EUSL FOUNDATION

About the foundation and its mission

How we solve our times largest challenge in society

Part of World Social Label Charity

Care to Change the World

Introduction

EUSL Foundation is an independent legal entity established under Swedish law and governed by the Swedish Foundation Act. It serves as the fiduciary arm of European Social Label (EUSL), transforming purpose‑driven surplus from member organizations into measurable social investments decided democratically at the local level. The Foundation is not a traditional charity. It is a structured, transparent, and member‑mandated instrument designed to align commercial efficiency with social equity through the model we call Charity as a Business.

European Social Label was created in the summer of 2016 as a practical response to visible gaps between policy ambition and outcomes in the labor market. The founders observed that many unemployed individuals wanted to work, yet system inefficiencies and incentives failed to connect them with opportunities. Early analysis identified a decisive bottleneck: the small and medium‑sized enterprise sector—the most natural engine of job creation—often could not justify the time and cost of internships, work training, or workplace adaptations. This was not due to a lack of will, but to the realities of running smaller businesses with limited margins and capacity.
Confronted with these constraints, European Social Label took a pragmatic stance: respect how businesses actually operate and build a model that works with, rather than against, those realities. The insight led to an ecosystem approach in which idea‑driven, non‑profit, and for‑profit entities collaborate. As this ecosystem took shape, one issue remained: how to explain and legitimize the whole construct to external stakeholders in a clear, credible manner.

Why a Foundation

The answer was EUSL Foundation. Establishing a legally independent foundation with a clear public‑interest mandate provided both a simple narrative and a robust fiduciary framework. The Foundation’s purpose is to implement society‑building projects that bring the idea‑driven and private sectors closer together, making it straightforward for communities, companies, and public bodies to understand who holds the funds, who decides how they are used, and how results are measured.

A “Dumb” Foundation—By Design

Like all foundations, EUSL Foundation is governed by its deed and has no owners; it “owns itself.” The deed states that EUSL Foundation will carry out social initiatives defined through the member community of European Social Label. With deliberate irony we sometimes call it a “dumb” foundation—not because it lacks sophistication, but because it does not set its own agenda. It executes the democratically expressed will of members within each Market Area and safeguards legality, procurement integrity, and impact. This design removes the perception of distant, top‑down control and ensures that solutions are locally adapted. Urban and rural challenges differ; so do communities. Those closest to the issues decide.

Why We Exist

Europe’s welfare institutions remain essential, yet they are constrained by political cycles, budget ceilings, and administrative distance from local realities. EUSL Foundation complements and, where necessary, rivals tax‑funded welfare by mobilizing the private sector to generate surplus and reinvest it transparently where members live and work. The Foundation provides continuity when public budgets contract and precision when local priorities require fast, fine‑grained responses.

How the Idea Works in Practice

Surplus generated within EUSL EU and other WOSL Group entities is ring‑fenced in the Foundation. Proposals can be submitted by anyone—members, non‑members, civil society, or public bodies—and are screened for legality, feasibility, and safeguarding. Eligible proposals proceed to a ballot in the relevant Market Area, where only verified members vote. Approved projects are contracted to qualified local SMEs under clear timelines, performance indicators, and reporting requirements. Results, costs, and audits are transparently published, with privacy protections upheld.

Charity as a Business

Charity as a Business redefines the relationship between commerce and social responsibility. Purpose‑driven enterprises generate surplus not for private distribution but for reinvestment into society through a democratic mechanism administered by an independent foundation. EUSL Foundation spearheads this model. By combining the efficiency and discipline of the market with member governance and public transparency, we create a self‑sustaining system in which economic success and social equity reinforce one another.