Swiss non-profit society

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Unterstrass - Swiss Non-Profit Society (SGG) - Schaffhauserstrasse 2011-08-17 14-48-04.jpg
SGG's registered office in Zurich-Unterstrass

The Swiss Charitable Society (SGG) promotes spiritual and material non-profit activities as well as charity in Switzerland. Since the UN Year for Volunteering (2001), the SGG has also been involved in national volunteering and regularly publishes the Swiss Volunteer Monitor.

For the development of the Swiss federal state and its establishment in 1848, the SGG was the most important social and socio-political organization in Switzerland. The SGG was a driving force behind the founding of numerous social organizations.

Areas of activity

In accordance with its purpose, the SGG strives to strengthen civil society in Switzerland and to promote solidarity between different social groups. The company is currently active in the areas of public education, public health, economics and social work.

The tasks of the SGG can be described as follows:

  • The SGG deals with current issues relating to social and socio-political issues;
  • The SGG is committed to the social and solidarity feeling of the population.
  • The SGG runs three of its own thematic programs: The SeitenWwechsel program promotes the social leadership skills of managers through internships in social institutions. For the managers, this can be done as part of an intensive week or a one-day workshop. The JobCaddie program offers volunteer mentoring for young people transitioning to the world of work. And the Intergeneration program brings together local and virtual institutions and projects from young and old.
  • The SGG researches and promotes volunteering in Switzerland and publishes the Swiss volunteer monitor on a regular basis.
  • The SGG supports people in need and social projects in Switzerland.
Federal President Berset on August 1, 2018 during his address on the Rütli in front of the logo of the Swiss non-profit organization
  • The SGG managed since 1860 the Rütli and organized there annually the National Day celebration .
  • In 2014, the SGG launched an artist competition to create a new text for the Swiss national anthem . The public voted for the contribution by Zurich health economist Werner Widmer from among the 208 contributions. The new hymn text is based on the preamble of the Swiss Federal Constitution . As soon as it becomes sufficiently popular among the population, the new anthem text will be submitted to the responsible authorities with the request that it be designated as the new national anthem.

history

Foundation of an association

The SGG saw itself as the heir of the Helvetic Society and pursued enlightening - patriotic goals. The model was the Society for the Good and Non-Profit Basel, founded in 1777 . It placed the focus on the common good and in the first decades concentrated on fighting poverty , promoting education, upbringing and economic progress. The liberal-minded members of the SGG, who were of Reformed and Catholic origin, promoted a reform-oriented discussion forum for the political, economic and spiritual and pastoral elites and thus had a nationally integrating and state-supporting effect.

The SGG was founded in Zurich in 1810 by the friends of the Zurich city doctor Hans Caspar Hirzel . Hirzel had invited to the foundation on behalf of the Zurich Hülfsgesellschaft . Under the name Schweizerische Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft SGG, Société suisse d'utilité publique SSUP, Società svizzera di utilità pubblica, Società svizzra ad ütil public , an association within the meaning of Article 60 et seq. Of the Swiss Civil Code has been in existence in Zurich since May 16, 1810 . Organizationally, after 1850, the SGG increasingly transformed into a nationally anchored association.

Solidarity, poverty and education

From 1823 onwards, concrete questions that were empirically prepared by members were discussed at the SGG annual meetings, similar to today's think tank. The socio-political lectures and discussion votes held were published in the negotiations of the SGG and from 1862 in the Swiss journal for non-profit . The practical implementation of the ideas and projects developed in the discussions was initially carried out by local actors and after 1830 was increasingly replaced by their own practical work.

At the annual meeting in 1823, Johann Caspar Zellweger submitted the proposal to fight poverty with education, whereby knowledge, morality and morality should also be promoted. The lively school debate in the SGG paved the way for the liberal school reform that prevailed throughout Switzerland from the 1830s. In 1835, the SGG set up a commission for poor education, which was dedicated to the training of so-called poor teachers. In the mid-1850s, thanks to the first large legacy, the SGG was able to set up the first Schwyz teachers' college.

From 1828 onwards, the SGG held its annual meetings at various locations in Switzerland in order to strengthen relationships and bonds and to promote national cohesion. In the troubled 1840s, the SGG promoted peaceful attitudes and humanity; it was a place where the political opponents placed dialogue at the center of their efforts. The SGG was committed to the creation of the Swiss Solidarity Foundation and took over the lead of the voting campaign. The SGG supports projects that serve the internal cohesion of Switzerland and the exchange between the language regions.

Public perception in the 19th century

The SGG had its first public appearance in 1834 with the coordination of the collection of money for the victims of a major storm disaster in the foothills of the Alps. With the purchase of the Rütliwiese in 1859 and the donation to the Swiss Confederation, the SGG created long-term national recognition. In the 19th century, the SGG founded and operated educational institutions (auxiliary and special schools) and promoted vocational training, provided information on health and nutrition issues and combated alcohol and gambling addiction. In 1901, the SGG initiated the fund to help with uninsurable natural hazards.

