Key facts
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) relies on Swiss non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to deliver humanitarian and development aid. Each year, about 30 partners receive more than CHF 130 million in programme contributions, which represents 20% of the financial volume of the SDC’s cooperation funds. The SDC’s operational units, the representations of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) abroad and its cooperation offices also finance projects of partner NGOs through subsidies (targeted contributions) and service mandates. In 2020, half a dozen partner NGOs were involved in humanitarian aid. They received CHF 53.9 million (through programme contributions), CHF 11.2 million (through targeted contributions) and CHF 5 million (through service mandates). These include the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) and Caritas Switzerland (CACH), both of which have extensive national and international networks. The Confederation finances one third of their international cooperation, providing around CHF 15 million to each.