UBS in the community
Dedicated to being involved.
UBS has a well-established and carefully managed programme of community investment. The firm has long recognised that its success depends not only on the skill and resources of its people and the relationships it fosters with clients, but also on the health and prosperity of the communities of which it is a part. Our Community Affairs programme is just one of the ways in which we meet our obligations to the community at large and work to enhance its well-being.
UBS supports partner charities in numerous ways. We make direct cash donations to organizations, and also, subject to guidelines, match donations from our employees. UBS encourages its employees to be actively involved in the community and to contribute time and skills to help the causes they care about. We aim to choose and manage donations, grants and community involvement programmes, which are consistent with, and promote the long-term intention of the company to be a responsible corporate citizen. Examples of employee volunteering include:
Business mentoring – employees lending their expertise and specialist skills to help charities, schools and enterprise
Team challenges - organised events where groups of volunteers have the opportunity to participate in restoration projects for organisations which would not otherwise be able to fund such work, and
Pupil mentoring at local schools to raise aspirations and improve pupil career prospects.
UBS Optimus Foundation
UBS gives our clients the opportunity of engaging in charitable causes. The UBS Optimus Foundationinvests donations from our clients into a number of programs and organizations that focus particularly on children. Core areas receiving support are Children & Talents and Medical & Biological Research. The projects involve close collaboration with respected partner organizations and are selected by internal and external experts. The Foundation closely monitors the project implementation. The costs of managing and administering the UBS Optimus Foundation are borne in full by UBS, so that the full contribution from our clients reaches the projects.
Bridge Academy Hackney
UBS is the first financial firm to sponsor a new secondary school under the UK government’s ‘Academy’ program. We are making a financial contribution of £2m to the project – half of which is being provided by an anonymous private client – but expect to make an even more valuable long-term investment through the skills and commitment of employee volunteers.
The Academy will educate 1,150 students when full and specialize in maths and music. When complete, it will be more than just a learning establishment: we hope the school will also provide a resource for the whole of the local community.