PhD Defence: Puck Hendriks

Abstract

Corporate foundations occupy an unusual position. They are established by companies to pursue public benefit purposes and are legally independent organisations with their own societal mission. Yet they often remain financially, strategically and organisationally closely connected to the companies behind them. These ties can provide valuable resources, expertise and continuity, but they can also create pressure when business interests and societal goals do not align.
This dissertation asks how corporate foundations navigate these competing demands and, crucially, how their societal mission is safeguarded. It examines three potential safeguards: the foundations themselves, legal frameworks, and the societal organisations that partner with them.
The findings reveal vulnerabilities in all three. Foundations that depend more strongly on resources from their associated company show stronger alignment with business-oriented ways of thinking and communicating. A comparison of legal frameworks in four European countries shows that lawmakers often pay limited attention to the specific tensions corporate foundations face. And while societal partners tend to value a clear societal orientation and limited business influence, their judgments do not always provide a strong external safeguard against corporate influence.
The central challenge, therefore, is not the connection between business and philanthropy itself. Corporate foundations need organisational, legal and relational safeguards that allow them to benefit from their corporate ties while ensuring that their societal mission remains protected when competing demands arise.