At UBS Optimus Brasil, we aim to drive impactful philanthropy that delivers innovative solutions for social and environmental issues. Established over 25 years ago, we connect philanthropists and impact investors with innovative organizations and social entrepreneurs globally and in Brazil.
The UBS Optimus Foundation is a global network of separately organized and regulated, tax-exempt, charitable organizations, founded and managed by UBS, that make grants and other financial contributions to implementing partner organizations aligned with their values and objectives.
Why work with us
We take an evidence-based approach and focus on programs in health, education and the environment that have the potential to be transformative, scalable and sustainable. We have developed partnerships with organizations in Brazil that are spearheading real, meaningful improvements in the following key areas:
Education
Supporting access to quality education, improving learning outcomes and strengthening opportunities for children and young people in underserved communities
Health
Expanding access to essential health services and improving outcomes for vulnerable populations, including mental health support and community-based care
Environment
Protecting and restoring critical ecosystems, including forests and biodiversity, while supporting sustainable livelihoods for local communities
Emergency response
Promoting resilience and empowering communities to adapt to climate change and overcome social and economic challenges
In addition, you benefit from:
- The ability to delegate implementation - choose from our carefully vetted programs.
- Knowing that 100% of your donations go to the program - UBS covers all the administration and management costs.
- A wide range of tools to support not-for-profit organizations and impactful businesses - pure grants, outcomes-based financing and blended-finance solutions.
- Increased impact - UBS Optimus Brasil provides a 10% match on eligible client donations to catalyze giving and impact. Match is subject to internal availability and approval.
- Our proven track record - over 25 years of experience and in-house impact experts.
Your choice of Brazil programs driving positive change
Education
We empower young people with foundational skills, socio-emotional learning and access needed for the transition to employment.
Brazil Collaborative Literacy
Fundação Lemann, Instituto Natura, Associação Bem Comum, Co-Impact, Instituto Gesto
- Brazil faces deep educational inequality, with many children still struggling to acquire basic literacy skills by early grades. The pandemic is estimated to have further deepened these gaps.
- Brazil Collaborative Literacy aims to scale the proven Ceará model, where collaboration between municipalities helped raise literacy rates from 39% to 92.7% in just 10 years (Source: Ceará State Department of Education, SPAECE-Alfa results).
Climate and environment
We build the resilience of our land and coastal ecosystems whilst supporting vulnerable communities and sustaining biodiversity.
The Santa Tereza Reserve Conservation Initiative (Pantanal)
Onçafari
- The Pantanal has suffered extensive damage from wildfires in recent years and continues to face mounting threats from agricultural expansion and climate change.
- Founded in 2011, Onçafari is a leading wildlife conservation organization in Brazil, working across critical biomes to protect biodiversity while strengthening local communities.
Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor
Black Jaguar Foundation
- Decades of deforestation have degraded ecosystems along the Araguaia River, threatening biodiversity, agriculture and local communities.
- The Black Jaguar Foundation works to restore these ecosystems by leading large‑scale reforestation efforts and developing the world’s largest biodiversity corridor in close collaboration with landowners and local and global partners.
Building Resilient Rural Communities (Campo das Vertentes)
Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung Do Brasil
- The Campo das Vertentes region faces critical challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, gender inequality and economic vulnerability. Smallholder farmers are particularly affected by soil degradation, water scarcity and low productivity.
- Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung do Brasil (HRNS) works to address these challenges through a territorial approach that integrates regenerative agricultural practices, social inclusion and community strengthening.
NbS Investment Accelerator: The Brazil Collaborative
Capital for Climate
- Nature‑based Solutions (NbS) remain underutilized despite their high potential to deliver significant emissions reductions, facing persistent barriers to scale globally and in Brazil, where agriculture and deforestation drive the majority of emissions.
- The Brazil NbS Investment Collaborative works to address these challenges by bringing together investors, policymakers and practitioners, building the knowledge and connections needed to scale NbS as a long‑term climate solution.
Catalysing Innovative Finance for High Integrity Tropical Forests
Wildlife Conservation Society
- Despite their significant value to the global economy, intact tropical forests remain largely undervalued, with their ecosystem services and natural infrastructure not properly priced.
- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), with a legal presence in five Amazon countries, works to address these challenges through the HIFOR initiative, developing financial mechanisms that incentivize conservation while engaging governments, Indigenous communities and investors.
Health
We seek to provide access to quality health intervention services for children and young people, with a strong focus on mental health.
Our Health portfolio is currently under development.
We are actively building a pipeline of initiatives aligned with this focus and will share new projects as they are launched.
Emergency Response
We support today’s urgent emergency relief efforts while investing in proactive disaster preparedness to build resilient communities for tomorrow.
This investment area remains purposefully responsive.
We maintain a state of preparedness and engagement, ready to support high‑impact initiatives when and where they are most needed.
