Introducing Switzerland's First Recoverable Grants Fund

Join a visionary group of donors ready to embrace significant risks in a groundbreaking endeavor—the provision of catalytic philanthropic capital to ventures active in regenerative food forests and biodiverse forest ecosystems.

Recoverable Grants

Biodiversity

Regenerative Food Forets

Forgivable Loans

Impact-linked Financing

Entrepreneurs

Impact investing

Introducing Switzerland's First Recoverable Grants Fund

Join a visionary group of donors ready to embrace significant risks in a groundbreaking endeavor—the provision of catalytic philanthropic capital to ventures active in regenerative food forests and biodiverse forest ecosystems.

Recoverable Grants

Biodiversity

Regenerative Food Forets

Forgivable Loans

Impact-linked Financing

Entrepreneurs

Impact investing

What is Brainforest's Recoverable Grants Fund?

Brainforest is launching an early stage fund to invest globally in Forest, Biodiversity and Nature Based Solutions startups, leveraging the deep expertise and discoveries unearthed by the Brainforest Venture Studio. We are supporting Venture Studio Spin-offs and external startups with new technology, business models and impact for indigenous communities.

What's New?

As of February 2024, foundations and other tax-exempt entities within the Canton of Zurich have an unprecedented opportunity.

These organizations can now allocate philanthropic capital from their annual grant budget into investments that yield financial returns.

This innovative approach not only sustains but also multiplies the impact of the initial capital, enabling it to be reused for future philanthropic purposes aligned with the foundation’s goals.

Canton Zurich tax authorities (German only) Link

How Does it Work?

Cash backflow in case of economical success of the startups.

Returns
Equity, loan payments, fees.

Financial instruments
Recoverable grants, loans, revenue based financing etc.

Provides capital for operational costs & investments.

Provides capital for investments

Foundations

Recoverable Grants

Investing globally in Forest, Biodiversity and Nature Based Solutions.

Impact Ventures

Early Returns as a Learning Tool for Foundation Financial Practices

Biodiversity and other
ecosystem services

The Brainforest Recoverable Grant Fund recognizes the significant learning curve for accountants, auditors, and oversight bodies of foundations in managing the new financial practices.

To facilitate this learning and adaptation, the Fund will begin returning money to the participating foundations within the first 24 months, even if these are initially small amounts.

This strategy will enable foundations to practice and refine the accounting of returned capital from their grant budgets.

For instance, the recoverable grant contributions made by a foundation should be recorded on the active side of its balance sheet as a pro-memoria item, ensuring accurate financial representation.

Food forests are a sustainable agroforestry system that can provide food, fuel, and other resources while preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Forests tackle the climate, Biodiversity and Food Crises at the same time, contribute to 27% of climate action by 2030 and are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity.