Fundes
Together with the Archbishop of Panama, Marcos McGrath, Stephan Schmidheiny launched the Fundes initiative in 1984, a foundation for the sustainable development of the Latin American private sector. The objective of Fundes is to strengthen the entrepreneurial capacities of small and mid-sized enterprises in Latin America, thereby supporting social and economic progress and contributing to sustainable development in this region. Today, it is active in twelve Latin American countries.
Alexander Schmidheiny Stiftung
In 1993, after the early death of his younger brother Alexander, Stephan Schmidheiny established the Alexander Schmidheiny Stiftung, a foundation focusing on local initiatives in Eastern Switzerland. In memory of Alexander Schmidheiny, the foundation supports cultural, social, and ecological projects, particularly in Switzerland’s Rhine Valley region.
Avina Stiftung
Stephan Schmidheiny established Avina Stiftung in 1994 with the aim of supporting innovative projects for a more sustainable society. During the first years and until the independent Fundación Avina was founded in 2001, Avina was particularly active in Latin America. Today, Avina focusses on healthy and sustainably produced food. The foundation wants to stimulate change by providing a platform for pioneering minds and funding forward thinking ideas.
Fundación Avina
The Fundación Avina was set up from the Avina Stiftung in 2001 to address the fact that the Avina network in Latin America had reached critical mass. Today the Fundación Avina has a presence in 21 countries in Latin America via a network of 14 offices and collaboration with partners, and seeks to foster the sustainable development of Latin America.
MarViva
Stephan Schmidheiny established the Fundación MarViva in 2002 together with Erica Knie. The foundation is focused on the preservation and sustainable exploitation of marine life and the coastline in the eastern tropical Pacific. MarViva currently operates in Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.
Viva Trust
With the establishment of the Viva Trust in 2003, Stephan Schmidheiny entered uncharted philanthropic territory. He set up an irrevocable trust under British law, to which he donated his companies in Latin America. The aim of the Viva Trust is to foster development in Latin America over the long term, and a significant portion of the profits from the industrial operations is invested in the Fundación Avina and other philanthropic activities.