What Z Zurich Foundation does

Z Zurich Foundation is a Swiss charitable foundation incorporated in Switzerland and regulated by the Federal Department of the Interior, wholly funded and governed through Zurich Insurance Group. Founded in 1973 to mark Zurich's centenary and renamed Z Zurich Foundation in 2008 when it expanded beyond Swiss borders, it operates as the principal vehicle for Zurich Insurance Group's global community-investment strategy, with a Board of Trustees chaired by Gary Shaughnessy and a management team led by Gregory Renand.

The foundation delivers programs across four pillars: adapting to climate change (via the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance and the Urban Climate Resilience Program), improving mental wellbeing (via the flagship Thriving Together partnership with UNICEF and a portfolio of country-level initiatives), enabling social equity (predominantly through Junior Achievement and education-to-employment programs), and crisis response (humanitarian relief integrated with mental health and psychosocial support). Its proprietary tools include the Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) framework, deployed in 400+ communities since 2013 and evolved into the multi-hazard Climate Resilience Measurement for Communities (CRMC), plus the Huế Smart City flood-monitoring system in Vietnam. In 2025 it positively impacted 13.3 million lives across 120+ programs in 60+ countries and logged a record 239,300 Zurich employee volunteer hours.

The foundation's business model is grant-making and program co-design rather than commercial product sales; revenue is sourced from Zurich Insurance Group with amplification via employee donation matching, matched-giving campaigns during appeals, and partner co-funding. Distribution occurs exclusively through strategic and implementing partners (UNICEF, IFRC, C40 Cities, ICLEI, Plan International, R-Cities, Junior Achievement, One Young World, and dozens of country-level NGOs), so reach is a function of partner capacity rather than direct customer acquisition. Governance and full operational accountability sit with Zurich Insurance Group, making the foundation economically a captive CSR vehicle rather than an independent charity.

Name

Z Zurich Foundation

Legal name

Z Zurich Foundation

Website

https://zurich.foundation

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Z Zurich Foundation is the Zurich Insurance Group-funded Swiss charitable foundation that delivers grant-funded programs in climate adaptation, youth mental wellbeing, social equity, and crisis response across 60+ countries via strategic and implementing partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation funding
• Climate resilience programs
• Youth mental wellbeing
• Social equity grants
• Humanitarian crisis response

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Zurich Insurance Group Funding: The foundation is funded by various members of the Zurich Insurance Group. It is the main vehicle by which Zurich delivers on its global community investment strategy, aligning with Zurich's sustainability agenda, purpose & values, and culture.
2. Employee Fundraising Match: The foundation matches employee donations and fundraising activities, amplifying employee impact through donation matching schemes and opening matching campaigns to the public during global appeals.
3. Matched Giving Campaigns: During specific campaigns like Insurance Day for Dementia, the foundation matches all funds raised up to specified limits, incentivizing broader participation and donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Z Zurich Foundation is a Swiss charitable foundation that funds and co-implements global development programs across four pillars: adapting to climate change, improving mental wellbeing, enabling social equity, and crisis response. It provides grants and program collaboration to non-profits, international organizations, governments, and community groups operating in 60+ countries, delivering services such as flood resilience measurement, youth mental health interventions, entrepreneurship education, and humanitarian disaster response.

Product overview

Z Zurich Foundation is a charitable foundation funded by members of the Zurich Insurance Group. Rather than offering commercial software products, the Foundation delivers a portfolio of grant programs and initiatives across four pillars: adapting to climate change (through the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance and Urban Climate Resilience Program), improving mental wellbeing (through UNICEF partnerships, Tackle Your Feelings, and local programs), enabling social equity (through Junior Achievement programs and skills training), and crisis response. The Foundation's work is delivered through strategic partnerships with NGOs, humanitarian organizations, and government agencies, operating in over 60 countries with more than 120 programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance A multi-sectoral partnership powered by the Z Zurich Foundation focused on enhancing resilience to climate hazards in rural and urban communities, formerly known as the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance.
• Urban Climate Resilience Program (UCRP) A community-led program operating in nine countries to build sustainable, resilient urban communities that can withstand, recover from, and thrive in the face of climate-related disasters.
• Thriving Together (UNICEF Partnership) A systems-change partnership with UNICEF promoting adolescents' mental health and wellbeing and preventing mental health disorders across 15 program countries, aiming to support at least 11 million people by 2027.
• Global Coalition for Youth Mental Well-being An alliance of UNICEF private sector partners including Jo Malone London, LuluLemon, Pinterest, Sony Group Corporation, Spotify, and Zurich Insurance Group, advocating for increased investment and action on youth mental health.
• Tackle Your Feelings A mental health initiative delivered by local psychologists focusing on community football and netball clubs in Australia, and secondary schools in Ireland, helping participants transform how clubs support mental wellbeing.
• Junior Achievement Programs Education and entrepreneurship programs for youth across multiple countries including USA, Africa, Italy, Spain, and Latin America, helping young people develop essential financial, career, and life skills.
• Crisis Response Programs Humanitarian crisis response initiatives providing immediate relief to climate-related and conflict-related disasters, integrating mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) into emergency responses.
• Global Changemaker Program A program supporting young leaders from One Young World to turn their ideas into real solutions for their communities through capacity development, funding, connection, and collaboration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13.3 million lives positively impacted in 2025 (27% year-on-year increase)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

41 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and flagship.

