UBS Launches a New Philanthropy Offering for U.S. Clients
March 04 2015 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
UBS Financial Services, Inc. announced today that the firm’s
wealth management clients in the U.S. are now able to make
philanthropic donations to the UBS Optimus Foundation (the
Foundation). The Foundation is dedicated to the health, education
and protection of children around the world. Investors with an
interest in improving the lives and potential of children will now
have the opportunity to join UBS clients in other parts of the
world in accessing the Foundation’s verified and focused network of
community-based partner organizations as part of their own
philanthropic giving and wealth management planning, via the
recently-established Friends of UBS Optimus Foundation Fund.
Established in 1999, the Foundation is a charitable grant-making
vehicle dedicated to ensuring children are healthy, safe and ready
for their future. To date, it has received over 20,000 donations,
totaling more than USD 250 million. The Foundation currently funds
projects in 40 countries reaching 1.8 million children, and offers
UBS clients a range of options to support causes and charities that
are important to them without the burden of doing their own
research, vetting and monitoring. The Foundation works with
experienced partner organizations around the world to identify,
track, and supervise the programs, and provides regular updates to
clients to ensure that they remain properly informed of the impact
of their support. Because UBS bears all administrative costs of the
Foundation, 100% of client donations go directly to the intended
service organizations.
“Our clients are increasingly looking for advice regarding their
philanthropic giving — both in directing and executing their social
investments, as well as ensuring they are achieving their desired
impact,” said Bob McCann, CEO of UBS Group Americas. “Through the
UBS Optimus Foundation, we can provide a unique giving experience
that is aligned with clients’ overall wealth management goals. We
are proud that our U.S. clients now have the opportunity to invest
in established programs that we believe will deliver tangible and
measurable results.”
“By choosing to work with only the best-in-class partners —
including the World Health Organization, Médecins Sans
Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Abdul Latif Jameel
Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) in South Asia, a regional office of
J-PAL Global based at the Economics Department at MIT— we are
providing clients with a turnkey offering that will deploy their
resources in ways that create meaningful and lasting impact,” said
Phyllis Costanza, CEO of the UBS Optimus Foundation. “We focus on
aiding children in areas of the world that are impoverished or
isolated, which typically present a challenge for individual
philanthropists. Our mission is to eliminate those barriers and
make investments early in children’s lives in order to yield both
social and economic results.”
As one of the first banks to engage in philanthropy solutions
for wealth management clients around the world, UBS' commitment to
giving has a strong history and deep roots in the bank's culture.
UBS was voted the Best Private Bank for Philanthropic Services by
Euromoney 2014 based on the strength of its Client Philanthropy
Services, which covers the complete value chain in philanthropy,
providing giving, investing and networking resources to align
clients' wealth with their values. Nicole Sebastian, previously
with the Robin Hood Foundation, UNICEF and Heidrick &
Struggles, will oversee this new philanthropic offering for U.S.
clients.
This new philanthropy offering is being made available in the
U.S. as the Friends of UBS Optimus Foundation Fund, through a
collaboration with National Philanthropic Trust, which manages one
of the largest donor-advised funds in the world.
About UBS
UBS draws on its 150-year heritage to serve private,
institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as retail
clients in Switzerland. Its business strategy is centered on its
pre-eminent global wealth management businesses and its leading
universal bank in Switzerland, complemented by its Global Asset
Management business and its Investment Bank, with a focus on
capital efficiency and businesses that offer a superior structural
growth and profitability outlook.
UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has
offices in more than 50 countries, with about 35% of its employees
working in the Americas, 36% in Switzerland, 17% in the rest of
Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 12% in Asia Pacific. UBS
employs about 60,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed
on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE).
About UBS Optimus Foundation
The UBS Optimus Foundation is an established grant-making
foundation created by UBS AG in 1999. The Foundation works to break
down barriers that prevent children from reaching their potential
by funding leading organizations to improve the health, education
and protection of children.
The UBS Optimus Foundation supports projects in places where
children face adversity. UBS covers all the Foundation's
administrative costs so that 100 percent of all donations go
directly to the projects.
UBS Optimus Foundation – A better future for children.
About National Philanthropic Trust
National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) is a public charity dedicated
to providing philanthropic expertise to donors, foundations and
financial institutions, enabling them to realize their
philanthropic aspirations. NPT was founded in 1996, and since that
time has raised $4 billion in charitable contributions and
currently manages over $2.1 billion in charitable assets. NPT has
made more than 100,000 grants totaling $2 billion to charities all
over the world.
UBSGregg Rosenberg, 212-713-8842Gregg.rosenberg@ubs.com
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