Today, we stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the most influential and life-changing charities and organizations in the world. Through our collaborative efforts and our own signature programs, we are sowing the seeds for a sustainable future and actively working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations.

This journey has been filled with hard work, focus, and firm commitment. We owe it to those who have stood by us every step of the way, from our former leaders and charity partners to our Swarovski Foundation Board of Trustees, Swarovski Foundation team, Swarovski Group colleagues and Swarovski family.

Over the past 10 years, we have reached over 2 million people in 93 countries through 85 partnerships and 17 global emergencies, all in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. None of this would have been possible without the hard work and unwavering support of our partners, and for that, we are immensely grateful.

However, it’s not always easy to know whether our efforts are truly making a difference, and we constantly question whether we are making the changes we want to see. We measure our progress and success by setting clear goals and holding ourselves accountable to achieving them.

To truly understand the impact of our work, we examine both our local and global influence. And that requires us to ask ourselves some tough questions and evaluate every decision we make.

We constantly challenge ourselves to improve and strive for excellence in everything we do. We evaluate our next steps and ask ourselves why we are taking them – will they help us get closer to achieving our purpose, or have circumstances changed, needing us to adjust our approach?

We don’t take on projects lightly.  We conduct a comprehensive assessment of a situation before making any commitments. We consider the context, the issue at hand, the proposed solution, the steps involved in those solutions, and the expected outcomes. And we always circle back to ensure that everything aligns with our mission and the impact we want to make in the world.

The desire to take care of the natural world is central to our ethos and has been so since the initial Swarovski factory set up in the beautiful town of Wattens, Austria.

Wattens’ abundant mountain streams provided water for crystal cutting for the business. But it was more than that. Those streams also provided clean, renewable energy through hydropower.

Complimenting this philosophy to use nature ethically was Daniel Swarovski’s commitment to community well-being through activating a range of initiatives, including an orchestra, a cycling club, a sports and leisure center, and summer camps for employees’ children.

And by extension of this, his passion for education and creative innovation led Daniel and his wife Marie to donate land for the construction of a new school and provide scholarships to outstanding pupils from low-income families.

Since its inception, our Foundation had intended to collaborate with a select few charitable partners to make a positive impact on the world. However, as we began to embark on smaller initiatives, it became abundantly clear that we could be most effective by leading the charge and championing multiple causes that were intimately connected to our core values.

Over the last decade, we’ve been fortunate enough to engage in partnerships and projects that have allowed us to reflect on our strategy and determine where our support is most impactful. Today the Swarovski Foundation has found its focus in supporting initiatives within 3 crucial areas: Equity, Water, and Creativity and through 2 signature programs, the Waterschool and Creatives for
Our Future.

We strongly believe that the opportunity to receive quality education is crucial to building a more sustainable and equitable future, and that education is the key to unlocking human potential and creating positive change. That’s why we align our partnerships and initiatives to focus on providing access to quality education for all, irrespective of background or circumstance.

Offering decent work and economic growth is also a key priority for the Swarovski Foundation. For us, this area is incredibly critical to building thriving, sustainable communities. Through our partnerships, we are working to create opportunities for job training and skill development, particularly in the areas of sustainable development and entrepreneurship. We are also committed to promoting responsible business practices that support social and environmental sustainability.

One of our earliest partnerships began in 2014 with Teach for Austria – an organization that envisions a world where every child in Austria has an equal opportunity to live a fulfilling life, irrespective of their parents’ education or income level.

Our initial collaboration with a focus on combating educational inequality and early school dropout has blossomed into a dynamic, multi-layered partnership, creating several initiatives that encourage participants to engage with social and environmental challenges. Teach for Austria Fellows have collaborated with the Waterschool program over the past 3 years to promote water education and empower children with the knowledge and skills needed to improve their local environments.

Building on the success of our partnership with Teach for Austria, we embarked on a similar collaboration with Teach For Thailand in 2015. Our joint efforts are aimed at fostering positive learning environments and ending educational inequality in Thailand, and we are committed to enhancing the overall participant experience, which has led to the development of various opportunities for growth and development.

Recently, Teach For Thailand Fellows began incorporating the Waterschool curriculum into their teaching, thus raising awareness about the importance of water sustainability and in 2022, we collaborated with the Swarovski Group to organize a career guidance workshop with employees.

