Philanthropic organizations have emerged as a significant source of funding for universities worldwide. However, the landscape of university philanthropy is characterized by significant global diversity. While some countries' universities have been actively engaging with philanthropic organizations for decades, this commitment is more recent in others. Concurrently, these institutions are confronted with mounting demands for research and higher education, a situation that is further compounded by escalating reductions in direct income from public sources. Switzerland is a relatively unique country in that its philanthropic sector is particularly active and prosperous. Conversely, the nation is globally recognized as a leader in research, education, and innovation. However, the role of the foundations in supporting academia remains a subject that has received scant scholarly attention. In this study, our objective is to map philanthropic support to science in Switzerland and to explore the ethical dimensions of philanthropic donations from the perspective of both philanthropists and academic institutions. The following ethical considerations will be discussed: those surrounding fundraising practices, university responsibilities towards donors' gifts and motivations, and the role and moral obligations associated with the donor's choice of resource allocations. Few references to practices of philanthropy as they relate to other neighboring countries and North American higher education provides supplementary insights and assists us in formulating recommendations to the various stakeholders involved in order to support effective, transparent, impactful and fair academic funding from the philanthropic sector.