The Help2Help program aims at supporting initiatives of general interest carried out by associations in which BNP Paribas in Switzerland employees are actively involved.

Since its launch in 2004, more than 100 projects have been financed, represented by employees from all business lines and functions. The associations are selected by the Foundation’s Board considering the local impact and the BNP Paribas staff members personal involvement.

For the 2024 campaign, three projects have been selected and will in total receive 16 000 CHF from the Foundation:

Ein Haus für Kinder

Switzerland is experiencing a growing demand in support for families with children facing severe chronic illnesses or disabilities. For two decades, Ein Haus für Kinder has been a pillar for those families. The association proposes inpatient or Day Care Service and socio-pedagogical family support. The Help2Help funding will help to finance an elevator in order to improve the accessibility in the house for disabled children.

HOPE Suisse

HOPE supports women affected by cancer from the announcement of the diagnosis through post-treatment, helping them overcome the ordeal through equine therapy and various forms of artistic expression (painting, dancing, etc.). The Help2Help grant represents the budget for 12 participants that will benefit from 3 discovery days in Geneva including the therapists, the rental of the horses and stables, lunch, and various activities such as painting.

Le Bistro

The association participates in the social and professional rehabilitation of people with psychological disorders or suffering from social problems. The non-profit organization developed an inclusive restaurant, offering reintegration places and low-cost catering accessible to all. The funds of the Help2Help program will enable the renewal of equipment and the offering of one-off cultural or social events within the organization. 

BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation owns an extensive art collection of more than 600 pieces, that includes both established 20th century art and young Swiss artists. As part of its initiative to support the young Swiss artistic scene, BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation is pleased to announce the acquisition of an artwork by Aline Petrò.

Aline, who graduated in 2023 with a Master of Fine Arts from the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdk), is a promising young talent in the Swiss artistic scene. She draws inspiration from the “childlike creative ego”, questioning whether this creative state is merely a nostalgic flashback to a time that no longer exists in the same way. “These questions form the core of my exploration in my artistic practice”, she says, aiming to connect with this childlike creativity as a place of dreams. Her work across various media seeks to recreate this illusionary, free self, driven by memories of old lightness. 

Aline’s work has already been showcased in various exhibitions across Switzerland, mostly in Zurich but also in Basel and Luzern. 

BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation is pleased to announce the renewal of its partnership with the Swiss Open Geneva for three additional years (2024-2026).

Since 2014, BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation has supported the wheelchair tennis tournament, among the most prestigious in the world, bringing together more than 80 players every year. The organization of the tournament relies on more than 100 volunteers, which includes around 30 staff members of BNP Paribas in Switzerland.

With the support of BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation, the Swiss Open Geneva has grown considerably over the last ten years and gained in visibility.

The past ten years have been marked by the improvement of the tournament’s infrastructures with the move to the Tennis Club Drizia-Miremont. The organization has also improved constantly throughout the years, embarking on a proactive approach towards sustainable responsibility. For the first time this year, the organization will also hold a “Swiss Open Tour” in various tennis clubs in the canton of Geneva.

The 2024 edition, which will take place during July 16-20, will be marked by the broadcasting of the finals in partnership with Léman Bleu channel.

© Swiss Open Geneva – Grégory Picout

“The renewal of BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation’s partnership with the Swiss Open Geneva is an affirmation of our commitment to promoting the values of sports and social inclusion. We are honored to continue to support this tournament, a reference for wheelchair tennis. This renewal is also a symbol of the historical partnership between BNP Paribas Group and Tennis.”

Enna pariset
Chairwoman of the Board of BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation

“Celebrating the 10th anniversary of our partnership with BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation is an immense source of pride and satisfaction for the Swiss Open Geneva. This unwavering support reflects BNP Paribas’ commitment to sports and its values. The collaboration with such a prestigious and dedicated partner has allowed us to make great strides, both in terms of the tournament’s development and the promotion of inclusion through sport. We are honored to be able to count on a main partner like BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation, whose continued support inspires us to aim ever higher together.”

Sebastian Mozer
Executive Director of the Swiss Open Geneva

BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation takes pride in owning and curating an extensive art collection, showcasing diverse artists and styles, ranging from established 20th century Swiss art to young Swiss artists. 