• Philippine Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Partner in Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance Philippines, convening Climate Resilience Multi-Stakeholder Forum and coordinating inclusive climate action across Filipino communities. Initiative has expanded from flood resilience to address rising heat levels and broader climate risks.
• Hearty Foundation (Poland)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Minds Ahead Poland program creating systemic change by embedding preventative mental wellbeing practices in schools and public systems.
• Dragonfly (Germany)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Pilot program embedding comprehensive mental wellbeing frameworks into universities and academic institutions in Germany.
• Fundacion Unidos por la Educacion (Ecuador)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Program transforming six educational institutions holistically through infrastructure optimization, teacher training, and community development strategies.
• Fundación Pléroma (Argentina)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Empujar program promoting employment opportunities for youth from vulnerable communities through matching with volunteering professionals.
• Betania (Spain)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Recovery and resilience plan for children and young people affected by 2024 Valencia flooding, focusing on long-term psychosocial support.
• Ambitious about Autism (UK)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024'Autistic and OK' program empowering autistic youth to take charge of mental health and wellbeing, supporting teachers, parents, and practitioners.
• ISET (Vietnam)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance helping communities in Vietnam turn informal flood observations into systematic data for official Disaster Risk Management systems.
• APSN (Association for Persons with Special Needs)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Singapore-based social service agency providing special education, vocational training and employment support for individuals with mild intellectual disability. Grant helps expand programs and inclusion campaigns.
• C40 CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in Urban Climate Resilience Program implementing climate resilience solutions in urban communities across 9 countries including Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey, UK, and US.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Implementing partner for Urban Climate Resilience Program, engaging local governments in climate action and community resilience building.
• IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Humanitarian partner in Urban Climate Resilience Program, bringing disaster response expertise and community networks to climate resilience initiatives.
• Plan InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Implementing partner for Urban Climate Resilience Program focusing on youth engagement and community-based approaches in climate vulnerable areas.
• R-Cities (Resilient Cities Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in Urban Climate Resilience Program connecting urban communities with expertise in building resilient cities.
• Sant Joan de Déu (Spain)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023'Henka' inclusive project for emotional well-being promotion in adolescents aged 12-16, focusing on educational and family environments.
• Rethink IrelandsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Headstart Fund supporting organizations working within mental wellbeing space through cash grants and capacity-building support.
• Junior Achievement AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2022Partnership to empower young people across Africa to succeed as innovative job creators and well-qualified job seekers. The collaboration enables thousands of youth in nine countries to access programs that set them on the path to success, creating entrepreneurship ecosystems addressing climate change, food shortages, and inadequate infrastructure.
• Global Coalition for Youth Mental Well-beingflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2022Co-led by UNICEF and Z Zurich Foundation, this alliance of private sector partners (including Jo Malone London, LuluLemon, Pinterest, Sony, Spotify, and Zurich Insurance Group) is committed to addressing the global burden of mental health in children and young people.
• Plan IndiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Grant program (2022-2026) empowering girls and young women in rural India to pursue education aspirations. Focuses on assisting dropped-out girls to complete education, vocational training for young women, and reducing vulnerabilities to child marriage and trafficking.
• Prestasi Junior IndonesiasecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Implementing partner for entrepreneurship program enabling young people to create economic opportunities through the Zurich Entrepreneurship Program, reaching over 19,000 high school and vocational students.
• Aj Ty v IT (Slovakia)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Program empowering young women to pursue STEM studies and careers by addressing barriers women and girls face in tech sector through IT education, teacher training, and mentorship.
• Foundation Forge (Latin America)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022'Skills for the Future' program reducing gap between young people's skills and labor market needs across Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay, targeting 84,000+ young people.
• United Nations Development Program (UNDP) MexicosecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Project empowering next generation of female leaders in STEM in Puebla, Veracruz, Yucatan, and Mexico City, targeting 30,500+ students, tutors, and women entrepreneurs.
• Responsible Tourism Institute (Latin America)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Program helping small vulnerable communities near tourism hotspots achieve sustainable economic growth through training in sustainable development.
• Fundacion Cimientos (Argentina)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Initiative addressing education quality, secondary school achievement, and post-school inclusion in at-risk communities.
• Junior Achievement ItalysecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022'Ideas in Action' educational entrepreneurship program bridging knowledge and skills gap between schools and workplace in Italy.
• Dual Vocational Training in Insurance (Spain)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Program addressing high youth unemployment in Spain (39.5%) by educating, training young people and promoting mental wellbeing for employability.
• Junior Achievement Isle of MansecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Career portal helping young people navigate job market with skills-building content, job opportunities, CV tools, and employer exposure.
• UNICEFflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2021Global partnership launched in 2021 called 'Thriving Together' to promote youth mental health and wellbeing. The partnership has positively impacted over 900,000 adolescents and caregivers and aims to reach 11 million people by 2027. Programs operate across 15 countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
• Ombuds Office for Children's Rights SwitzerlandsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Supporting children in understanding and exercising their rights through improved structures and processes in Swiss child protection procedures.
• El Lindar (Spain)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Second-chance school providing personalized job training programs for young people excluded from traditional school system, focusing on digital manufacturing.
• Needs Map (Türkiye)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021'Side by Side' program transforming Türkiye's youth mental wellbeing ecosystem by empowering 15-24 year olds, caregivers, and youth-serving professionals.
• EPIS (Portugal)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021'Por ti' program promoting emotional resilience among secondary school students across Portugal, reaching 389 public schools in 158 municipalities.
• IPčko (Slovakia)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Multi-channel mental wellbeing support system targeting youth aged 13-30 in eastern Slovakia with capacity building, policy advocacy, and sustainable infrastructure.
• One Young WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership since 2019 to invest in young leaders through scholarships to the One Young World Summit and the Changemaker Program. Over 100 young leaders from more than 40 countries have been supported, with the program helping young talents turn ideas into real solutions for communities.
• Tackle Your Feelings (Australia)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Free mental health initiative for community football and netball players, coaches, umpires, committee members, and support staff. Delivered by local psychologists, aims to transform how clubs support mental wellbeing of young people.
• Mental Health Association of HKsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Innovative program using experiential technology and community power to change attitudes toward mental wellbeing, reaching 58% of secondary schools in Hong Kong.
• Sir John Kirwan Foundation (New Zealand)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019'Mitey' school-wide approach to mental health education bringing teachers, students and communities together, being rolled out nationwide.
• Türk Eğitim Derneği (Turkish Education Association)secondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018'Our Teachers: Insurance of Education' program training women teachers as social entrepreneurs in rural Türkiye, with projected impact of 1 million people.
• Tackle Your Feelings (Ireland)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership with Rugby Players Ireland and Zurich Ireland to inspire youth mental wellbeing through classroom-based life skills development led by teachers, enriched by insights from Ireland's top rugby players.
• Zurich Climate Resilience AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Formerly the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, this multi-sectoral partnership has over a decade of experience in flood resilience and is expanding to address multiple climate hazards including heatwaves and wildfires. Partners include humanitarian, NGO, research and private sector organizations.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Rockefeller Foundation: Large US-based global foundation with a current strategic focus on climate, health, and economic opportunity. Comparable in scale, global operating footprint, and emphasis on climate resilience as a core pillar.
• Mastercard Foundation: One of the largest corporate foundations in the world, funded by Mastercard, focused on youth employment, education, and financial inclusion in Africa. Overlaps with Z Zurich Foundation's social equity and youth empowerment programming.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Major global corporate foundation with strong climate and public health portfolios. Comparable in scale, multi-pillar structure, and reliance on a corporate principal funding source.
• IKEA Foundation: Corporate foundation of Inter IKEA Group with large-scale climate, renewable energy, and refugee livelihoods programming. Comparable in being a corporate-funded foundation with both climate and social equity pillars operating internationally.