From the middle of the 19th century, the SGG received financial means through donations and bequests. In the 20th century, assets under management rose continuously from CHF 180,000 (1910) to CHF 5.7 million (1980) or CHF 63 million (2009). This enabled her to focus on granting subsidies and individual aid. At the same time, due to the expansion of welfare state structures and the lack of integration of the new, socialist-oriented reform forces, the political influence of the conservative, economically liberal and social state-critical think tank dwindled.

Welfare organizations in the 20th century

In the 20th century, the SGG founded various private welfare organizations: Pro Juventute in 1912 , Pro Senectute in 1917 , the Foundation for the Promotion of Parish Halls and Community Halls in 1918 and Pro Mente Sana in 1978 . With the establishment and support of conferences and the establishment of a secretariat in 1930, she made a contribution to understanding in family policy (Swiss Family Protection Commission 1931, Pro Familia 1942), to the coordination of private welfare organizations and to the professionalization of social work. In 1932 it initiated the Swiss National Conference for Social Work (LAKO), which initially took on the coordination of refugee aid and in 1942 initiated the foundation of Swiss Mountain Aid . In 1934 she initiated the establishment of the central information center for welfare companies ZEWO .

In the 1990s, a reorientation began that led to increased support for volunteer work .

organization

Club goal

According to its statutes, the promotion of intellectual and material welfare is the purpose and task of society in Switzerland.

Association organs / committees

The structures of the SGG include the annual general meeting of all members, two meetings of the Central Committee (ZK), which consists of thirty members and five permanent guests, six to eight meetings of the Board of Directors, two meetings of the Business Audit Committee (GPK) and regular meetings of the SGG office and their programs and projects. The SGG has the following specialist commissions: Resource Commission (REKO Finance Committee), SeitenWwechsel Commission, Job Caddy Commission, Voluntary Research Commission (KFF), Rütli Delegation (Rüdel) and Archive Commission.

Members

From 1860 to 1890 there were around 1,000 members, including pastors, executive politicians, entrepreneurs, tradespeople and education experts. It rose to 10,000 through promotions after 1920. In 2015 the SGG had 1200 natural and collective members.

Publications

The SGG published a magazine under the title Revue der Schweizerische Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft, Revue de la Société suisse d'utilité publique, Rivista della Società svizzera di utilità pubblica, Periodic svizzer ad ütil public , which mainly deals with general questions of public benefit and social work . In 2014, the revue was replaced by an online newsletter that is sent out four times a year in German and French to around 5000 people and organizations. The print version of the annual report is sent to the members and published together with the annual accounts on the SGG website.

Cantonal and regional non-profit societies

In addition to the Swiss Charitable Society (SGG), independent charitable societies have been set up in almost all cantons. The SGG works closely with the cantonal, regional and local non-profit organizations. The cantonal and regional societies have grown very differently historically and have taken on different forms. The Gesellschaft für das Gute und Gemeinnützige Basel is an important partner of the public sector in the social policy of the canton of Basel-Stadt , as is the non-profit society of the canton of Zug . The Bernese Economic and Charitable Society is particularly important for the rural population of the canton and also with the newspaper Schweizer Bauer .

In the 1830s, the SGG encouraged the formation of women's associations that dealt with the upbringing and education of young women. By the middle of the 19th century there were already 1,030 non-profit women's associations and in 1888 the Swiss non-profit women's association SGF was founded, which initially dealt with the issue of domestic education.

literature

  • W. Rickenbach: History of the Swiss non-profit society 1810-1960 . Verlag Schweizerische Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft, Zurich 1960.
  • Beatrice Schumacher : Voluntarily committed. Non-profit thinking and acting in Switzerland since 1800 . Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich 2010, ISBN 978-3-03823-594-1 .
  • Natascha Wey : The anniversary year in pictures. 200 years of the Swiss non-profit society . SGG, Zurich 2010.

Web links

Commons : Swiss non-profit society  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Definition of SGG
  2. ↑ a b c d Articles of Association of June 9, 2016 (PDF; 140 kB) Association Articles of Association. In: Official website. Schweizerische Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft, June 9, 2016, p. 7 , accessed on July 17, 2018 .
  3. ↑ www.seitenwechsel.ch
  4. ↑ www.jobcaddie.ch
  5. ↑ Intergeneration - We connect generations. intergeneration.ch, accessed on March 29, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Volunteer Monitor of the Swiss Charitable Society SGG
  7. ↑ www.ruetli.ch
  8. ↑ www.chymne.ch
  9. ↑ www.sgg-ssup.ch
  10. ^ Christoph Mörgeli : Hirzel, Hans Caspar. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  11. ↑ ZGB, Art. 60 ff. Second section: The associations. In: SR 210 - Swiss Civil Code ( ZGB ). Swiss Federal Chancellery - Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation, January 1, 2011, p. 25 , accessed on September 7, 2011 .