We are a grant-making foundation founded in 1997 by Leopold Bachmann. Our foundation’s income is based on the net yield of the properties contributed to the foundation. Our founder’s wish to provide prospects for the future and opportunities for as many people as possible forms the basis of our work.
About us
Office
The LBF office is lean and is organised with a flat hierarchy. We value efficient processes, short decision-making pathways and individual initiative.
Our Team:
Judith Scherrer
Managing Director
Marlène Schenk
Programme Manager
Lichtenegger Martin
Programme Manager
Triantafyllou Despina
Office-Manager
Dr. Darcy Molnar
Senior Programme Manager
Grit Abe
Communication Specialist
Foundation Board and Governance
The LBF's foundation board is the senior decision-making body. It consists of family members and external experts.
The Leopold Bachmann Foundation…
- is a member of Swiss Foundations.
- acts in compliance with the principles and recommendations of the Swiss Foundation Code.
- conducts a detailed risk management to guarantee checks and balances.
- is subject to oversight by the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (FSAF).
Interim President of the Board
Sigmund Bachmann
Vice-Chair
Livio D. Zanetti
Member of the Board
Sigmund Bachmann
Member of the Board
Maria Mathis
Member of the Board
Carsten Schulz
Founder
Leopold Bachmann
22 February 1933 – 26 December 2021
Leopold Bachmann was born in Austria. He moved to Switzerland at an early age. After a few years of employment as an engineer, his path led him to become a self-employed building developer.
Efficient processes and standardised construction methods positioned his residential buildings in and around Zurich as offering a favourable quality/price ratio.
In 1997, Leopold Bachmann contributed some of his properties to the Leopold Bachmann Foundation. Inspired by his own life story, Leopold Bachmann had the desire to open up opportunities for young people around the world to gain an education and thus to create a good future for themselves and their communities.
The net income of the properties finances the Foundation's funding activities.
Mission statement
1
Who we are
2
What we want
Every person we support should be given the opportunity to acquire knowledge and develop their skills – so they can take their own initiatives to build a life based on self-determination and make a valuable contribution to their environment and their community.
3
What we do
We invest our resources in people and organisations that add social, economic and ecological value. We do this through our global network of partner organisations. In this work, we focus on education, employment, engaged and inclusive communities as well as regenerative agriculture. By doing so, we empower people and activate their potential, so they take the initiative to create prospects and environments that offer a future for themselves and their community.
We fund our partner organisations' programmes that:
- Enable people to have prospects for the future.
- Are primarily located in rural regions and integrate the local perspective to the best possible extent.
- Provide access to education, work, and intact livelihoods.
- Actively integrate the participants' resources and skills.
- Empower and strengthen solution-oriented individuals who put their ideas into practice, to the benefit of their community and livelihoods.
4
How we live
- We collaborate openly and transparently with our partners.
- We work on the basis of mutual trust and on equal terms.
- Together with our partners, we use our resources as efficiently and effectively as possible.
- We keep our word, and we expect our partners to contribute their own efforts.
News
Don Bosco Jugendhilfe Weltweit: Solarprogramme West Africa
The Salesians of Don Bosco have developed a unique training program in solar technology that contributes to electricity supply, provides young people with a future-oriented profession and combats youth unemployment.