This sophisticated article takes us back to the history and philosophy of charitable foundations. Foundations are among the oldest cultural achievements of mankind. They are known to have existed in the earliest societies of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and in ancient Greece and Rome. Given the differences between Islamic law, Anglo-Saxon law, Roman law and other legal systems, in a strictly legal sense, there seem to be few commonalities between different approaches. But, according to the author, this is hardly relevant. Despite the fact that foundations exist in a large number of legal forms and perform a very diverse set of functions, there is still a universal definition. Foundations, with their rich experience as sustainable owners, operators, grant-makers, and benevolent charities, are a potential source of ingenuity, know-how, empathy, voluntarism, and philanthropy, and may therefore indeed deliver valuable input in today's civil society-provided they make full use of these qualities and join forces with other agents.