Various art pieces are displayed across our locations, which allows our staff to enjoy them and evolve in an inspiring working environment. 

In the context of the move to Morgines, a selection of high-quality art pieces from the collection have been displayed in the new premises, in particular highlighting the Swiss art scene. Our staff that recently moved to Morgines can now enjoy these newly exposed art works from the collection. 

Further art pieces will be exposed across all locations to maximize the visibility of these paintings and of the associated artists. The visibility of the art works from the collection by all staff members that will move to Alto premises is an integral part of the installation project. 

The orbit of human vision has widened and art has annexed fresh territories that were formerly denied to it.

Max Bill

BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation renews its partnership with the Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) for three subsequent years, until 2026.

Since 2016, BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation has supported the Swiss Polar Institute, which aims at promoting and financing scientific research in cold regions. In partnership with the Foundation, the SPI launched the “Polar Access Fund”, a fund dedicated to financing expeditions to the polar and cold regions of young Swiss scientists to conduct research for the benefit of polar science. Up until now, the fund has supported more than 38 research projects.

Discover some field trips financed by the “Polar Access Fund” 

Evan Miles, Himalaya

Evan is a young post-doc researcher at the WSL Federal Institute (Forest, Snow and Landscape). Thanks to the grant from the Polar Access Fund, Evan was able to experiment a new method of measuring historical snowfall and mass accumulation on high-altitude glaciers in the Himalayas mountains, filling a gap in understanding the response of glaciers to climate change.

Today, Evan coordinates the SPI’s PAMIR project.
It brings together 90 scientists to conduct research on the evolution of the cryosphere in Tajikistan.

Julie Lattaud, Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean)

Julie is a young post-doc researcher at the ETH, Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. Her grant enabled her to board the Canadian icebreaker Amundsen as part of an expedition to the Beaufort Sea. This allowed her to take samples from the seabed and the water column in order to study the evolution of the methane cycle in the context of climate change.

This fieldwork provided the basis for a larger project submitted to the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), worth nearly CHF 1 million.

“The fieldwork I carried out with the funds enabled me to obtain samples and contacts (collaborating with people from the field trip) which served as the basis for my proposal. Obtaining this grant has been a huge advantage for me.” –

Julie Lattaud

BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation is proud to extend the partnership and continue to support young scientists in their field work. This research is fundamental to understanding natural mechanisms in cold regions and will enable a better response to climate change.

This partnership is also in line with the Group’s ambitions as the environmental cause is one of its main strategic pillars.

“Sustainability is a pillar of BNP Paribas’ long-term strategy. By renewing the Foundation’s support to the Swiss Polar Institute, we reaffirm our long-term commitment in engaging in projects with positive environmental impact “, comments Enna Pariset, Chairwoman of BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation’s Board, CEO and Head of Territory for BNP Paribas Group in Switzerland.

“Our long-standing partnership with BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation enables us to empower early-career scientists who undertake meaningful and impactful scientific projects in polar and high-altitude regions. Beyond bringing back valuable data and findings, they also form a close-knit community leading to new networks and learnings”, says Danièle Rod, Executive Director of the Swiss Polar Institute.

As part of its initiative to support the young Swiss artistic scene, the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation is pleased to welcome a work by the young artist from Geneva Douglas Mandry into its collection.

A graduate of the Lausanne School of Art (ECAL), Douglas Mandry is among the most promising young talents in the Swiss art scene. His multidisciplinary work combines scientific methodology and artistic creativity through mediums such as photography and sculpture. In collaboration with experts and scientists, he explores questions about time, technology, and nature, using unique materials found during his travels to challenge our perception of the world.

The BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation’s collection, boasting around 600 works, incorporates both established 20th-century art and the young Swiss art scene. In line with the Group’s values, it focuses particularly on works that address environmental issues such as climate change. Douglas Mandry’s creative approach is therefore fully aligned with the spirit and core values of the Foundation, once again demonstrating its commitment to the young Swiss artistic scene.

Discover Douglas Mandry’s creative universe and projects in his interview below.

Can you describe the sources of inspiration for your artistic approach?

