Since 2009, the WIFU Foundation in Witten has been focused on supporting family businesses with a clear compass: bringing knowledge from research directly into practice. This makes theory tangible and makes entrepreneurial experience visible.
As the holder of the Witten Institute for Family Business (WIFU), the foundation builds bridges between entrepreneurial families, science, and society. It is committed to ensuring that family and business remain in balance, as the basis for sustainable success across generations.
Family businesses are not only the backbone of the economy but also places where values and responsibility are passed down from generation to generation.
Support the WIFU Foundation and become part of our patronage circle or support current fundraising campaigns.
Detailed information can be found in the foundation's statutes.
„As a bridge between the theory and practice of family entrepreneurship, the WIFU Foundation combines academic excellence with entrepreneurial experience.“
The Purpose defines our contribution to a better world and what we aim to achieve with our work. This means:
Our activities foster the future viability of intergenerational family entrepreneurship. In doing so, we make a substantial contribution to a sustainable and social economic system.
The Mission describes the added value we offer our stakeholders. From this, we derive:
We generate and disseminate knowledge through high-quality research with a clear practical application and the networking of relevant societal stakeholders.
The Vision describes our expectations and aspirations for the future. From this we derive:
We are the leading institution for networking science and practice in the field of family entrepreneurship. We provide decisive impetus in both areas.
Our Key principles serve as guidance for decision-making within the WIFU Foundation. For us:
The Values characterise the behaviour of stakeholders such as foundation employees, those at the funded institutions and network members towards each other. For us, the following applies:
Trust & Confidentiality: We meet each other on equal terms and create „protected“ spaces. Our network is a place where initial business conversations are dispensed with.
Respect & Understanding We treat each other with respect and are committed to the cause.
Flexibility & Openness: We are open to new approaches, models, and perspectives. Only through the active engagement of our members can we remain vibrant and at the cutting edge.
Authenticity & Empathy We stand by our content, values, and approaches, and see ourselves as pioneers.
The WIFU Foundation is the leading funding foundation for research into family entrepreneurship at the interface between family and business in German-speaking countries. It significantly shapes and enables the research landscape and is a highly respected institution within the academic community.
The WIFU Foundation strengthens the communication of relevant research findings to practitioners and society. Through its knowledge platform, insights are prepared in a practice-oriented manner. Its events create space for confidential exchange between academia, family businesses, and family entrepreneurs.
The WIFU Foundation encourages research that is oriented towards the current challenges of businesses and families and makes results usable for both science and practice. It forms the bridge between theory and practice of family entrepreneurship and is highly recognised and supported by practitioners for this very reason.
The WIFU Foundation strengthens the future viability of family entrepreneurship, thereby contributing to a sustainable and social economic system.
As a leading institution for networking science and practice, it creates and disseminates knowledge and brings together stakeholders from family businesses, companies, and research.
Cooperation within the network is based on trust, respect, openness, and confidentiality. Theory and practice are inseparably linked – sound research meets practical application.
More on this in our mission statement brochure.
The central funding objectives of the non-profit WIFU Foundation include:
In this way, the WIFU Foundation makes a sustainable contribution to the future viability of family businesses and entrepreneurial families.
More on this in our statutes.
The WIFU Foundation supports family businesses by bringing research and knowledge directly into practice.It shows which insights are really useful for entrepreneurial families, and makes them available through events,Publications and platforms accessible. At the same time, it offers spaces where entrepreneurial families can speak honestly about problems,Sharing experiences and finding solutions together.
You can support the WIFU Foundation as a sponsor, through project funding, or with individual donations.Every form of support strengthens family businesses and entrepreneurial families sustainably.
Mehr über den WIFU-Trägerkreis erfahren.
The WIFU Foundation is currently focusing on issues of governance structures in entrepreneurial families.and the development of shareholder competence. Furthermore, other topics relevant to family businesses and their families will be addressed – such as digitalisation, sustainability, succession planning, and social responsibility.
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