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The search filters explained

This article explains the filters of the search function.

Written by Anne Oesterlin

The filters are a powerful tool in the Spheriq search. You can use them to search precisely for funding organisations and foundations. Combining several filters and linking filters and a search term enables very precise searches.
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Please note: If you select several filter groups, these are linked with an AND function (i.e. the number of search results decreases with each additional filter group, as all filter groups must match the search result). However, if you select different filters within a filter group, these are linked with an OR function (i.e. the search results only have to match at least one filter).

Here we explain the individual filters in detail.
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Type of impact

Filter organisations by their form of impact. The following options are available:

  • All organisations

  • Funding organisations – support others with financial contributions.

  • Non-profit organisations – operate directly and implement their own projects.

  • Projects – specific initiatives or programmes carried out by organisations.

Topics

Filter organizations by their thematic focus. The topics reflect the Swiss foundation landscape and are organized into 11 main categories with a total of 75 sub-topics. Click on a main category to expand it and select individual sub-topics.

Social

  • Social in general

  • Social assistance, financial welfare, direct aid

  • Counselling and support (e.g. debt counselling, family support, self-help groups)

  • Assisted living (e.g. retirement homes, disability)

  • Housing in general (e.g. affordable housing)

  • Social, miscellaneous

Education

  • Education in general

  • Education and training (school, vocational school, university of applied sciences, university)

  • Continuing education (e.g. adult education, specialist training)

  • Scholarships, individual educational support

  • Education, miscellaneous

Art & Culture

  • Art and culture in general

  • Visual and creative arts, photography

  • Architecture

  • Film

  • Literature

  • Theatre, dance, performance

  • Classical music

  • Contemporary music

  • Folk music

  • Heritage and monument protection

  • Art and culture, miscellaneous (e.g. design, fashion)

Health

  • Health in general

  • Prevention (e.g. AIDS awareness, public health promotion)

  • Outpatient care and support (e.g. medical practices, home care, ambulance)

  • Inpatient care and support (e.g. hospitals, rehabilitation clinics)

  • Counselling and support (e.g. addiction counselling)

  • Health, miscellaneous (e.g. assisted dying)

Research & Science

  • Research and development in general

  • Medical research and development in general (incl. veterinary)

  • Medical research and development: cancer

  • Medical research: cardiovascular diseases

  • Medical research and development: other diseases

  • Mathematical and natural science research and development

  • Technological research and development (e.g. communication technology)

  • Social and socio-political research and development (incl. psychology)

  • Economic research and development

  • Legal research and development

  • Theological research and development

  • Research and development, miscellaneous

Politics, Society, Economy

  • Politics, society, economy in general

  • Socio-political engagement (e.g. anti-racism)

  • Human and civil rights

  • Intercultural engagement, foreign cultures and peoples

  • Economic policy engagement (e.g. investment in start-ups, regional economic development)

  • Industry promotion (e.g. lobbying, associations)

  • Party-political engagement

  • Politics, society, economy, miscellaneous

Environmental Protection & Animal Welfare

  • Environmental protection, animal welfare in general

  • Environmental and nature conservation, ecology (e.g. organic farming)

  • Climate protection (e.g. CO2 offset projects)

  • Species conservation

  • Animal welfare, animal care, animal husbandry

  • Environmental protection, animal welfare, miscellaneous

Development Cooperation & Humanitarian Aid

  • Development cooperation in general

  • Development cooperation: early childhood development, school education

  • Development cooperation: vocational training, income generation

  • Development cooperation: health, hygiene

  • Development cooperation: environment, sustainable agriculture, nutrition

  • Development cooperation: peacebuilding, social justice, gender

  • Disaster relief (e.g. drought, floods, landslides, war)

  • Development cooperation, humanitarian aid, miscellaneous

Ethics, Religion, Church

  • Christian faith

  • Church foundations

  • Jewish faith

  • Other faiths (e.g. Islam, Buddhism)

  • Supra- and interreligious

  • Ethics (e.g. spiritual concerns, promotion of a vegan lifestyle)

  • Ethics, religion, church, miscellaneous (e.g. esotericism)

Leisure and Sport

  • Leisure and sport in general

  • Leisure (e.g. scout huts, playgrounds)

  • Popular sport

  • Elite sport

  • Leisure and sport, miscellaneous

Nonprofit in General

  • Nonprofit in general

Tip: If you select a main category, all of its sub-topics are included. If you select individual sub-topics, the OR logic within the filter group applies.

