An independent foundation practising evidence-based philanthropy. We fund where the data points to the greatest good.
Our philosophy
What we are
There are many areas that need support, and we can't fund all of them. In every decision though, we aim for the greatest possible impact from the money we spend, asking one question:
Where will our contribution do the most good and have the greatest leverage?
In Czech Republic we back projects that lead to systemic change; abroad we choose organisations that can turn a given amount into the biggest possible benefit for the most people.
We donate both in the Czech Republic and internationally, with a different approach in each. In the Czech Republic, we support work that drives systemic change and helps make public systems work better. Internationally, we support direct, highly scalable interventions where funding can achieve the greatest possible impact, particularly in places where people have limited access to basic services and care.
Czech Republic
We support work that drives systemic change to make public systems work better, because that's what makes impact far-reaching and lasting. We prioritise projects with nationwide scope over those limited to a single locality.
International
We don't focus on any particular region. We support direct, highly scalable interventions in low-income countries. What matters to us is simple: saving or improving as many lives as possible for every euro we spend.
How much does a project deliver relative to what it costs, compared with the alternatives? The same amount of money can, in practice, help a very different number of people to a very different degree. We look for the most cost-effective projects that make the most of every euro.
How solid is the evidence that this help or intervention actually works? We choose projects backed by solid evidence and measurable impact. We stay in close contact with the organisations we fund and keep evaluating results as projects run.
What does success actually depend on, and who else is working in this space? We look at the wider ecosystem an organisation operates in, not just the organisation itself. We help different players connect and work together, we keep evaluating projects as they run, and we stay in touch with the organisations we support.
Why we make this public
Co-founder
Petr Košťál is an investor and one of the founders of the Zero Plus foundation, actively involved in shaping its direction and choosing the projects it supports. He sees philanthropy as a natural part of success and as a way of giving back part of what one has gained thanks to the environment one lives and does business in. For him, a functioning democracy, a strong civil society, and a prosperous economy are deeply interconnected. Supporting them is, in his view, not only a matter of responsibility but also a precondition for an environment in which business can thrive over the long term.
Co-founder
Stanislav Košťál is a founder of the Zero Plus foundation and an investor in the financial markets. He believes that beyond a certain level of wealth, more money barely adds to one's quality of life, while elsewhere it can still make a fundamental difference. If successful people gave even a small part of what they don't need themselves to meaningful projects, their impact on society would be enormous. At the same time, he knows from his own experience the value of money and the effort it takes to earn it, which is why he places emphasis on data, effectiveness, and real impact when choosing what to support.
Co-founder
An investor with a background in finance, where he learned to look for the opportunities with the greatest potential impact and to weigh effectiveness against risk. At the foundation he focuses above all on palliative care, looking for openings that can start a systemic change and build a model the whole field can sustain in the long term. He sees palliative care as an area society tends to avoid because of the subject of death, even though it reaches every one of us sooner or later.
Co-founder
Milan is an investor and one of the founders of the Zero Plus foundation. He believes that people who have achieved financial success should use part of their experience and resources to make a positive impact on society. At the foundation, he above all supports an approach that looks for long-term, sustainable solutions and tries to draw the greatest possible social benefit from the resources available.
How we're funded
It is an independent organisation and makes its funding decisions on its own.
Effectiveness first, Evidence-based selection, Transparency, Lasting change
Apply for funding
Before we commit, we ask a lot of questions. It matters to us to really understand a project before we decide to support it.
Annual reports
