The IH&RA Foundation for the Future (FFF) is a registered Swiss charity established in 1989. Its purpose is to contribute to the development of education, specifically in the hospitality industry, to contribute to research on this industry and to promote projects in developing countries.

The FFF was set up with an initial donation from the American Express Foundation of CHF 300 000. It currently runs an annual summer scholarship programme for deserving young professionals in the hotel and restaurant industry. This is financed by donations for individual scholarships (worth US$ 4000 each) from individual hotels and Affiliate Members (totalling some US$ 35 000 per year) and by funds raised through the annual IH&RA congress. These include the Silent Auction and voluntary contribution from registration fees, amounting in all to around US$ 15 000. Participating hotel schools also provide discounts on tuition. Every year 10 to 15 summer scholarships are awarded. Thanks to this mode of financing, the scholarship programme is virtually self-sufficient and has shown a small increase of income over expenditure year on year.