My work is primarily a deep investigation on multiple levels, mainly focusing on our relationship with Nature in the current era. I approach the subject in a transcendental way, assisted by various mediums (photography, painting, sculpture…) and in collaboration with experts, scientists, and sometimes even Nature itself. Art allows me to crystallize associations of ideas in a tangible way.

Environmental concerns take up a large space in your work; what role do you think artists can play in this collective awareness?

Art has the power to affect our consciousness of the world in various ways—cognitive, sensory. Through creation, we can reconsider the reality as we know it, and propose alternatives in a collective dimension. It’s not just about conveying a message, but an experience. We are living in a pivotal, changing period, which needs to redefine our relationship to Earth and where we finally realize that it will be a collective effort. For me, one of the responsibilities of the artist is to reflect the period in which they live, each in their own way.

What is your relationship to material (wood, canvas, paper), and how do you integrate it into your approach?

Materials define our relationship to energy, from the beginning of time. Each material carries its own history, connotation, whether it is ancient, natural, or man-made. It was the stone that led to fire, which led to propulsion, etc. Our history, but also our future, is therefore interdependent on our relationship to materials. I like working with materials related to fire (glass, charcoal…) because, while they are integral to modernity as we understand it today, their usage dates back several thousand years. Materials are vectors of humanity, and it seems essential to me to include them in my work.

What project are you currently working on?

One of my projects involves reactivating a significant set of photographic archives from the early 20th century, to which I’ve been granted access for my project. I can’t talk too much about it yet, but I intend to develop questions about preservation and time, by merging photography and chemical reactions.

© Riccardo Cattaneo

The partnership between BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation and Haus Konstruktiv made the first solo exhibition on Athene Galiciadis in her home city of Zurich possible.

Since 2022, the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation is a partner of the museum Haus Konstruktiv in Zurich dedicated to concrete, constructivist and conceptual art. The Foundation supports every year the exhibition of a young Swiss artist within the annual program of the museum, as well as its digital promotion. In 2023, Athene Galiciadis benefited from this support for her first solo exhibition in Zurich.

“I am glad that the BNP Paribas Foundation supports Swiss artists and I am very grateful for the important contribution to my first institutional exhibition in my home city of Zurich.”

Athene Galiciadis; Artist supported by the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation

The exhibition, titled “Orientation”, reflects Galiciadis’ artistic language characterized by a distinctive repertoire of colors and forms developed over the last 20 years. Abstract geometric elements, such as circle segments, squares, and triangles, and animals including cats, bees and snakes, repetitively combine in her paintings generating ornamental patterns. Pastel and bright pinks, greens and yellows are applied to the canevas layer by layer in acrylic and oil paint and contrasted with dark blue and black. In addition to these painterly works, ceramic sculptures constitute another important part of Galiciadis’ multimedia oeuvre, as do installations, which she develops and implements with a keen sense of the spatial conditions of the respective exhibition space.

To find out more about Athene Galiciadis’ exhibition we invite you to watch the Artist Talk (in German with English subtitles) between the director of the museum Sabine Schaschl and the artist produced with the support of the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation.

The BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation was created in 2002 to mark 130 years of BNP Paribas in Switzerland. While the Group has been involved in philanthropic activities through the BNP Paribas Foundation in Paris for nearly 40 years, the Swiss Foundation has pioneered such programmes internationally as the first foundation outside of France.

The BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation is committed to supporting its partners over the long term, with the aim of promoting dialogue between the bank and society, creating links with communities in Switzerland and helping to address major social, cultural and environmental issues at a local level.

Over the past 20 years, the Foundation has supported some twenty cultural institutions, public bodies, universities and associations in more than 250 projects with a tangible impact on local communities. Here are a few key examples:

  • Guidance to help hundreds of children discover reading and the world of comics with the BD Zoom Awards, as well as the challenges of healthy and sustainable food with the Swiss Food Academy.
  • Thousands of visitors to Photo Elysée inspired by innovative projects in the digital mediation of culture.
  • A springboard for nearly 60 young artists, with projects such as the New Heads Awards, the Troupe des Jeunes Solistes en Résidence of the Grand Théâtre de Genève and the contemporary dance troupe The Field.
  • So far more than 340 intergenerational living arrangements organised through the “1h per m2” programme to combat social isolation among seniors.

