Publications

The power to scale impact

Blended finance is an approach to mobilizing private, philanthropic and public capital for social and environmental change. Heard of it, but not sure how it works, who can participate, or how it delivers impact? This primer offers a glimpse of the potential of blended finance, where we unpack the concept, explore real-world examples and provide proven actionable insights to help you navigate the opportunities it offers.

Time well lent

Volunteering is a powerful way to use your time for meaningful impact. Time well lent explores how to get started with impactful volunteering, both in your community and beyond. Drawing on real-world insights and experiences from within UBS, this guide provides practical advice on choosing causes, building connections and using your time effectively to create lasting change.

UBS Philanthropy Compass

Our UBS Philanthropy Compass is inspired by our interactions with families and individuals around the globe who are driven by their passion for making the world a better place. Here, we share what we’ve learned, over the 25+ years we've been walking clients through key questions and considerations. We relay some pitfalls and aim to inspire you to take a more radical approach to your philanthropy through an interactive workbook compass.

Learning for life

Featuring over 30 experts in education and child development, inside this guide you’ll find concrete tips on how to embrace a holistic approach which will help you consider the part you’ll play in providing inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

We need to help: Thoughtful philanthropy in response to humanitarian crises

Our team of Philanthropy Advisors and UBS Optimus Foundation Program Directors, with over two decades of expertise, offer the most important guidance for impactful giving during humanitarian crises. With this guide, donors can fund the right organizations for the greatest impact. And they can make sure their giving helps both during a disaster as well as on the long road to recovery and be prepared for the next crisis.

On thin ice – a guide to address climate change

On thin ice is a guide for all who wish to address climate change and combines the expertise of more than 40 climate experts, philanthropists and changemakers, with UBS´s 25+  years of experience in advising clients on making an effective impact. Find out how you can make a difference.

Good for Business… Business for Good Compass
A practical workbook guide

Maybe you’re wondering how your business might achieve its purpose and maximize its impact. Perhaps you’ve started your journey but got diverted on the way. Or you might be wondering how you can ingrain positive impact in your business for years to come. Whatever your reasons for reading, you’ve come to the right place.

While the compass guides you logically through each step, we know every business is at a different stage on the road to becoming a force for good.

How the world REALLY works – Philanthropy
Children’s book

A children’s book developed by UBS Optimus Foundation and Guy Fox Publishing that explains how philanthropy really works, from how to be effective and how to collaborate to how to scale to help stimulate meaningful conversations within the family.

Picture of Health: A guide toward better health for all

Picture of Health combines the expertise of more than 25 health experts, philanthropists and changemakers, with UBS´s 25+ years of experience in advising clients on making an effective impact. Find out how you can make a difference.

Seeds of Change: A guide to protect life on land

This guide combines the expertise of more than 50 environmentalists, philanthropists and changemakers, together with UBS’s 25+ years of experience in advising clients on making an effective impact. Find out how you can take action

Sea beyond the Blue: A guide on the oceans for philanthropists and changemakers

With this guide, we are bringing you over 20 years of experience in advising our clients on strategic philanthropy and the expertise of over 60 ocean experts, philanthropists, and changemakers who shared with us – and now with you – what they feel the priorities for ocean conservation are, what they have learned over the years, and their best tips to help you take impactful actions.

Faith and values

This guide is designed to give you a foundational knowledge of the history of faith-based philanthropy and focus shared giving principles of religions around the world. We explore motivations behind faith-based giving, and how they can manifest in both business and communities so that you are equipped to define your own faith-based giving strategy.

Celebrity capital – using a brand platform for good

After years of conversations and engagements with some of our most publicly recognized clients and their advisors, we realized something was missing: written guidance to help well-known individuals navigate the world of professional philanthropy. We found that while many celebrity clients have charitable goals, some even establishing charitable structures, relatively few were knowledgeable about philanthropy’s opportunities and pitfalls. This guide charts our experience as doers, thinkers and advisors to celebrities, many of them seasoned or emerging philanthropists to help you use your personal brand for good.

Nonprofit junior boards – the benefits of starting young

Public charities are required to have a board of directors – a governing body that is responsible for providing programmatic, financial and risk oversight. One element within this board oversight and governance construct that is becoming increasingly prevalent is the idea of auxiliary bodies that serve as an extension beyond governing boards to help support and further the mission of the nonprofit organization. One such auxiliary body is the concept of a non-governing Junior Board (young adults typically between 25 – 40 years old), This guide looks at the benefits of starting your board member journey at an earlier stage in life.

Fundraising Guide: A Resource for Philanthropists

Understanding how to access additional resources, how to find funding collaborators and ultimately how to fundraise is a common challenge for many philanthropists. While significant resources exist for professional fundraisers, little exists for philanthropists themselves. For this reason we have developed the Fundraising Guide: A Resource for Philanthropists, to help philanthropists plan, initiate and execute a successful fundraising drive.