Wyss Foundation has given over $807 million to US environmental causes since 2016
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
The Wyss Foundation and linked groups, including Sixteen Thirty Fund, have funded US political causes alongside a nature campaign now at $1.5 billion. The Federal Election Commission found no evidence of abuse but criticised groups for not showing restricted grant contracts.
- Groups funded through the Wyss network — Received foundation grants and political funding Fortune (with Bloomberg)
What happened
Fortune and Bloomberg reported that the Wyss Foundation has given over $807 million to most environmental causes in the US since 2016.
Berger Action Fund, the foundation's advocacy arm, gave over $343 million to liberal groups, and Wyss passed over $208 million to Sixteen Thirty Fund, which does not disclose its donors.
The Federal Election Commission found no evidence of abuse in 2022 and recorded a $119,000 direct political donation by Wyss over 16 years, which it did not act on because of the statute of limitations.
The Wyss Campaign for Nature, launched in 2018 with $1 billion, has reached $1.5 billion, according to its own announcements.
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Not disclosed Not stated in the sources reviewed: the donors to Sixteen Thirty Fund and New Venture Fund, which are not disclosed.
- None on record No direct donation from a fossil fuel company to groups linked to Leo is documented in the sources.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Press and investigations
- Fortune report on Hansjörg Wyss's political givingFortune (with Bloomberg) · 2024-01-25
Communities and civil society
- Wyss Foundation launches $1 billion campaignWyss Campaign for Nature · 2018-10-25
- High Ambition Coalition formalizes partnership with Campaign for NatureCampaign for Nature · 2023-03-01
Connected cases
- Half-Earth and 30x30 advocacy funding (Wyss Campaign for Nature) Global · 2016–2026
- Wyss Foundation (NGO) — here: Funder; there: Funder; launched the US$1 billion campaign (2018)
- Campaign for Nature (NGO) — here: Campaign arm of the nature funding; there: Advocacy campaign for 30x30
- Bloomberg, Steyer and Bezos money shapes coal and nature campaigns United States · 2008–2026
- Wyss Foundation (NGO) — here: Funder; there: Foundation whose affiliated groups gave political and campaign money