Under this pillar, we also take pride in supporting organizations that empower girls and women. One such organization is Room to Read, which we first partnered with in 2015 to help create a world without illiteracy and gender inequality.

Since then, over 1,300 girls from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Laos, India, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka have benefited from the Swarovski Foundation’s support of Room to Read’s ‘Girls’ Education Program’, which equips adolescent girls with life skills education, mentoring, material support, and family engagement, enabling them to continue their education and overcome any obstacles.

Accelerating our support in this area has been our partnership with Women for Women International, which has been a resounding success. Since the Foundation’s inception, we’ve worked together to support women who have survived the horrors of war, helping them rebuild their lives. In Nigeria alone, we’ve worked with over 1,100 women in this endeavor since we began partnering together, through a social and economic program that addresses the unique challenges faced by women in the country and their urgent need for sustainable livelihood opportunities.

The program has equipped these women with the knowledge and practical skills to start their own businesses, enabling them to break free from poverty and take control of their futures. Participants have gained invaluable insights into their rights, health, and wellness, as well as improving their knowledge of nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation.

Recognizing that health is a huge factor impacting the opportunities available to people, the Swarovski Foundation has also worked with mothers2mothers since 2018, supporting their innovative approach to improving healthcare outcomes through the empowerment of Mentor Mothers. These are women living with HIV who have been trained and employed as Community Health Workers, and who act as role models, providing crucial support and guidance to vulnerable communities.

Our most recent support has enabled us to contribute to a program in Kenya that focuses on nurturing care for vulnerable young children, their mothers, and their families. The program has increased the capacity of Mentor Mothers and healthcare workers to provide inclusive and comprehensive care for children aged 0-3 years, including those with disabilities up to 5 years of age.

Investing in reforestation, for example, was always of immense importance to us. These projects not only mitigate climate change, but also restore degraded ecosystems and protect biodiversity, which directly benefits local communities by providing them with a sustainable source of income, clean water, and protection from natural disasters.

4 years ago, The Nature Conservancy presented us with an amazing opportunity to support their reforestation project in Mantiqueira, a region which has over 1 million hectares of land with the potential to be restored. Thanks to The Nature Conservancy’s project, municipalities, landowners, universities, corporations, and local associations have come together to advance the restoration agenda.

Mangrove forests are vital in stabilizing shorelines, protecting coastal areas from erosion, and mitigating the impacts of climate change by sequestering large amounts of carbon. They are also home to a diverse range of species, from fish to birds and mammals, and support millions of people who rely on mangroves for fishing, farming, and other economic activities.

They also act as natural filters, removing pollutants from the water and improving water quality, which is critical for the health of both humans and marine life. Unfortunately, human activities such as illegal logging, development, and climate change have put mangrove forests in danger, making restoration efforts even more critical.

We also wanted to lend support for one of the most pressing issues facing our oceans today – overfishing. So, we decided to take action and teamed up with the Blue Marine Foundation, which has been working to tackle overfishing in the Aeolian Islands since 2017.

Prior to their pilot education project in 2019, there was only 1 local organization working on marine conservation education in Aeolian schools, with a focus on plastic pollution. We knew we had to do more, and that’s why we decided to support the Blue Marine Foundation’s marine conservation project.

It is not just a basic human right; it’s also a priceless asset for both people and the planet. But water is a limited and unevenly distributed resource, and that makes it all the more crucial to learn how to manage it sustainably.

In the past, the significance of water in driving positive development was not widely acknowledged. However, the scarcity, pollution, and devastating power of water are increasingly becoming a pressing concern, bringing its crucial role in the global environmental and societal context to the forefront of people’s minds, who recognize the vital role of water and so work towards understanding, cherishing, and sustainably managing it to secure a better future for us all.

And to make this happen, we need to prioritize environmental education from an early age. Previously, education had been disregarded as a solution to address water challenges. However, now more than ever, it is being acknowledged as a powerful tool for driving change. Education can equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to conserve water and manage this resource. By educating ourselves and others, we can create a more water-resilient world for generations to come.

Starting in schools and continuing through university, we need to equip people with the knowledge and skills they need to make a positive impact on the world. This includes on-the-job training to ensure that people can implement sustainable solutions and adaptations in their local communities.

