A couple of years ago, after confirming the original intention to sunset, the MAVA board was keen to have us start planning and communicating more explicitly about the future of MAVA. Today, though we are occasionally met with disbelief, by and large the message is received and understood. Our aim is to plan our transition so that we can exit as elegantly as possible, with partners fully informed and prepared for our departure.

One of the first questions people ask is why we are closing. The answer is both complex and simple: our founder planned it that way. When MAVA was founded by Luc Hoffmann, his intention was to create a vehicle through which to manage his philanthropic interests. He was a passionate conservationist and passed on this enthusiasm to other members of his family, many of whom have been involved in MAVA’s governance.

However, he recognized that a family foundation should be powered by the passion of family members, and not simply be there to carry on the tradition of the founder.

The sunsetting of MAVA re-centers the family’s philanthropy on the many other Hoffmann family foundations that exist. Some of the family interests may be an extension of Luc’s interest, but some will most certainly be different, and a different structure gives more space for each member to pursue their passions.  MAVA’s legal structure – which we were unable to change – does not allow for this broadening of scope.

Read the full article on closing a foundation by Lynda Mansson at GrantCraft