As I completed my 10-year tenure with the Trafigura Foundation at the close of 2025, I look back with profound gratitude on a decade of growth, purpose, and impact. Since inception, the Foundation has evolved from a committed philanthropic initiative into a strategic force, partnering with organisations around the world to help communities adapt and thrive in the face of mounting social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Since the launch of the 2023–2027 strategy focused on the importance of sustainable livelihoods, prepared communities, and thriving nature, we have worked with partners to address some of the most complex challenges facing vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries. A central feature of our approach is the commitment to local organisations and locally-grounded solutions. In 2025, nearly 79% of our funding directly supported local actors, ensuring that communities themselves drive change.
At the same time, the Foundation maintains a disciplined approach to operations, capping overheads at 10% to guarantee efficiency and reliability in our work. Staff across the Trafigura Group’s global offices have also played a vital role, contributing their expertise, time, and energy to advance our mission. In 2025 alone, staff volunteered more than 2,000 hours globally and raised more than USD 700,000 for social programmes relevant to their communities.
The year also marked the midpoint of our strategic plan and a step towards the Foundation’s 20th anniversary in 2027 – two milestones that invite both celebration and renewed commitment. From our earliest years of targeted philanthropic grant-making to today’s more coalition-driven model, we have supported initiatives spanning disaster preparedness, entrepreneurship, skills training, eco- system restoration and resilient food systems. Since 2007, the Foundation has deployed more than USD 122 million in philanthropic funding and increasingly leveraged blended finance to magnify impact.
Among the many achievements I’ve witnessed, I am particularly proud of how the Foundation has strengthened local organisations as agents of change, supported grassroots innovation, and broadened its strategic partnerships. By leveraging blended finance, we helped scale solutions that deliver tangible benefits on the ground, from solar panels and efficient irrigation tools to flood protection – reaching almost half a million people in 2025, mobilising additional financial resources for communities, and encouraging collaboration across sectors that amplify every dollar of the Foundation’s capital.
It is my honour to welcome Jeremy Weir as the new Chairman of the Trafigura Foundation. Jeremy brings to this role a distinguished career of leadership at the Trafigura Group, including more than a decade as Group CEO and Executive Chairman. With deep experience in global markets, strategic vision, and an enduring commitment to responsible business and community engagement, Jeremy is exceptionally well placed to guide the Foundation as it continues to expand its impact.
On behalf of the Board, I extend my heartfelt thanks to our partners and the communities they serve for their trust, collaboration, and shared resolve. The Foundation’s work stands as a testament to what can be achieved when purpose and partnership meet in service of people and the planet.
Andrew Vickerman
Chairman
