law, and therefore identical nationwide. However, the issue of granting tax exemptions is different. This falls under the jurisdiction of the cantonal tax authorities. Therefore, there are objective differences in practice that make each canton more unique. This year, ASFESI has engaged with the cantonal tax authorities, hoping for a thorough analysis, as has been done in recent years in Basel, Zurich, and, more recently, Geneva. This analysis will hopefully lead to facilitations and procedural simplifications, making the establishment of new foundations and their continued presence in our beautiful canton more flexible and attractive. Following the meetings, there have been some initial encouraging signs: we hope they become a reality, thus giving new and further impetus to the fascinating world of philanthropy in Ticino.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a new grant-making foundation in Ticino?

First of all: do it! It's not easy; in fact, it's often downright complicated. But this world can truly provide so much satisfaction. Beyond the emotional aspect, to be more practical, I believe it's important to allow the Founder to develop a concrete idea of ​​the scope of intervention and, even if only in outline, a minimal plan of objectives. This doesn't mean these will be achieved, but they will be indicators of the path the Foundation will have to take from day one after its inception. Last but not least, rely on a Board of Trustees with capable and competent members, capable of guiding the Foundation and its Founder on, hopefully, the most fascinating journey he has decided to embark on: that of philanthropy.