Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation

The Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung (Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation) is a non-profit, politically and religiously independent grant-making foundation headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It was established in 1963 by the married couple Sophie Binding-Hübscher (1902–1989) and Karl Binding (1911–1994), who remained childless and wished to give something back to Switzerland. The foundation operates nationwide and focuses its funding on three broad areas — environment, social affairs and culture — which are further organised into the action fields of biodiversity and landscape, children and youth, social cohesion, and cultural heritage and the arts. The foundation distributes the majority of its funding in response to grant applications, but it also engages operationally through its own projects and long-term partnerships with selected organisations. Its annual funding volume is around three million Swiss francs. Notable operational commitments have included the youth labour-market integration project LIFT, the mentoring programme Dreamteam, the Tavolo Check Your Chance Ticino pilot project against youth unemployment in Ticino, and the MindMatters programme. In the cultural field it supports programmes such as Binding First Dance and Binding Sélection d'Artistes, as well as the Chrysalide literature prize. Since 2021 it has awarded the annual Binding Preis für Biodiversität (Binding Prize for Biodiversity), endowed with CHF 125,000, which recognises pioneering achievements in promoting the diversity of habitats, species and genetic resources, with a particular focus on settlement areas. The foundation is governed by a four-member Stiftungsrat (foundation board) and run by a small secretariat. It is a founding member of SwissFoundations, the association of Swiss grant-making foundations. Its stated purpose is to strengthen social cohesion and balance in Switzerland, to promote integration and understanding among the country's different language regions, and to contribute to the preservation and development of the natural, cultural and spiritual values and assets essential to Switzerland's identity.

The Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung was founded in 1963 by Sophie Binding-Hübscher (1902–1989) and Karl Binding (1911–1994). Sophie von Opel-Hübscher, originally from Frankfurt am Main, was first married to Hans von Opel, a grandson of the founder of the Opel automobile works. After the Opel works were sold to General Motors in 1929, Hans von Opel settled in Switzerland, in Liestal (Basel-Landschaft), and founded in Basel a financing company for automobile dealerships, the Hansa Aktiengesellschaft, which grew into a significant holding and finance company. Hans von Opel died in 1948. Widowed young, Sophie von Opel-Hübscher married Karl Binding in 1951 and brought the fortune of her first husband into the marriage. Karl Binding was also born in Frankfurt am Main and came from the Binding brewing family of the same name. Because the family had held Swiss citizenship since 1876, he moved to Switzerland during the Second World War to perform military auxiliary service. The couple led a rather retired life, loved the mountains and hunting, and remained childless. With the Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung they wanted to give something back to Switzerland for what they owed it. In 1955 the couple moved to Schaan in the Principality of Liechtenstein, where in 1986 they founded another foundation, the Binding Stiftung with its seat in Schaan. The foundation is headquartered in Basel and operates throughout Switzerland. Its purpose, according to its foundation deed, is to support projects in the three areas of environment, social affairs and culture, deepened in the action fields of biodiversity and landscape, child and youth integration, social cohesion, and cultural heritage and the arts. It has around three million Swiss francs available annually. The majority of funding is awarded in response to applications. As operational engagements, the foundation can enter into long-term partnerships with individual organisations; such focus projects have included the youth labour-market integration project LIFT, the mentoring programme Dreamteam, the Tavolo Check Your Chance Ticino pilot project to combat youth unemployment in the canton of Ticino, and the MindMatters programme. In the cultural field the foundation is involved in, among others, the two funding programmes Binding First Dance and Binding Sélection d'Artistes, as well as the Chrysalide sponsorship prize for literature. Since 2021 it has awarded the annual Binding Preis für Biodiversität, endowed with CHF 125,000, which recognises pioneering achievements in promoting the diversity of habitats, species and genetic resources and their interactions, with an explicit focus on settlement areas. The foundation is governed by a four-member Stiftungsrat (foundation board). Its current members are Thomas Weibel (President), Carl Binding (Vice President), Sarah Girard and Irmgard Wirtz. Former presidents of the Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung include Paul Kopp, former mayor of Lucerne; Hans Meier, former director of the Christoph Merian Stiftung Basel; David Linder, former National Councillor; Bernhard Christ, former president of the Basel-Stadt Grand Council; and Ulrich Vischer, former Basel-Stadt government councillor. The operational tasks are carried out by Monika Wirth, Lena Wunderlin and Tamara von Büren. The Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung is a founding member of SwissFoundations, the association of Swiss grant-making foundations.

• 2021

  The foundation begins awarding the annual Binding Preis für Biodiversität, endowed with CHF 125,000.

• 1986

  The couple founds a second foundation, the Binding Stiftung, with its seat in Schaan, Liechtenstein.

• 1963

  Foundation established by Sophie Binding-Hübscher and Karl Binding.

A politically and religiously independent Swiss grant-making foundation focused on environment, social affairs and culture, strengthening social cohesion and preserving Switzerland's natural and cultural heritage.

1. 1Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung – official websitebinding-stiftung.ch
2. 2Über uns | Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftungbinding-stiftung.ch
3. 3Binding Stiftung – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org