LGT Venture Philanthropy

LGT Venture Philanthropy (LGT VP) is an independent charitable foundation established in 2007 by the LGT Group Foundation, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. LGT Group is the world's largest privately owned private banking and asset management group, controlled by the Liechtenstein Princely Family for over 80 years. The foundation is led by CEO Oliver Karius, with a global team of 25 members operating across five continents, primarily in Switzerland, Sub-Saharan Africa, and India. LGT VP is a venture philanthropy organization rather than a traditional profit-driven fund, blending grants, impact investments, and capacity building aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2007, LGT VP has supported 80 organizations across 25 countries, deploying over $58 million and improving the lives of more than 17 million people. The foundation focuses on three core themes: Education (early childhood, primary education, and youth employment skills), Health (community-based models and universal healthcare access in Sub-Saharan Africa and India), and Environment (ecosystem protection and conservation models for land and water). Recent partnerships include Noora Health (April 2025), the Financing Alliance for Health (October 2024, aiming to mobilize over $1 billion for community healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa), Quest Alliance (India, August 2024), and Landesa (March 2026, coastal livelihoods and mangrove protection). The foundation leads its supported partnerships and works at seed and early stages with grants in the $500,000 to $3 million range. The foundation also runs the LGT Impact Fellowship, matching over 200 experienced professionals with portfolio organizations to provide pro bono consulting and hands-on capacity building. This people-as-capital model distinguishes LGT VP from traditional philanthropy and allows organizations to access high-quality operational expertise alongside financial support, strengthening institutional sustainability over the long term.