August 11, 2022
Felix Finkbeiner
When the Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation was established on November 11th, 2011, we were a very small organization with just about half a dozen employees. The statutes we adopted back then were a good fit for such a compact organization.
Since then, a lot has happened. We’ve transformed from an organization that focused on empowering children and youth through academies into one that is much more diversified: that also restores forest ecosystems through large-scale tree plantings; that conducts scientific studies; and that supports other restoration organizations by providing free software tools and advice.
In 2021, it became evident that our initial statutes were no longer a proper fit for us. So we asked the international law firm Gibson Dunn (on a pro bono basis) to analyze our statutes and suggest some improvements. We are also very grateful to the Bavarian Foundation Supervisory Authority for its advice and support in this very important process for us.
We have adapted a number of specific aspects and, for example, changed the dual role of the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The old statutes stated that the Chairman of the Board of Directors was automatically also a member of the Foundation Council, the supervisory committee. This dual role once seemed appropriate, since such a small organization was also run by a small group. But it interfered with effective oversight of the Board of Directors.
This regulation has now been repealed. According to the new statutes, no one can be a member of two foundation bodies at the same time. With the coming into force of the new statutes, I have therefore automatically left the Foundation Council. I wish the remaining council members – Gregor Hintler, Franziska Finkbeiner, and Sagar Aryal – all the best! Of course, I will hold my position as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
We are very pleased that the new statutes came into force on August 3rd, 2022.
Plant-for-the-Planet is therefore well prepared for the future.
Best regards,
Felix Finkbeiner
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