About us
We are a legally independent Swiss non-profit organisation, with almost 20 years of experience in international development cooperation. Based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, we are supervised by the Swiss Federal Supervisory Board for Foundations. Our purpose is to promote sustainable development to improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations in developing and transitioning countries.
Vision
We envision a world where individuals and organisations learn and act in collaborative ways to eradicate poverty and contribute to the development of sustainable, diverse and inclusive societies.
Mission
We are facilitators of change. We enable our partners and target groups to learn from each other and to find solutions to the challenges triggered by poverty and climate change.
Values
- Quality
- Gender Equality
- Efficiency and Effectiveness
- Integrity and Accountability
- Collaboration and Participation
Our Story
In 2002, Skat Consulting Ltd., Helvetas, Caritas Switzerland, and Swisscontact founded Skat Foundation. Since then, we have grown our network and visibility among Swiss and international organisations, thanks to our track record of successful projects and clear thematic positioning in the water sector, with a strong focus on knowledge management. Knowledge exchange and networking have always been at the centre of our activities. Facilitating learning and collaborative initiatives is our core asset, mainly by being a founding member and long-standing host of the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN).
In 2019, we were awarded the Zewo Quality seal, as proof of our transparent, efficient, and effective use of funds and resources. In the same year, we became part of the Alliance for Sustainable Food Systems and Empowered Communities (Sufosec). The year 2020 brought important changes to our organisational structure. Up until then, we had been working in close cooperation with our founding partner, Skat Consulting Ltd., who made available its expertise and implemented our projects, while also providing administrative and infrastructure support to our operations. In 2020, changes to the strategic approaches of both organisations led to the re-definition of our cooperation agreement. As a result, we started 2021 as an autonomous and independent organisation, with full responsibility of our staff, partners, and programmes.
From 2021 to 2024, we will benefit from the SDC Institutional Partnership Contribution to NGOs, together with our partners from the Sufosec Alliance. During this period, we will also participate in the hands4health consortium, which implements a four-year research project on hand washing technologies funded by the SDC. With a small team of experts, and with the support of associated experts and young professionals, we carry out our activities, projects, and programmes. Our new organisational structure has enabled us to work in a more resource-efficient manner. Tapping on our networking capacity, we cultivate partnerships with other NGOs, universities, research institutions, and consulting companies, in Switzerland and internationally.
Our donor base includes Swiss local and cantonal institutions and foundations, the Swiss Federal Government, as well as bilateral, multilateral, and international organisations.