Target groups

Filter organisations according to the target group of their funding activities or charitable work. Like the thematic areas, the target groups are also orientated towards the foundation landscape and its focus. For example, children and young people are listed separately in order to do justice to the weighting of this target group. In addition to specific individuals (such as the elderly or unemployed), there are also non-human target groups such as animals or organisations/companies.

Options include:

  • Open/All

  • Poor, People in Need

  • Professional Group According to the Foundation's Orientation (e.g. Artists, Researchers)

  • Pupils, Trainees, Students

  • Children

  • Young People

  • Organisations and/or Companies According to the Foundation's Orientation

  • Sick People (e.g. Mentally and Physically Acutely Ill, Addicts)

  • People with Physical and/or Mental Disabilities

  • Older People

  • Various Groups of Beneficiaries (e.g. Prisoners)

  • Animals

  • Families, Parents, Relatives

  • Religious Communities

  • Women, Mothers

  • Mountain Population

  • Men, Fathers

  • Unemployed

  • Refugees and Asylum Seekers

  • Foreigners
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Badges

Filter organizations by their badges – the digital markers that show how complete, verified and active a profile is. The filter is divided into four categories:

  • Confirmations: Managed, Supplemented, Complete, Verified

  • Tax exemption: Tax-exempt

  • Awards: Engaged, Transparent, Connected

  • Funding logic: Funding logic

Area of activity

You can use this filter to filter organisations according to their geographical area of activity. This is useful for narrowing down your search locally. Please note that the impact areas do not filter exclusively. This means that an organisation with an area of activity of "Zurich" also has an area of activity of "Switzerland". Filters include:

  • Continents: e.g. Africa, Asia, Europe, etc.

  • Subregions and individual countries (e.g. Africa > North Africa > Algeria)

  • Developing and Emerging Countries

  • Abroad (General)
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Date of foundation

Here you can filter organisations by the date they were founded. This filter is helpful, for example, to filter for newly founded organisations.
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City & postcode

You can use this filter to filter organisations by the location of their headquarters. Example: A foundation based in Schaffhausen may have an area of activity in Africa. You can filter by entering the postcode or the name of the location in the text field.

​Note: This refers to the legal address, not the geographic area of activity.
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Canton

This filter works in a similar way to the "City & postcode" filter. You filter organisations according to the cantonal location of their headquarters. For example, you can easily filter for foundations based in the canton of Zurich.

​Note: This also refers to the legal address, not the impact area.
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Legal form

You can use this filter to filter the legal form of the organisation. You will find all common legal forms in the foundation landscape here. For example, you can easily search for tax-exempt charitable organisations.

Available options:

  • All Legal Types

  • Foundation

  • Dedicated Fund

  • Association

  • Inc

  • Ltd

  • Sole Proprietorship

  • Public Legal

  • Foreign Legal Form

  • Cooperative

  • Tax Exempt
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SDGs

Filter here for organisations that are dedicated to achieving one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs for short). There are 17 SDGs in total. In this filter you will find the organisations that have indicated on their Spheriq profil whether and which of the SDGs they are pursuing.

Available options:

  • All SDGs

  • Quality education

  • Good health and well-being

  • Reduced inequalities

  • No poverty

  • Decent work and economic growth

  • Partnerships for the goals

  • Climate action

  • Zero hunger

  • Gender equality

  • Sustainable cities and communities

  • Life on land

  • Industry, innovation and infrastructure

  • Responsible consumption and production

  • Peace, justice and strong institutions

  • Cleanwater and sanitation

  • Life below water

  • Affordable and clean energy
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Certifications

Here you can filter organisations according to their certifications. The common certifications in the third sector are listed. The certifications are entered by the organisations themselves on their Spheriq profil and can then be filtered.

Available:

  • Zewo

  • NPO Management Excellence (FMM)
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Membership

Here you can filter organisations according to their membership of one of the major Swiss associations for foundations: SwissFoundations and proFonds.

Project status

This filter appears as soon as you select "Projects" under Type of impact. Use it to filter projects by their current status:

  • Ongoing – projects currently underway

  • Completed – projects already finished

  • Scouting – projects that are only visible to you and to logged-in funding organizations. Other logged-in nonprofits cannot see these projects.

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