Philanthropy

Discovery

Mr. Wyss’ passion for innovation and discovery runs throughout his philanthropy. As part of its work to expand economic opportunity, empower communities, and build the next generation of leaders, the Wyss Foundation supports groundbreaking research to shift paradigms, bridge divisions, and solve some of our world’s most pressing problems. The Foundation has committed resources to support education and training, the arts, and medical exploration.

The Wyss Foundation’s Impact

Over the past year, the Wyss Foundation has mobilized more than $220 million to support organizations working in areas including conservation, economic opportunity, medical advancements, education, and the arts. The Wyss Foundation continues to prioritize grantees that support innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land.

What are the Wyss Foundation’s core giving priorities?

The Wyss Foundation is a major funder of initiatives to conserve land, ocean, and wildlife, and through our Wyss Campaign for Nature Initiative, we have committed or disbursed more than $1 billion in grants to organizations working to protect and conserve 30% of the world in its natural state by 2030. Alongside conservation and the 30x30 pledge, the Wyss Foundation supports efforts to expand economic opportunity, spur high-impact medical research, create game-changing educational opportunities in conservation and the environment, and preserve museums and the arts.

How much did the Wyss Foundation spend in its core giving areas?

What kinds of initiatives did the Wyss Foundation support in the past year?

The Wyss Foundation supported a range of 501c3 organizations making an impact across the United States and the globe, including:

Protecting the Planet:

$16.1 million to The Nature Conservancy, a longtime partner that used the funding to support the purchase and protection of at-risk habitats in Australia and Kenya, alongside the implementation of 30x30 efforts in North America.

$12 million to the New Venture Fund’s Andes Amazon Fund, supporting conservation efforts in South America with a focus on Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, helping to protect 7,746,109 acres in the region in 2024 alone.

$8.5 million to the Conservation Fund, helping to purchase and permanently preserve 14,673 acres of land in California, which will be transferred to the Tule River Tribe for management, alongside preservation work in Colorado.

$5.8 million to ReWild, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the wild, to support protected areas in South America, Australia, and Asia.

Economic Opportunity & Social Services:

$2.5 million to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank, supporting research and analysis on tax and budget issues to inform and shape policies that reduce poverty, promote equity, and build opportunity.

$1.3 million to the Center for Responsible Lending, supporting its efforts to protect consumers from predatory lending practices and advance consumer protections that create a fairer financial marketplace.

$500k to One22 Resource Center, a community-based organization supporting families facing financial and food insecurity in Teton County, Wyoming.

$250k to Teton Youth & Family Services, a longtime Wyss grantee providing critical services for at-risk children and families in Wyoming.

Medical Research & Health Care:

$35 million to Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, an interdisciplinary research center that has enabled the founding of 71 startups and more than 4,700 patent filings.

$1 million to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, part of a $10 million total commitment, supporting the Hansjörg Wyss Orthopedic Trauma Initiative, which provides lifesaving, timely orthopedic care for underserved communities.

$700k to New York University, part of a $15 million total commitment, establishing the Hansjörg Wyss Charity Fund to provide services, support and quality care to a community of underserved, underprivileged, under-insured, and uninsured.

$275k to Campus SLB, to support improving treatment options and patient-quality of life for patients with spinal injuries through research and clinical trials, with a focus on elderly patients.

Education & The Arts:

$11.8 million to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, supporting a reinvention of The MFA’s 20th-century arts collection that will help spotlight underrepresented artists.

$9.9 million to Fondation Beyeler to support The Beyeler Museum, Switzerland’s most-visited art museum, part of a long-term commitment to support its expansion.

$216k to Lewis and Clark College, supporting graduate-level education of future leaders in U.S. land conservation through the Wyss Scholars program.

$70k to the West Virginia Land Trust, supporting the on-the-ground training and leadership development of a future conservation leader, part of the Wyss Fellows program.

Where can I learn more about the Wyss Foundation’s giving?

A full list of grants can be found below. We also regularly update our News page with funding announcements and updates from our grantees.