Passionate philanthropy Private Wealth Management

Our passionate commitment to philanthropy

The better we understand your philanthropic passions, the more effectively we can help you transform them into meaningful impact. Whether you are the leader of your governing board or your children‘s school board, we‘re committed to helping you develop a charitable giving program that reflects your vision and values.

The UBS Optimus Foundation

Game changers. Life changers.
At Alignment Partners, we’re driven to provide advice that improves people's lives and makes the world a better, more sustainable place for us all.

Through the UBS Optimus Foundation, we can connect you with inspiring entrepreneurs, new technologies and proven models that get the good work done. The UBS Optimus Foundation doesn‘t work with the usual suspects. They seek out and offer you the game changers. They focus on programs with the potential to be transformative, scalable and sustainable in the areas of child health, education and protection. In fact, only 5 percent1 of programs meet their tough standards. With our global coverage, proven expertise and deep understanding of the world of philanthropy, our team can work with you to transform good ideas into great programs for the benefit of vulnerable children around the world.

More insights

Source: Optimus Foundation 2017 annual report

This document is for your information only and is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, investment instrument, product or other specific service. UBS AG and its affiliates retain the right to change the range of services, the products and the prices at any time without prior notice. Certain services and products are subject to legal restrictions and cannot therefore be offered worldwide on an unrestricted basis. Nothing herein shall limit or restrict the particular terms of any specific offering. No offer of any interest in any product will be made in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted, or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer, solicitation or sale. Not all products and services are available to citizens or residents of all countries. UBS Optimus Foundation makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, in relation to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information contained herein. The information in this document is not intended to be a complete statement or summary of the developments referred to in it and is subject to change without notice. UBS Optimus Foundation is under no obligation to update or keep current the information contained herein. UBS Optimus Foundation does not provide investment, legal or tax advice and this document does not constitute such advice. It strongly recommends to all persons considering the information in this document to obtain appropriate independent legal, tax and other professional advice. UBS Optimus Foundation expressly prohibits the redistribution or reproduction of this material in whole or in part without its prior written permission and accepts no liability whatsoever for the actions of third parties in this respect. Neither UBS Optimus Foundation nor its directors, representatives or agents accept any liability for any loss or damage arising out of the use of all or any part of this document.

Impact investing

Connecting people, planet and profit.
Around the world, there is a growing interest in market solutions that hold companies more accountable and help ensure they make a positive impact. More and more, investors are participating in this sustainable investment strategy, incorporating social, environmental and governance factors into their investment decisions. Through impact investing, one type of sustainable approach, we are helping many of our clients use their wealth to contribute toward a more renewable society—as well as a potentially profitable portfolio.

How it works
At UBS, we define impact investments as those that finance companies, organizations and funds make with the intention of generating social or environmental impact alongside a financial return. Impact investing adds a third dimension to traditional investing—the inclusion of non-financial criteria in our evaluation of opportunities.

What qualifies as an impact investment?
In addition to the generation of financial returns, three other criteria define an impact investment solution:

  • Intent
    The solution must have a stated and explicit intention to generate positive social and/or environmental impact.
  • Measurement
    The outcomes of the investment should be tied to specific metrics and measured against a base case or benchmark.
  • Verification
    There needs to be established proof that the invested capital itself is positively correlated with the intended outcome. Proof of verification requires scientific and/or statistical tests linking impact to outcome.

While still comparatively small, the impact investing industry is growing quickly and is currently one of the most innovative and vibrant segments of the financial markets. We‘d welcome the chance to talk about how impact investing could fit into your overall wealth strategy.

More insights

Source: UBS Investor Watch, Return on values, 2018 Volume 2

ESG/Sustainable Investing Considerations: Sustainable investing strategies aim to consider and in some instances integrate the analysis of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment process and portfolio. Strategies across geographies and styles approach ESG analysis and incorporate the findings in a variety of ways. Incorporating ESG factors or Sustainable Investing considerations may inhibit the portfolio manager's ability to participate in certain investment opportunities that otherwise would be consistent with its investment objective and other principal investment strategies. The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of ESG or sustainable investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio where such factors are not considered by the portfolio manager. Because sustainability criteria can exclude some investments, investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria. Companies may not necessarily meet high performance standards on all aspects of ESG or sustainable investing issues; there is also no guarantee that any company will meet expectations in connection with corporate responsibility, sustainability, and/or impact performance.

Read more about global philanthropy

UBS Investor Watch: Return on values

Global Philanthropy Report

Philanthropy Compass