UBS Philanthropy Compass

What exactly does making an impact mean? How can you successfully support a solution or program? And is there a way you can collaborate with others to amplify your impact? Find out the answers in our comprehensive compass workbook.

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Inspired by you, created for you.

This 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. Our compass is intended to be valuable to a wide range of readers, including:

  • active philanthropists seeking to enhance their knowledge;
  • novice philanthropists looking to inform their approach;
  • philanthropy, family or financial advisors needing a handbook to advance their understanding and share these learnings with clients;
  • those working in the philanthropic and social sector seeking new insights and ideas.

Philanthropy has never had more potential. It’s crucial that philanthropists understand the vital role they play in addressing the global challenges that we collectively face. By educating yourself, seeking help from others and taking smart risks, you can contribute to building a world that works for all.

What will you find in our compass?

How and when to engage in philanthropy

Before we look at how you might engage philanthropically, it’s important to get a sense of all the different ways you can pursue impact. When you decide that philanthropy is one of the right pathways to the impact you want to see, you’ll want to make sure that what you do is strategic. You’ll learn about making an impact, embracing strategic philanthropy and creating lasting impact

How to plan your philanthropy

When you’re ready to start planning your engagement, you’ll want to form your vision. Understanding your motivations and defining your big dream will help guide your plans. Once you have your vision, you’ll be ready to define your mission and create a strategy for achieving success. You’ll learn how to form your vision, define your mission and develop a strategy.

How to implement your strategy

Once you have your philanthropic vision, approach and strategy, it’s time to translate this into concrete activity. You’ll want to consider how to choose the right giving tool as well as the right giving vehicle. You’ll need to select the right programs and partners. And, to make sure you’re set to track progress toward impact, you’ll want to establish your monitoring, learning and evaluation (MEL) framework.

You’ll learn how to drive impact with the right tool, using the right vehicle, selecting the right partners and projects and monitoring, evaluation and learning.

How to work together for greater impact

Philanthropy is a journey best traveled together. The world's problems are too big and complex for one person to tackle alone. Only by working towards the same goals can we make a lasting difference. You can engage and involve others on your philanthropic journey: your family, similarly focused philanthropists and philanthropic organizations. You’ll learn how to engage your family and how to partner with others for greater impact.

Want to start a conversation?

The compass is a great tool for self-reflection in your own time at your own pace. But you don’t have to do all the thinking alone – the compass is most effective when you have the support of one of our specialist philanthropy advisors.

Want to keep learning?

Philanthropy Academy

Leveraging our 20+ years of expertise, our UBS Philanthropy team and network will empower you to approach your philanthropic giving with a more strategic lens through our video module learning journey.