Fondation Botnar
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Swiss philanthropic foundation supporting technology, research, urban systems, education, and youth-led initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Fondation Botnar is a philanthropic foundation headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing, rights, and opportunities of children and young people, particularly in urban and digital environments. The foundation was established in 2003 by Marcela Botnar, continuing the philanthropic work associated with her and her late husband, businessman and philanthropist Octav Botnar. The foundation’s origins are also connected to the memory of their daughter, Camelia. Rather than operating as a conventional consumer-facing brand, Fondation Botnar functions as a grant-maker, convenor, investor, and strategic partner. It funds research, public-interest programmes, digital-health systems, youth participation initiatives, and collaborations among governments, civil-society organisations, researchers, technology specialists, and young people. Its work is intended to address the conditions that shape young people’s lives in cities and online, including access to healthcare, mental health, education, public space, climate resilience, and digital rights. The foundation’s strategic focus is organised around several connected priorities. These include enabling liveable and sustainable city systems; supporting a human-rights-based digital transformation; advancing mental-health and wellbeing initiatives; strengthening quality public education; and investing in biomedical research relevant to children and young people. This approach reflects the foundation’s view that youth health is influenced not only by medical services but also by urban design, education systems, technology governance, social participation, and public institutions. A substantial part of Fondation Botnar’s programme portfolio is directed toward intermediary cities and lower- and middle-income settings. Through OurCity, the foundation supports youth-centred approaches to city strategy and governance in locations including Tanga in Tanzania, Cluj-Napoca in Romania, Barranquilla in Colombia, Koforidua in Ghana, and Manta in Ecuador. Its Healthy Cities for Adolescents initiative works across six countries and 17 cities, supporting locally led efforts related to adolescent health, mental health, education, climate change, and public space. The foundation also supports global digital-rights and mental-health work. The Being Initiative is a collaboration focused on making youth mental health a global priority, working with young people aged 10 to 24 in 12 low- and middle-income countries. RIGHTS Click, developed with Amnesty International, combines research, human-rights education, and youth-led advocacy to promote safer and more rights-respecting digital environments for children and young people. Digital health is another important area of activity. Since 2018, Fondation Botnar has supported D-tree International and its Jamii ni Afya programme in Zanzibar. The programme uses mobile decision-support tools to help community health volunteers deliver maternal, newborn, child, and community health services. Jamii ni Afya reached national scale in 2021 and has been moving toward full government ownership. The foundation also supports Afya-Tek in mainland Tanzania, a digital primary-healthcare programme linking community health workers, health facilities, and private drug dispensers. Fondation Botnar has made major commitments to child-health research in Basel. In 2020 it committed funding for the Basel Research Centre for Child Health; subsequent commitments brought the reported total to CHF 165 million. In 2024, it committed CHF 900 million over 15 years to establish the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering, an independent research institute intended to advance biomedical research relevant to immune engineering and child and adolescent health. The foundation participates in a broad network of philanthropic, public-health, sustainability, and digital-development organisations. Its affiliations include SwissFoundations, Philea, Swiss Sustainable Finance, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders, Impact Europe, Latimpacto, and the Child Health Initiative. It also has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is a non-state actor in official relations with the World Health Organization. Through these relationships, Fondation Botnar positions itself as a long-term systems funder that combines capital, evidence, partnership-building, and youth participation rather than as a single-issue grant provider.
