The Foundation, which is based in Basel, was established on 23 December 1973. The Foundation supports activities of the Museum der Kulturen Basel, as specified by public mandate, which cannot be covered by the museum’s ordinary annual budget. These activities include
- the purchase, documentation and restoration of collection objects
- the temporary employment of research staff for special projects
- the realization of exhibition projects

Following the reconstitution of its Board of Trustees in 2013, the Foundation strives not only to raise awareness for its own work and mandate, but also to arouse public interest for the Museum der Kulturen Basel in its capacity as an anthropological institution of international standing. The Board of Trustees supports these objectives to the best of its ability.