  • Restoration of about fifteen major works with various partners (the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Geneva Museum of Art and History).
  • One of the largest wheelchair tennis tournaments, the Swiss Open Geneva.
  • Around thirty young scientists helped to travel to the polar region for climate change research projects thanks to the Polar Access Fund.
  • Dozens of young refugees given support in their social and professional integration with Yojoa, and people isolated from the labour market trained in today and tomorrow’s professions with the Opportunity programme.

The Foundation could not be more proud of all these initiatives, carried out with conviction and trust in its partners to improve the lives of communities in Switzerland. Discover the Foundation’s current partners and their project in these 3 videos.

Discover our cultural partners

Discover our social partners

Discover our environmental partners

The BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation was created in 2002 to promote the dialogue between the bank and local communities on cultural, social and environmental issues. To strengthen its engagement on environmental stakes and in line with one of BNP Paribas’s commitments to raise awareness about climate change and biodiversity, a new three-year partnership was launched in 2022 with Swiss Food Academy.

Who is Swiss Food Academy?

Swiss Food Academy was founded in 2017 in Geneva with the main mission to raise awareness about healthy and sustainable food. The association gathers specialists in nutrition, education, health and sustainable development to develop high value-added content for schools, public authorities, individuals and professionals.

What is the partnership about?

The Foundation supports from 2022 to 2024 the development of the “Paprika – my school committed to healthy and sustainable nutrition” programme in Zurich. This educational project aims at promoting a healthy and sustainable diet amongst 8 to 12 years old schoolchildren in the Zurich area, by empowering them through pedagogical and playful methods. Every year over the next three years, five primary schools will thus participate in thematic weeks aiming at raising the awareness of around 1’200 children about the relationship between nutrition and environmental issues.

“Swiss Food Academy is delighted to collaborate with the Swiss Foundation of BNP Paribas in the diffusion of its educational food programme for primary schools in Zurich: the Paprika programme. We are convinced that raising awareness about food in schools is the ideal way to improve the quality of relationship of children and families to food and healthy nutrition. It is therefore a great opportunity for the Swiss Food Academy to be able to count on the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation, a player that is already very committed and recognised in the implementation of societal projects, particularly on the theme of sustainable development.”

Maria Retamales, Founder and CEO

Secondary school pupils aged 15–19 selected Peggy Adamas the winner of the BD Zoom 2021 Prize.

This award seeks to highlight Switzerland’s wide array of French-language comic books while promoting an interest in reading. The winning author’s award will be presented this autumn by Ms Anne Emery-Torracinta, State Advisor for the Department of Public Education, Training and Youth and Ms Anna Franziska Becher, Delegate-General of the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation, which was a founding partner of the project.

The book by Peggy Adam tells the story of six friends who come together during the summer holidays, and for whom it is an opportunity to do stupid things and discover each other’s secrets. Their friendship will enable them to find the resilience to face challenges and help them through their childhood. An account, inspired by the life of the author, who has been able to cross generations to engage the pupils.

In this sixth annual competition, the three finalists for the BD Zoom Prize were overwhelmingly female: Peggy Adam for Les sales gosses, Marina K. for Je suis grosse and Fanny Vaucher with Eric Burnand for Le Siècle d’Emma

The winner was chosen after an entire academic year of collaboration with 36 teachers representing 49 classes and more than 700 pupils from all teaching streams. The students read the six works, studied both their content and form in detail, and had the opportunity to meet the authors many times in class. In addition to discovering the rich expressive potential of this medium, reading the entries encouraged the young people to engage in dialogue on important social issues, made accessible through the universal language of the comic.

The BD Zoom Prize took place as it has every year, with individual visits in strict compliance with health regulations. Only the awards ceremony had to be modified. The authors published videos online and then the pupils voted remotely.

The BD Zoom Prize is part of the Department of Public Education’s active policy to make culture accessible to the students of the canton. It also complements the canton’s efforts to support the book industry in order to highlight the importance of illustration, comic books and posters from Geneva, which are part of Swiss intangible cultural heritage.