Emerging players

• Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF): International foundation focused on climate, health, and child welfare. Comparable in combining climate adaptation, youth wellbeing, and global health grantmaking at multi-hundred-million dollar scale.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: Global philanthropy focused exclusively on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Directly comparable to Z Zurich Foundation's climate pillar and a likely intermediary/peer in the climate resilience funding ecosystem.

Direct peers

• MetLife Foundation: Corporate foundation of MetLife, a major global insurance and financial services company. Comparable as a US-headquartered insurance-linked foundation funding health, social equity, and inclusion programs at international scale.
• Swiss Re Foundation: Corporate foundation of Zurich-based global reinsurer Swiss Re, also headquartered in Switzerland. Funded by an insurance group, focused on climate resilience and societal resilience, operating across multiple geographies with a similar grantmaking model.
• Allianz Foundation: Corporate foundation of Allianz SE, a major global insurer. Operates as the principal philanthropic vehicle of a competing insurance group, with similar focus on climate, social equity, and economic resilience programming across geographies.
• AXA Foundation: Corporate foundation of global insurer AXA, focused on climate, health, and social inclusion. Directly comparable as an insurance company philanthropic vehicle with a similar mix of climate adaptation and social equity pillars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/zfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCv_VbSobMXVbez27o7tx5Rw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ZZurichFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/z-zurich-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/zzurichfoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Z Zurich Foundation