Knowledge Commons Grounded in Practical Experience
This website is created and maintained by the Purpose Foundation – a non-profit that is part of the Purpose Group and grew from working alongside entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers rethinking corporate ownership.
Coining the term steward ownership
Before there was a resource hub or a research library, there was a question: why does conventional ownership pull so many companies away from their original purpose?
Thats why we set out, we started looking for companies that were doing things differently. And we found them.
In 2015, we coined the term steward ownership. Giving this alternative approach to corporate ownership a name and making it possible to seek it, build toward it, and find others doing the same. This website is the open commons that grew from that work and its content is freely available, because access to ideas shouldn't come at a price.
The Purpose Group
The Purpose Foundation is part of the Purpose Group, which consists of legally and financially independent entitied, united by one mission: making steward ownership known and accessible to everyone. What binds us is a shared why.
The group works in complementary modes. Practitioner entities – Purpose Consulting, Purpose Ventures, Purpose Evergreen Capital, Purpose Veto-Share – work directly with companies, founders, and investors every day. The Purpose Foundation channels what they learn into open research, tools, and education. All entities are themselves structured as steward-owned organisations.
Working to make steward ownership globally known and accessible through advocacy, research and education. Inspiring and supporting companies and investors and other practitioners.
Globally accompanies entrepreneurs and founders toward custom-tailored ownership and governance structures – from founding to succession, aligned financing and beyond.
Helps the next generation of founders build profitable, steward-owned businesses with purpose-aligned capital – bringing values, mission, and ownership into harmony.
Offers patient, value-aligned capital to small and medium-sized enterprises – helping businesses stay independent and true to their values through steward ownership.
Purpose Veto-Share is a legal tool in Germany that safeguards the steward ownership principles.
We are one node in a growing constellation
The Purpose Group is part of a global, growing ecosystem of organisations, forerunners, and changemakers who share a common goal. Across many regions, dedicated field building organisations (shown below) have emerged to promote steward ownership locally. Together, we carry the concept forward.
Our theory of change
The path to steward ownership is hilly. Three main hurdles stand in the way: lack of awareness, difficulty of implementation, and lack of aligned capital. Everything we do targets these directly – inspiring and enabling entrepreneurs and investors, shifting narratives, and building the ecosystem that makes steward-ownership tangible and accessible for everyone.
Support non-profit work
Our non-profit work is funded by donations and focuses on advocacy, research, and education – making steward ownership accessible for entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders around the world. Everything we produce is free.
Bank transfer
Purpose Stiftung gGmbH
GLS Gemeinschaftsbank e.G.
Christstraße 9, D-44789 Bochum
IBAN: DE51 4306 0967 4055 7962 01
BIC: GENODEM1GLS
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