The Alfred Escher Foundation is a charitable foundation in accordance with Article 80 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code. Its head office is in Zurich, it does not pursue commercial aims, and has tax-exempt status. It is allowed to accept gifts, bequests and legacies.

The purpose of the foundation is to promote critical historical research into Escher's life and work, and to communicate the results of this research to a wider public. The Alfred Escher Foundation collects and develops pertinent archive material and prepares editions of primary sources, thus providing the necessary basis for ongoing historical research into the subject.