The ELI project on Enterprise Foundations in Europe is up for approval by the ELI Council in September 2025. However, this is not the end, but the start of a new beginning. The newly proposed Special Interest Group (SIG) on Enterprise Foundations and Responsible Business Ownership seeks to establish a forum within ELI for legal analysis, expert discussion, and policy development to allow ELI Members to continue this dialogue. 

Its proposed chairmanship is Steen Thomsen (Professor, Copenhagen Business School), Anne Sanders (Professor, Bielefeld University), and Mark Ørberg (Assistant Professor, Copenhagen Business School). 

For lawyers working with enterprise foundations, there are many unanswered questions: 

• Whether and how to integrate enterprise foundations in national legislation? 
• How to create awareness of the model in countries where it is less well known? 
• How to set up an enterprise foundation? 
• How can we facilitate a dialogue with potential founders? 
• How to govern enterprise foundations? 
• What are the best practices for engaged ownership of business companies? 
• What is the role of the founding family? 
• Can we construct model charters and rules of procedures for this structure? 
• How can we set up hybrid foundation structures, for example in combination with family ownership? 
• And many more 

Many of these questions will also be relevant for charitable foundations in general as well and for family businesses and other long-term business owners. 

The SIG intends to establish a virtual seminar series and a yearly workshop to keep you informed about the latest developments and facilitate professional knowledge sharing. 

We have received a grant from the HMO Foundation (an Italian enterprise foundation) in support for which we are very thankful. Whenever appropriate, we will cooperate with Philea (The European philanthropy organization), STONE (The Steward Ownership Network) and other interested parties. 

If you are interested in joining, kindly express your interest to the ELI Secretariat by clicking the join button in the SIG page here. Please contact Steen should you wish to discuss the SIG further or if you are not currently an ELI Member, and he will try to assist you with this (st.ccg@cbs.dk).