Through our support for education programs, we aim to create a shift in awareness that will foster lasting positive changes in behavior and transform water management systems for generations to come.

We are committed to tackling the glaring inequalities brought about by water challenges, especially the economic pressure faced by women and young people. As part of our Water Pillar, we have resolved to provide comprehensive water education that empowers communities to take charge of their water resources. Together, we can build a global network of informed and educated individuals who are committed to creating a more equitable and sustainable future.

With that in mind, the Swarovski Waterschool will be integrated into the Swarovski Foundation as the signatory program of the newly denominated Water Pillar. This is an incredible opportunity for us to continue building on the legacy of a project that has already demonstrated its success for over 20 years and will allow the program to amplify its impact and connect with Foundation partners to address the critical challenges of equitable education and access to safe water.

Through the Waterschool, we work alongside local partners to bring education about sustainable water use and protection of nature to young people between the ages of 8 and 18, and through them, their families and communities. By inspiring a lifelong passion for this crucial subject, we are creating a generation of water ambassadors.

“The Waterschool project changed my life in every aspect. It was where my desire to fight for the environment first emerged. I hope that all of our efforts pay off, so that in the future other people can take advantage of the resources we have today.”

Samara Reis,

Waterschool Ambassador,
Brazil Santarem

Our comprehensive program is designed to educate teachers, students, and communities about the principles of sustainable water management, hygiene, and the environment. We accomplish this through our Waterschool teaching materials, which are designed to engage and inspire to make the learning process both informative and fun.

But we don’t stop there. We know that usable water is essential for healthy communities. That’s why we combine education with action and provide access to these resources wherever they are needed, from safe water to sanitation facilities, to help to create healthier communities.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly in education, with disadvantaged communities facing decreased access to Art & Design education, leading to a decline in creativity among young people.

Recognizing the significance of education, we are committed to focusing our efforts on providing quality creative education through partnerships and programs. We also acknowledge that the skills, knowledge, and resources obtained through education need to be connected and sustained to enable positive change and increase sustainable livelihoods.

The Design Museum holds a special place for us as one of the first partners we ever had the privilege of working with, shortly after the inception of the Swarovski Foundation in 2013.

As the world’s leading museum of contemporary design and architecture, the Design Museum showcases exceptional design through a captivating program to inspire, engage, and thrill audiences. The museum’s mission is to invite everyone to experience and contemplate the influence of contemporary design in all forms, through exhibitions, events, learning activities, and online content.

Our initial collaboration with the museum aimed to provide accessible educational facilities for young people to learn about the role of design and its impact. In 2017, the Swarovski Foundation Centre for Learning was established, an inspiring facility equipped to promote and support design education through creative workshops to excite, inspire and engage students.

As we approach a decade of partnership, we are proud to continue our collaboration with the Design Museum. Together, we have developed the Sustainable Design School program, a series of design-based workshops that aim to educate young people and empower them to make sustainable decisions in their everyday lives and future design practices. We hope that our joint efforts will leave a lasting impact and help shape a brighter future for our planet.

In 2014, we began empowering gifted design students by awarding scholarships at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Our aim was to unleash their creative potential by providing guidance from esteemed academics and leveraging their extensive college network. Central Saint Martins is celebrated worldwide for the boundless creative energy of its students, staff, and alumni.

So far, we’ve supported 44 students – 22 studying jewelry design and 22 studying fashion design – to complete their final year of study in BA Fashion Design and BA Jewellery Design. These talented individuals have been equipped to use their skills to respond to pressing challenges and make a positive impact, as our goal is to advance creative talent that can tackle major societal issues and contribute to creating a brighter future.

Realizing the urgency and immense potential to revolutionize the future of the fashion industry, the Swarovski Foundation and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) teamed up to launch the Re: Generation Innovation Scholar Award in 2021. The aim of this award was to promote innovative design thinking and learning within sustainable fashion systems.

Bailey Adams was the most recent inaugural scholar of the Re:Generation Innovation Award. He was granted financial support and comprehensive educational mentorship, industry consultations, field visits, public exposure, and access to CFDA’s prestigious network. This personalized program equipped Bailey with advanced knowledge and skills for low-impact production systems, such as ethical sourcing, materiality, and sustainable or natural dyeing techniques.

