About us
Our governance and our team
Your donation is a vote of confidence in our organisation. We have made a commitment to turn every donation into concrete assistance for those most in need. To guarantee responsible and transparent management, a number of statutory bodies ensure that donations are used as effectively as possible to help vulnerable people in Switzerland and around the world.
Foundation Council
As the highest body of our organisation, the Foundation Council plays a key role in shaping the direction and evolution of our work. It approves our strategy, manages responsibly and ensures that we maximise the impact of the donations entrusted to us as we continue to pursue our development for the future. The Council is made up of equal representation from SRG SSR, our humanitarian partners and humanitarian experts.
- Pascal Crittin, President, RTS
- François Besençon, Vice-President
- Barbara Hintermann, Chief Executive, Terre des hommes Foundation
- Grégoire Castella, independent representative
- Felix Gnehm, Solidar Suisse
- Alex Ziegler, SRG SSR
- Melchior Lengsfeld, Helvetas
- Sabine Maier, Vivamos Mejor
- Corina Albertini
- Robert Ruckstuhl, SRF
- Sylvia Schaller
- Stefania Verzasconi, RSI
Observer:
- Silvio Flückiger, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Consultative voice:
- Miren Bengoa, Director of Swiss Solidarity
International Project Committee
Made up of independent humanitarian aid experts, representatives of partner NGOs and the Swiss Solidarity management and programmes teams, the International Project Committee evaluates, challenges and recommends the approval or rejection of projects submitted by Swiss Solidarity’s partner NGOs that require over CHF 300,000 in funding.
Its members hail from all the technical fields relevant to the successful deployment of the projects (health, construction, water and hygiene, education, child protection and economics). This make-up allows for an informed evaluation of the projects. The Committee meets several times a year and is chaired by a person with independent status.
Relief projects involving sums of less than CHF 300,000 are reviewed by the Swiss Solidarity programmes team and approved by the Foundation’s executive.
President:
- Michelle A. Gysin, independent expert
Experts:
- Nadia Carlevaro, construction expert
- Fabienne Lagier, training and education expert
- Louisa Seferi, expert Livelihood
- Manuel Krähenbühl, WASH expert
- Martin Schneider, health expert
- Mirela Shuteriqi, child protection expert
NGO representatives:
- Alex Brans, Save the Children
- Lukas Frohofer, Solidar Suisse
- Laurence Gaubert, Terre des hommes Foundation
- Christian Gemperli, Helvetas
- Sebastian Zug, HEKS
- Katherine Kelland Arnold, CBM
- Johan Ten Hoeve, Medair
- Brigitte Müller, Swiss Red Cross
- Marion Schröder, Caritas
- Linh Groth, Médecins du Monde
Independent observer:
- Elias Wieland, observer/SDC
Representatives of Swiss Solidarity:
- Miren Bengoa, Director
- Ernst Lüber, Director of Programmes & Evaluation
Swiss Project Committee (COPRO-CH)
The Swiss Project Committee evaluates and makes recommendations to approve or reject projects submitted by Swiss associations and institutions. It studies project proposals requesting funding of between CHF 100,000 and CHF 150,000 for social action and over CHF 200,000 for natural disasters. Below these amounts, as for international projects, the projects submitted are evaluated by the Swiss Solidarity programmes team and approved by the executive team.
COPRO-CH is made up of independent experts hailing from academia, public institutions active in social welfare, and members of the Swiss Solidarity management team. These experts represent Switzerland’s four linguistic regions and have a solid knowledge of Switzerland’s associations.
Acting President:
- Claudia Paiano, Director of Prozessbüro
- Independent expert
Experts:
- Manolo Caviezel, Section Chief, Service de protection des mineurs Genève
- Matthias Drilling, Professor FHNW, Hochschule für Soziale Arbeit
- Patricia Ganter, Integration Delegate, Canton of Graubünden
- Paola Solcà, senior lecturer and Head of the SUPSI Bachelor’s degree in Social Work
- Jean-Pierre Tabin, Professor, HETS Lausanne
- Laurent Wicht, Professor, HES Genève
Representatives of Swiss Solidarity:
- Miren Bengoa, Director
- Ernst Lüber, Director of Programmes & Evaluation
Accreditation Committee
To ensure the quality of the projects carried out, the Foundation regularly verifies that its partner NGOs are in compliance with the accreditation criteria.
President:
• Sylvia Schaller
Members:
• Christian Grau, independent expert
• Koenraad van Brabant, President of the International Project Committee
• Ernst Lüber, Swiss Solidarity’s Director of Programmes & Evaluation (non-voting member)
Financial Management Committee (COGEFI)
The Foundation’s investment approach is conservative and prudent. To ensure consistency with our values, a Responsible Investment Charter sets out the ethical principles to be respected, based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.
The President of the Committee and the experts are appointed by the Foundation Council.
President:
- Alex Ziegler
Members:
- Sophie Cathala, finance and investment expert
- Miren Bengoa, Director of Swiss Solidarity
Permanent guests:
- Pascal Crittin, President of Swiss Solidarity
- Pascal Frei, PPCmetrics
- Mélanie Guarin, Head of Finance & Audit, Swiss Solidarity
Programmes & Evaluation Department

RahelBucher
Assistant of Programmes Department and and volunteer manager

CharlineFranz
Humanitarian Programme Manager

AuroreGeiser
Humanitarian Programme Manager

ConstanceTheisen-Womersley
Head of Humanitarian Aid

TabeaWäfler
Programme Manager Switzerland

TinoWehrle
Humanitarian Programme Manager

StefanieWerder
Head of Social Action Switzerland
Communication & Fundraising Department

CorinneBahizi
Communications Manager

SephoraBenamran
Digital Marketing Manager

MarcoCaruso
Digital Marketing Manager

FabianEmmenegger
Communications Manager

MarianneErnstberger
Responsible Philanthropy

MartinaFutterlieb
Communication Assistant

MichèleVolonté
Delegate (Italian Switzerland)

StephanieWiss
Communications & Social Media intern

JuliaZbinden
Junior Communications Officer
Admin/HR, Finance, IT departments

RéginaldClérismé
CRM Assistant

GraziellaDella Luce
Accounting & Finance Manager

MélanieGuarin
Finance & Audit Manager

NicolasHaddad
Information Systems Manager

AndreasHaile
IT Assistant

CorinneMora
Administration & Bequests Officer

CharlotteRoberts
Coordinator for Administration and Training