Client project: UBS Optimus Foundation

The client:

UBS Optimus Foundation is a foundation attached to the bank, which deploys its own capital and capital from UBS, the bank’s clients, and partner funders, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It works to achieve as much as possible with its giving, for those achievements to be sustainable in the long term, and to help others do the same. It works almost exclusively in international development, aligns its work closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and focuses on supporting high-performing organisations to grow their impact – sometimes by scaling their own work, and other times by scaling their influence such as by influencing a whole sector and/or public policy.

What we did:

Optimus Foundation asked Giving Evidence to write some documents setting out Optimus Foundation’s goals, why they are important, why they are often more difficult than they sound, and how Optimus Foundation goes about achieving them. This was all to be set in the context of major actors in development, and what makes for effective philanthropy and social investment. 

Client’s view:

Phyllis Costanza, Head UBS in Society and CEO UBS Optimus Foundation: “This assignment required a lot of work in a short time-scale. Giving Evidence’s team rapidly understood Optimus Foundation’s work and model, and dealt professionally and efficiently with many members of our team and our partners to produce a useful document that can inform our work with clients. Our team also benefited by their knowledge and experience in the field – plus they made introductions to other funders and researchers relevant to our work.”