Bailey applied these new skills to his Thesis Collection, which is now showcased on CFDA Runway 360. He now understands the importance of responsible creation and decision-making in fashion design and is committed to following sustainable production protocols at Tory Burch. Thanks to this award, Bailey is now a conscientious designer, capable of innovating within the constraints of a sustainable fashion system and is committed to making a positive impact on the industry.

We understand that emerging designers require support and guidance to embrace sustainable and innovative production systems. That’s why we partnered with Fashion Council Germany and The Prince’s Foundation to launch an educational program, FASHION X CRAFT in 2021, which combines sustainability, craftsmanship, and innovation, with an emphasis on artisanal techniques and natural resources.

It offers a 3-week residency at The Prince’s Foundation’s new educational facility at Highgrove, where 6 selected participants learn craft skills such as basketry, decorative plasterwork, and woodcarving. In addition, the program features supplementary webinars and a 3-day intensive workshop to advance participants’ understanding of the circular economy and sustainable practices.

By participating in FASHION X CRAFT, emerging designers gain access to a supportive network of like-minded individuals and acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to implement sustainable production practices in their designs. They are empowered to leverage traditional artisanal techniques to create innovative, sustainable fashion that has a positive impact on the environment and society.

After the Syrian crisis, over half of Syrians were forced to leave their homes, and Jordan is now home to millions of refugees from Palestine, Syria, and Iraq. These refugees require employment, hope, and a positive connection to their heritage. However, young refugee women in Jordan face societal and cultural barriers that prevent them from accessing dignified employment. In fact, 93% of young refugee women are unemployed.

To combat this issue, Turquoise Mountain identified a shortage of skilled makers in the handmade jewelry sector, which also presents a growing global market opportunity. Thus, we saw it as essential to support these young women through educational programs to help them generate sustainable income after completing the program. Through our partnership with Turquoise Mountain, we are empowering 43 young people, 90% of whom are women, by providing them with advanced technical and design skills as well as business knowledge.

By providing these educational opportunities, we are giving young women in Jordan a chance to create a better future for themselves and their families. They will be able to earn a sustainable income, gain confidence, and become leaders in their communities.

In a world where the creative economy is becoming recognized more and more, we believe in its transformative power and the potential it has to level the playing field by providing opportunities for everyone, regardless of background.

That’s why in 2021 the Swarovski Foundation launched Creatives For Our Future, a global educational grant funding program in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships. With a focus on the brightest young talents working in industries such as design, engineering and the arts, the program identifies and accelerates the next generation of creative leaders who will drive sustainable development.

The program’s ultimate goal is to leverage the Swarovski Foundation’s resources, including funding and a vast network that spans borders and industries, to drive meaningful change. To achieve this, we assembled a team of 30 industry leaders who serve as master teachers and mentors for the cohort, providing guidance and support as they develop their ideas.

Creatives For Our Future invites individuals aged 21 to 30, from all corners of the world, to submit their ideas for sustainable innovation. Since its inception, over 650 submissions have been received from 88 countries, with 15 successful applicants chosen and supported by the Swarovski Foundation.

These individuals come from 12 different countries and possess a diverse range of skills, including fashion, product design, biotechnology, architecture, engineering and the visual arts. What unites them is their shared focus on environmental and human practices.

The program has brought together an exceptional group of rising stars from across the globe, each of whom has reimagined sustainable design through innovative projects. Their ideas have ranged from synthetic coral and hemp blocks as a sustainable alternative to concrete, to a card game for learning sign language, automation of bacteria dye, and a device to improve water sustainability and management.

As a direct result, 14 of these Creatives For Our Future cohort members have produced or upgraded prototypes or their ideas since inception.

So far, in 2021 and 2022, a brilliant group of innovators from around the world have formed the cohort. These individuals embarked on an 8-month journey that helped shape their ideas into inspirational models for a sustainable future. Supported by advocates who believed in their vision and helped them bring it to life, these are their stories.

Osasumwen Obasogie is currently market-testing his stove which aims to provide a solution for the 620 million Africans without access to electricity.

Agnieszka Doczynska’s card game has the potential to improve the lives of 50,000 deaf people in Poland. Her creation was featured at one of Poland’s most experimental and forward-thinking galleries, Zachęta Project Place, post-program graduation.