History
Fondation Botnar was founded in 2003 in Switzerland by Marcela Botnar. It continued the philanthropic work of Marcela and her late husband, Octav Botnar, and was motivated in part by the memory of their daughter, Camelia. From its origin, the organisation developed as a philanthropic foundation rather than a commercial enterprise, directing resources toward the welfare and development of children and young people. Over time, the foundation broadened its work beyond conventional charitable funding. Its programme model came to include research support, strategic grants, partnership development, digital innovation, youth participation, and engagement with public authorities. The central concern became the relationship between young people and the environments in which they live: cities, schools, health systems, communities, and digital platforms. Fondation Botnar’s strategic approach is built around interconnected areas. It supports liveable and sustainable cities, human-rights-based digital transformation, mental health, quality public education, and biomedical research for children and young people. The foundation’s urban programmes seek to give young people an active role in shaping local policy and public space. Its digital programmes examine how technology can improve health and services while protecting children’s rights and agency. The foundation has developed a significant focus on intermediary cities in the Global South. Healthy Cities for Adolescents supports local partnerships in six countries and 17 cities, addressing health and wellbeing alongside education, climate change, public spaces, and youth participation. OurCity applies a related youth-centred model in Tanga, Cluj-Napoca, Barranquilla, Koforidua, and Manta, bringing together young people, local governments, civil society, and other innovators. Digital health became another important part of the foundation’s portfolio. Since 2018, it has supported D-tree International’s work in Tanzania. Through Jamii ni Afya in Zanzibar, community health volunteers use mobile decision-support tools to support maternal, newborn, child, and wider community health services. The programme reached national scale in 2021 and began a transition toward government ownership. Fondation Botnar has also supported Afya-Tek on mainland Tanzania, connecting community health workers, facilities, and private drug dispensers to improve continuity of primary care and health-related decision-making. The foundation’s international work also includes mental health and digital rights. The Being Initiative works with young people aged 10 to 24 in 12 low- and middle-income countries and seeks to make youth mental health a global priority through research, innovation, and collaboration. RIGHTS Click, developed with Amnesty International, addresses children’s and young people’s digital rights through research, human-rights education, and youth-led advocacy. In parallel with these programme activities, Fondation Botnar increased its commitment to child-health research. In 2020 it committed CHF 100 million toward the founding of the Basel Research Centre for Child Health. Later commitments reportedly brought the total to CHF 165 million. In 2024, the foundation announced a much larger, 15-year commitment of CHF 900 million to establish the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering as an independent research institute in Basel. These commitments illustrate the foundation’s effort to combine community-level programmes with long-term scientific and institutional investment. Fondation Botnar’s institutional relationships expanded alongside its programme portfolio. It became involved with philanthropic and sustainable-finance networks, global maternal and child health organisations, mental-health research funders, digital-development initiatives, and youth-focused partnerships. It is associated with organisations including SwissFoundations, Philea, Swiss Sustainable Finance, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders, Impact Europe, Latimpacto, and the Child Health Initiative. It also holds consultative status with ECOSOC and is recognised as a non-state actor in official relations with the WHO. Today, Fondation Botnar is best understood as a Switzerland-based global foundation using philanthropic capital and partnerships to influence systems affecting young people. Its work spans city governance, public health, health technology, digital rights, mental health, education, and biomedical science. The foundation’s distinctive emphasis is on connecting these fields and involving young people in the design and evaluation of solutions intended for them.
- 2024
CHF 900 million commitment for the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering
[1]Fondation Botnar committed CHF 900 million over 15 years to establish an independent immune-engineering research institute in Basel.
- 2021
Jamii ni Afya reaches national scale
[1]The Zanzibar digital community-health programme reached national scale and entered a transition toward government ownership.
- 2020
Initial CHF 100 million commitment to the Basel Research Centre for Child Health
[1]The foundation committed CHF 100 million to help establish the Basel Research Centre for Child Health.
- 2018
Support for D-tree’s Tanzania digital-health work begins
[1]Fondation Botnar began supporting D-tree International, including the Jamii ni Afya community-health programme in Zanzibar.
- 2003
Fondation Botnar is established
[1]Marcela Botnar founded the Swiss philanthropic foundation to continue the family’s charitable work and support the wellbeing of children and young people.
Products and positioning
A global philanthropic and systems-change foundation focused on children and young people, combining urban policy, digital technology, public health, biomedical research, education, mental health, and youth participation.
Urban youth participation and governance
OurCity
OurCity is a Fondation Botnar initiative that helps cities develop and implement strategies centred on young people. It works with youth networks, civil-society groups, local authorities, and innovators to bring young people into urban decision-making. The initiative operates in Tanga, Tanzania; Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Barranquilla, Colombia; Koforidua, Ghana; and Manta, Ecuador.
Adolescent health and urban systems
Healthy Cities for Adolescents
Healthy Cities for Adolescents is a multi-year programme supporting adolescent health and wellbeing in intermediary cities across the Global South. It funds locally rooted partnerships in six countries and 17 cities, addressing mental health, education, public space, climate change, and participation in urban planning. Its model treats adolescents as contributors to city policy rather than only as beneficiaries.
