Checklist

Onboarding as a foundation board member

A thorough inventory protects against liability risk. Anyone newly appointed should know within a few weeks what the foundation is, what it owns and what it owes.

The foundation board is liable for prudent management. A new board member takes on responsibility for past decisions if they do not survey the situation in time and do not address material issues.

This checklist puts the typical topics of the first weeks in order. It does not replace internal compliance nor advice from lawyers and tax advisers.

Legal basis at a glance

Particularly relevant for the board are § 15 PSG (appointment and representation), §§ 17 to 19 PSG (duty of care and liability of the foundation board) and § 21 PSG (duty to inform beneficiaries).

The internal inventory should be documented in writing and archived for at least one year so that in a dispute it can be shown when what information was available.

This checklist gives a general overview of the Austrian legal position under the Private Foundation Act (as of July 2026). It makes no claim to completeness or legal certainty and does not replace advice in the individual case.

In depth

Related topics and posts

Foundation board and liability

Duties of care, conflicts of interest and responsibility towards the foundation.

Advisory board and supervisory bodies

How further bodies control the foundation and where their powers end.

Tool: board liability self-check

Short assessment of typical liability risks for foundation board members.

Your foundation law team

BRANDAUER Rechtsanwälte

Foundation law team, Salzburg and throughout Austria

Your matter is handled by a team combining corporate law, asset succession, real estate law and dispute resolution. We review the foundation declaration, board resolutions, information rights and liability issues and set out clear next steps. Mag. Bernhard Brandauer is responsible for the legal advice, supported by further specialised lawyers of the firm where the matter requires it.