Environmental work and medical technology, funded from research through to the people waiting for it.
Where we focus
Two fields, chosen for where patient money still changes the outcome
Environment
Our environmental priorities include biodiversity and habitat protection, climate-resilient communities, circular use of materials and environmental education. We are particularly interested in work rooted in Switzerland and neighbouring European regions.
Medical Technology
We support initiatives that improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life — early-stage medical devices, digital health tools, rehabilitation technologies and solutions that make high-quality healthcare more accessible, especially collaborations involving research institutions, hospitals, clinicians and responsible technology developers.
How we fund
Long relationships, and rarely money alone
What we bring
We prefer focused, multi-year relationships to isolated donations. Cash is often the smaller part of what we bring: depending on the project, our contribution can include grant funding, specialist advice, introductions or help in building partnerships with other funders.
How partnerships start
Almost all of them come through existing relationships and trusted referrals; the office runs no open grant-application programme. We look for capable leadership, clearly defined objectives, credible governance and measurable outcomes — and, in medical technology, appropriate clinical oversight and a realistic pathway toward implementation.
We commit for years at a time, and we look for results somebody can measure.
Almost every partnership begins through an existing relationship or a trusted referral. The office runs no open grant-application programme.
Impactful organisations
Backing high-calibre organisations, working where the need runs deepest
Our giving is considered. Each of these organisations has a long operating record, transparent reporting, and the reach to put committed capital to work at scale.
The IFRC coordinates the world's largest humanitarian network, supporting 191 National Societies so local volunteers can anticipate crises, respond when they strike, and rebuild resilience afterwards. Since January 2023, its Global Climate Resilience Platform has channelled more than 318 million Swiss francs into locally led climate action.
Learn moreSwitzerland's oldest conservation organisation safeguards habitat by leasing and contractually protecting land, maintaining its reserves through expert management plans. In 2024 it secured 62.28 hectares of new protected area, passing the milestone of 1,000 reserves — roughly 74,200 hectares in total.
Learn moreA lifelong network of services for people with paralysis — acute treatment, holistic rehabilitation, vocational reintegration and continued support. In 2024 the Swiss Paraplegic Centre treated 1,045 inpatients, and the Association delivered 22,534 hours of advisory support.
Learn moreReal change, up close
Transformative Swiss-based projects
This is where the funding becomes something a person can hold and use. Each project began inside a research group and reached the point of a practical result — careful science underneath the work and a clear route from the laboratory to the person waiting for it.
ETH Zurich
Hand-rehabilitation exoskeleton for stroke survivors
A lightweight, robust hand exoskeleton that helps stroke survivors re-learn everyday movements such as grasping. Because it is 3D-printed, it can be customised to the individual and produced at scale. Recognised in ETH's Spark Award cycle for best invention.
Read moreUniversity of Zurich
Treatment for sickle cell anemia
A UZH team showed that memantine, a well-known and inexpensive Alzheimer's drug, protects patients' red blood cells against dangerous sickling — a cheaper alternative to gene therapy or transplant, widening access to care for an underserved global community.
Read more