On 30 October 2025, the Wyss Academy for Nature and Fondation Botnar reconvened foundations and partners in Basel for the second Transformation Fund roundtable, building on the momentum of the August co-creation workshop. Participants included both returning and new foundations, reflecting growing interest in a collective, contribution-based approach to climate responsibility. 

The discussion started with a brief recap of the initiative’s rationale: the Swiss philanthropy sector contributes significantly to positive societal outcomes, yet foundations create a footprint through their operations and financial assets. The fund, therefore, provides a new way to take responsibility for this footprint, not by offsetting, but by contributing to a pooled fund, hosted by the Wyss Academy for Nature. It represents an opportunity for foundations to demonstrate climate responsibility collectively, transparently and in alignment with the Paris Agreement. A central part of the meeting was a narrative refinement exercise, during which participants, including representatives from the Wyss academy and Fondation Botnar, explored tree proposed narratives and created a fourth from scratch. Across all groups, several themes emerged: the importance of emphasizing reduction first, the need for a humble and responsible tone, and the value of positioning the fund as a sector-wide movement rather than a standalone mechanism. Participants favored narratives that balance ambition and clarity, avoid sounding like carbon-offsetting and highlight pooled resources, shared values and transformative potential. This was followed by input from the Wyss Academy on monitoring emissions, and from the New Climate Institute (Carsten Warnecke) on their climate responsibility approach. These inputs reassured that robust frameworks underpin the Fund. Participants engaged in open and constructive discussions, including on eligibility criteria for foundations interested in contributing to the Fund. The workshop also clarified next steps, which includes a third and final roundtable will be hosted by the Wyss Academy in February / early March 2026, with a focus on monitoring and learning. After the official launch of the Transformation Fund, Fondation Botnar will transition from its enabling role to becoming a contributor.