Stichting INGKA Foundation

The Stichting INGKA Foundation is a Dutch organization established in 1982 by the Swedish billionaire, Ingvar Kamprad, who is the creator of IKEA. INGKA is one of the biggest charitable organizations in the world and the biggest nonprofit foundation in the world. The name "INGKA" derived from an abbreviation of his name, whereas stitching is the Dutch word for foundation. The affirmed purpose of the foundation is "to endorse and support innovation in the sector of architectural and interior design", though, the organization has recently extended its philanthropic agenda regarding children in the developing world.

Overview

The foundation holds the private Dutch company INGKA Holding, located in Leiden, which is the holding business that controls 315 out of the 360 outlets of IKEA. INGKA does not possess the IKEA franchise and trademark; Inter IKEA Systems B.V. in Delft, also in the Netherlands owned these companies, which collects 3% of all IKEA revenues in royalties. Inter IKEA Holding has ownership of Inter IKEA Systems, recorded in Luxembourg, which is managed, in turn, by Interogo Foundation, a Liechtenstein foundation that is also maintained by the Kamprad family (to the value of $15 billion). 

In an clarification of IKEA's complex commercial structure, Ingvar Kamprad told once to the authors of a Swedish documentary that tax efficiency was "a normal part of the company's low-cost culture". The charity organisatin also provides an anti-takeover shield scheme for IKEA. The Dutch Tax Service has functioned the (algemeen nut beogende instelling, ANBI) "Institution for General Benefit" category to the Stichting IKEA Foundation. According to the ANBI register in the Netherlands, Stichting INGKA Foundation mislaid ANBI status in 2010, but was recorded as an ANBI from 01-01-2008 until 01-01-2010.

Giving

The foundation apparently donated 65 million Euros in 2011; though, in that year plans were declared to amplify the offerings to about 100 million euros per year, with 40 million Euros in three years period going to the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya—the remainder would be divided between UN agencies such as UNDP,  UNICEF, UNHCR and, and Save the Children. 

Criticism

In May 2006, The Economist magazine projected that the foundation was valued US$36 billion, making it the world's wealthiest charity at that period of time; though, it also affirmed that the foundation "is also one of its least liberal at the moment. The whole set-up of IKEA lessens tax and disclosure, considerably rewards the founder Kamprad family and makes IKEA impervious to a takeover". After the publication of the Economist article, Ingvar Kamprad went to court in the Netherlands to increase the objectives of the foundation, whereby more money would be used up on children in the developing world. Previously, the foundation's articles of association was narrowed the foundation's intention to "innovation in the sector of architectural and interior design" and it had given a comparatively petite amount of its assets to the Lund Institute of Technology.