UBS Optimus Foundation Marks Quarter Century With Impact Appeal

Tom Burroughes

14 August 2024

As clients is done to find a pathway that is evidence-based and provides a path to scale,” Hall said.

Measurement is important – without rigorous approaches, projects can harm those they are meant to help.

Hall gave the following case: Mosquito nets impregnated with insect repellent have been used to fish across lakes and coastal areas in Africa, rendering the nets less effective for their original purpose, leading to overfishing as too many smaller fish caught in the fine mesh of the nets and potentially harmful toxins entering the ecosystem.

UBS said that one of the value-adds it provides is connecting clients to experts and helping clients learn more about the field, and to share insights with other philanthropists. There are also channels that can be explained, such as the use of donor advised funds (note: UBS has its own network of donor advised funds and the prerequisite is that those donating are already UBS clients).

Some clients come to UBS having had disappointing experiences from philanthropic ventures and want to avoid repeating mistakes, Hall said.

Hall added that a benefit of private philanthropy, even when government activity is considered essential, is that it can be innovative.