On 27 February 2026, Swiss foundations and partners gathered at the Wyss Academy for Nature in Bern for the third and final Transformation Fund workshop, continuing the co-design of a collective, contribution-based approach to climate responsibility. Participants included both long-standing partners and new foundations, among them IMS Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, Drosos Foundation, Arthur Waser Stiftung, the University of Bern, Innovate4Nature, and Clima Now, reflecting growing engagement across the Swiss philanthropic sector. 

The workshop focused on refining the Fund’s narrative and ambition, as well as aligning expectations among participating foundations. Inputs from the Wyss Academy highlighted how systemic transformation is supported through its Solutionscape approach and how learning and 

monitoring are designed for complex social-ecological systems, where change is non-linear and adaptive management is essential. 

A central part of the workshop was dedicated to participant discussions, including entry conditions, levels of contribution, expectations around emissions reduction, governance and reporting principles, and indicators of success. The discussion emphasized a reduction-first logic, a responsible and humble tone, and positioning the Fund as a sector-wide movement rather than a standalone mechanism. 

The workshop also confirmed the Transformation Fund’s role as a climate contribution instrument, through which participating foundations engage in monitoring their own emissions, working to reduce them internally, and addressing residual emissions through investments in science-based, systemic initiatives proposed by Wyss Academy teams. Two pilot projects, already selected by the Transformation Fund’s committee, currently in the implementation phase, helped illustrate how contributions could translate into tangible impact on the ground. 

Building on the outcomes of this workshop, the Wyss Academy team proposed to synthesize the inputs, further refine the Fund’s structure, and operationalize it in line with approved regulations, moving into its final preparation phase ahead of the official launch.