Development Co‑operation Profiles: UBS Optimus Foundation
Table of contents
The UBS Optimus Foundation is a grantmaking foundation established in 1999 and based in Switzerland.
It aims to focus on programmes that improve children’s health, education, and protection as well as tackle environmental and climate issues. These programs are selected for their transformative, scalable, and sustainable potential.
This profile presents verified data on development assistance allocation. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
UBS Optimus Foundation provided USD 158.1 million for development in 2023 through its grantmaking activities. Compared to 2022, this amount represents an increase of 32.9% in real terms. Grants represented 100% of the UBS Optimus Foundation’s gross disbursements.
In 2023, UBS Optimus Foundation’s development finance was primarily focused on Africa and Asia (excluding the Middle East). USD 74.6 million was allocated to Africa and USD 37 million to Asia (excluding the Middle East), accounting respectively for 47.2% and 23.4% of gross bilateral development finance. A sum of USD 29.1 million (18.4%) was unspecified by region in 2023, mainly including multi-regional programmes, core support and research grants.
In 2023, 58.4% of gross development finance went to the top 10 recipients, most notably Côte d’Ivoire and Pakistan.
Least developed countries (LDCs) and other low-income countries (LICs) received respectively USD 42.3 million (26.7%) and USD 0.8 million (0.5%) of UBS Optimus Foundation’s gross disbursements in 2023. UBS Optimus Foundation allocated the highest share (37%) of its bilateral development finance to lower middle-income countries in 2023, followed by least developed countries (26.7%), noting that USD 29.1 million (18.4%) was unallocated by income group.
Furthermore, UBS Optimus Foundation allocated USD 24.7 million of its development finance to land-locked developing countries in 2023.
In 2023, UBS Optimus Foundation provided USD 10.9 million of gross development finance to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Moreover, USD 400 thousand was granted in support of Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers in neighbouring countries.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility reached USD 81.2 million in 2023, representing 51.4% of UBS Optimus Foundation’s bilateral development finance. Of this, contexts with extremely fragility received a sum of USD 4.1 million.
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In 2023, UBS Optimus Foundation’s largest allocations went to social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 66.7% of bilateral commitments (USD 105.4 million). Bilateral contributions allocated to multi-sector totalled USD 20.8 million, with a strong focus on general environmental protection. Humanitarian assistance amounted to USD 17.1 million.
In 2023, UBS Optimus Foundation committed the largest shares of its contributions to SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 15 (life on land) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Support to SDG 5 (gender equality) amounted to USD 600 thousand. Contributions to SDG 13 (climate action) totalled USD 2 million.
Access the full list of providers at this link: Development Co-operation Profiles.
Official website: https://www.ubs.com/global/en/ubs-society/philanthropy/optimus-foundation.html
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including the grant-equivalent methodology, core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, country programmable aid, channels of delivery, bilateral ODA unspecified/unallocated, bilateral allocable ODA, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.
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