Not-for-Profit Culture

We all feel a great sense of responsibility to carry forward the vision of our Founder, John Corlette. His desire to protect the school from ever being “owned” led to the creation of the Aiglon College Association.

This Association is made up of an ever-changing group of alumni, parents and friend volunteers since its founding in 1975. Its purpose is to ensure that the school is being governed properly and that the funds are being used for the right purposes.

As stewards of the school, our focus is on securing a strong and sustainable future.

So, what does it mean to be a truly independent, not-for-profit school in the 21st century? For Patricia Bremner Gadotti, Aiglon’s COO/ CFO, it means stewardship. “We have a moral accountability to ensure we are good stewards of those resources,” she says. “We must allocate them wisely and do that in a way that safeguards the school’s future and our Founder’s vision. Being a not-for-profit doesn’t mean that we make no profit. It just means that the profit we generate goes back into the school itself, rather than to shareholders or an owner.”

Today, Aiglon is a highly professional organisation employing 240 people, with a turnover approaching 50 million Swiss francs. It is audited by PwC (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers), has a longstanding relationship with its bank, and works with external experts to ensure all processes are first rate.

Our financial efficiency enables the school to direct an even greater share of resources into the student experience.

We are investing heavily in classroom design, with a whole new suite of English classrooms just finished and science labs undergoing a multi-phase refurbishment. “Over the next few years, we hope to regenerate and improve every learning environment in the school,” says Tomas Duckling, Deputy Head and Director of Learning.

Tomas says that the school’s not-for-profit status comes up frequently when he interviews candidates for teaching roles. “Being a not-for-profit is important on a fundamental level for the ethos and attitude of the school. We are not attached to any wider institutions, but we are world-renowned. That says something about the nature of the school and the high quality of staff we attract. And that analysis extends into why being not-for-profit is beneficial to the classroom and curriculum development.