Private foundation order form: service address and foundation board under section 32 PSG

The special rule refers to business letters and order forms. It therefore concerns documents with which the private foundation appears externally in business dealings. An order form sent to a supplier falls within this area by its function.

The function of the document determines the practical review. The rule answers which information must be visible on the document. It does not decide whether an order was effectively placed or whether the contract is substantively correct.

The address relevant for service on the private foundation must be stated. Section 32 PSG therefore requires a concrete address at which service can be made on the foundation. A mere reference to the registered seat without a usable address does not reliably answer this requirement.

The template should use the address that is relevant for the ongoing business correspondence and service. When it changes, the document template should be updated promptly.

Section 32 PSG also requires the foundation board to be stated. This identifies the organ that leads the private foundation within its organisational structure and can represent it externally. The order form should therefore show which organ is associated with the foundation.

The designation of the organ is separate from the question who may sign in the particular case. The foundation deed, the representation rules and any specific authority govern signing power. Section 32 PSG does not replace that review.

A reliable template contains the address relevant for service and the designation of the foundation board in a clearly identifiable place. Before regular use, check that both items are present in their current form and clearly assigned to the private foundation.

The review belongs in the template process. Business letters, order forms and electronic document templates should use the same current information. This prevents an old address or outdated organ designation from continuing to circulate.

If the address relevant for service or the composition of the foundation board changes, the document set should be checked. This particularly concerns templates that are sent automatically to suppliers or business partners.

Updating one PDF is not enough for a reliable process. The responsible team should identify the business-letter and order-form templates in use, enter the current information and remove the old version from the active workflow.

Section 32 PSG governs the information shown on the document. It determines which information must be visible in external business dealings. The provision does not decide the substantive signing power of a particular person or the validity of the underlying contract.

When an order form has already been sent, two levels should therefore be reviewed separately: the formal document information under section 32 PSG and the private foundation’s representation in the particular transaction. This distinction prevents a missing entry from being treated as a conclusion about the entire contract.