Youth mental health
The Being Initiative
The Being Initiative is a global collaboration supported by Fondation Botnar to make youth mental health a higher international priority. It works with people aged 10 to 24 in 12 low- and middle-income countries, combining research, innovation, partnerships, and youth perspectives to improve mental wellbeing and strengthen the systems that support it.
Digital rights
RIGHTS Click
RIGHTS Click is a global programme developed by Fondation Botnar with Amnesty International. It combines research, human-rights education, and youth-led advocacy to promote safer digital environments and strengthen children’s and young people’s ability to participate in debates about technology and online rights.
Digital community health · 2018
Jamii ni Afya
Jamii ni Afya is Zanzibar’s national digital community-health programme, supported by Fondation Botnar through D-tree International. It equips community health volunteers with mobile decision-support tools for maternal, newborn, child, and wider community health services. After reaching national scale in 2021, the programme began transitioning toward full government ownership.
Digital primary healthcare
Afya-Tek
Afya-Tek is a digital primary-healthcare programme in mainland Tanzania that links community health workers, health facilities, and private drug dispensers. Its purpose is to improve continuity of care, information flow, and frontline decision-making. D-tree International is a partner in the programme, which forms part of Fondation Botnar’s broader digital-health portfolio.
Biomedical research · 2020
Basel Research Centre for Child Health
The Basel Research Centre for Child Health is a research initiative supported by Fondation Botnar to advance knowledge and innovation related to child health. The foundation made an initial CHF 100 million commitment in 2020, with later commitments reportedly bringing its total support to CHF 165 million.
Immune-engineering research · 2024
Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering
The Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering is an independent research institute planned in Basel with long-term support from Fondation Botnar. In 2024, the foundation committed CHF 900 million over 15 years. The institute is intended to advance immune-engineering research with relevance to children’s and young people’s health.
Marketing campaigns
- OurCity
Tanzania · Romania · Colombia · Ghana · Ecuador
A youth-centred urban initiative helping cities involve young people in strategy, governance, and implementation through partnerships with local authorities, civil society, youth networks, and innovators.
Outcome. Operating in five cities: Tanga, Cluj-Napoca, Barranquilla, Koforidua, and Manta.
- Healthy Cities for Adolescents
Six countries · 17 cities across the Global South
A multi-year programme supporting adolescent health and wellbeing through locally led work on mental health, education, public space, climate change, and youth participation in city planning.
Outcome. The programme supports projects across six countries and 17 cities.
- The Being Initiative
12 low- and middle-income countries
A global collaboration that works with young people aged 10 to 24 to elevate youth mental health through research, innovation, and partnerships.
Outcome. The initiative operates with young people and partners in 12 low- and middle-income countries.
- RIGHTS Click
Global
A digital-rights programme developed with Amnesty International that combines research, human-rights education, and youth-led advocacy for safer online spaces.
Outcome. The programme supports young activists and promotes stronger digital-rights awareness for children and young people.
Brand decisions
2024
Commit long-term funding for the Botnar Institute of Immune EngineeringStrategyBackground
Fondation Botnar further increased its emphasis on biomedical research relevant to children’s and young people’s health.
Action taken
The foundation committed CHF 900 million over 15 years to establish an independent immune-engineering research institute in Basel.
Aftermath
The commitment positioned immune engineering and long-term biomedical infrastructure as a major component of the foundation’s future portfolio.
Foundation commitment. CHF 900 million (15 years from 2024)
2020
Commit funding to establish the Basel Research Centre for Child HealthStrategyBackground
The foundation expanded its child-health strategy into biomedical research and institutional capacity-building in Basel.
Action taken
It committed CHF 100 million to support the founding of the Basel Research Centre for Child Health.
Aftermath
Additional commitments reportedly increased the foundation’s total support for the centre to CHF 165 million.
Foundation commitment. CHF 100 million initially; CHF 165 million reported cumulatively (2020 and subsequent commitments)
2018
Expand support for digital community-health systems in TanzaniaStrategyBackground
Fondation Botnar sought to improve child, maternal, newborn, and community health through digitally enabled frontline services.
Action taken
The foundation began supporting D-tree International, including the Jamii ni Afya programme in Zanzibar and later the Afya-Tek programme in mainland Tanzania.
Aftermath
Jamii ni Afya reached national scale in Zanzibar in 2021 and entered a transition toward government ownership.
Reported Fondation Botnar commitment to Jamii ni Afya. More than CHF 8 million (Since 2018)
Recent events
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