She collaborated with another Creatives For Our Future alumna, Agnieszka Doczynska, to raise awareness about women’s health and menstruation by creating an open-source educational kit called Menstrupedia.

Sejal also, with fellow Creatives For Our Future alumni Yara Ewida, recognized the urgent need to address the global refugee crisis and developed the concept of the “Universal Temporary House,” a foldable emergency shelter equipped with a water filtration system for use in refugee camps. Their innovative solution has the potential to save the lives of thousands of refugees worldwide.

Ghislain Irakoze opened a sustainable art gallery in Rwanda and collaborated with 10 young artists to exhibit 100 artworks painted on canvases created from 10 tons of recycled banana trunks, bringing attention to the endangered species of living creatures in Africa.

Sejal Budholiya responded to the water shortage in her community in India by developing a sustainable water filtration system and even created a menstruation product for use in space and areas without proper facilities.

Meanwhile, Yara Ewida tackled ocean water acidification by creating synthetic coral tiles as a sustainable alternative to concrete.

Camila Wandemberg collaborated with a local fashion designer in Ecuador to create a commercial collection with textiles dyed using an ancestral method that uses bacteria.

Daniele Ficarra addressed the electricity shortage in rural areas with a stunning lighting fixture using bioluminescent organisms as green energy.

Noemi Florea has constructed a working model of a compact greywater treatment system called Cycleau. This device can capture sink greywater and treat it to a potable standard, reducing the impact of sewage pollution and protecting homeowners from contaminants in municipal water distribution systems.

Noemi’s solution has earned her recognition as a MIT Solv[ED] Youth solver in 2023. She continues to develop the system to reduce water pollution and promote water reuse technology.

Aradhita Parasrampuria has upgraded her algae-based embellishment production system with updated molds to produce various sizes of beads, which can now serve as a replacement for the damaging impact of conventional embellishment production on workers and the environment. She has taken her algae-based embellishment to the next level by setting up her algae-cellulose beading company, promoting the use of BioEmbellishment in the fashion industry and biodegradable beads in the cosmetic industry to reduce microplastic pollution and carbon emissions.

She was a panelist in a discussion hosted by the United Nations Office for Partnerships and Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, as a part of the United Nations 2023 Water Conference at the United Nations New York Headquarters, where she advocated for innovative approaches and materials to reduce non-biodegradable waste and water pollution.

Joshua Ichor has developed a hand pump monitoring system and built a clean water kiosk for rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. His efforts have increased communal access to clean water, which is crucial in regions that lack this basic necessity.

His clean water kiosk has been supplying more than 50,000 liters of clean water to community members, enabling over 10,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa to access clean water every day.

Hassam Uddin has refined his innovative product, geo-Air Con, by leveraging stable temperatures underground to reduce the usage of non-renewable energy and combat global warming. With program support, he has refined the product through multiple models and scaled it up for application in other sectors such as agriculture.

Florencia Valladares has created a prototype of an electronic device that can identify recyclable materials and conditions to accelerate and increase the volume of waste that goes into recycling.

Charlotte Werth has improved her machine to automate and scale up bacteria dye processes, which reduces environmental damage caused by most of the chemical dyes commonly used at the commercial level.

Our Action Fund is a testament to this commitment. Through it, the Swarovski Foundation is dedicated to alleviating the suffering of vulnerable communities affected by some of the world’s most urgent crises.

For the past decade, the Swarovski Foundation has been responding to a range of devastating situations, such as helping to provide much-needed support to refugees, displaced persons, and their host communities in Afghanistan, Greece, Iraq, Pakistan, South Sudan, Syria, Türkiye, and Ukraine through grants to UK for UNHCR, for example, over the last 4 years.

In addition, we have extended our support to trusted partners like the British Red Cross, as they worked tirelessly to respond to various emergency situations in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Yemen, and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agenda, which focuses on delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

From epidemics, earthquakes, and wildfires to child marriage, racism, and more recently the cost-of-living crisis, our partners have been at the forefront of providing relief to those in need.

We understand that the world is constantly evolving, and we will stay true to our values and principles even as we adapt to ever-changing circumstances.

We take our moral responsibility to use resources wisely seriously and so we will carefully consider the effect of these investments on the environment and society, ensuring that they contribute to positive social and environmental change.