Institutions are accountable
Financial support from the CSS Foundation also comes with obligations. Lucrezia-Meier Schatz provides more details: “We don’t take anything at face value when distributing the money. On the contrary, we keep a close eye on how the projects we’ve discussed are developing. To this end, we've drawn up performance agreements that are monitored by the Board of Trustees.” These are intended to ensure that, whenever possible, the projects are carried out in a way that delivers long-lasting benefits, even if the support provided by the CSS Foundation will run out after three years. One example of this long-term focus is the training of volunteers in paediatric palliative care, whose costs are being covered by the Foundation. The Chair of the Board of Trustees is delighted: “Once trained, these women and men will continue their volunteer service for a long time and thus be able to provide valuable assistance in relieving the strain on caregivers.” For all these organisations, the financial support came completely out of the blue. “It was very touching to realise how grateful they were. It showed us that our idea about how to disburse the donations was exactly the right decision,” Meier-Schatz states.