Becoming an even more agile organisation
Administration and Finance
General financial situation
Fondation Hirondelle’s overall financial volume decrease slightly (-2.5%) compared with 2024, reaching a total of CHF 14.03 million. This is partly due to the funding difficulties experienced by certain projects and to external factors such as insecurity, as well as to strategic decisions including staffing changes.
Fondation Hirondelle recorded a positive result of CHF 132,089, slightly less than our 2024 result. This still enables us to strengthen our organization by boosting its equity capital and allocating part of these funds to the Solidarity Fund.
Almost 90% of our expenses are allocated to our projects in the field (89.06%). Management and administration costs (Finance, HR, IT) account for 8.56% of expenses, while communication and fundraising costs represent 2.38%. All 2025 accounts and expenditure indicators are presented in accordance with Zewo standards, for which Fondation Hirondelle has been certified since 2019.
An independent auditor has certified that the financial statements summarised below give a true and fair view of Fondation Hirondelle’s financial position. The full 2025 annual financial report is available on our website at hirondelle.org.
Human resources
We carry out our work with a team of 270 professionals worldwide (as of 31st December, 2025). Fondation Hirondelle employs 232 national staff members in the countries where we operate. There were 8 expatriate field employees as of the end of 2025, and 27 staff members in Switzerland (including apprentices and trainees), corresponding to a full-time equivalent (FTE) of 24.5 at the end of 2025.
In addition to these employees, our large team of correspondents and freelancers enables us to work as closely as possible with the people benefiting from our projects in the countries where we operate. We also regularly call on training experts to strengthen the skill set of our staff and partners.
Project expenditure
Financial resources
Foundations and private donors
We wish to thank the following for their support in 2025: Büchi Foundation, Fondazione Aiuto alla Cooperazione e allo Sviluppo, Fondation Alfred et Eugénie Baur, Fondation d’Aide à l’Enfance et au Tiers-Monde, Fondation Genevoise de Bienfaisance “Valeria Rossi di Montelera”, Fondation Internationale Prix Balzan, Fondation Jan Michalski, Fondation Sauvain Petitpierre, Fondation Philanthropique Famille Sandoz, Karl Popper Foundation, Fondation Philanthropique Takoha E&D Wanner, Temperatio Stiftung, Wyss Foundation, Loterie Romande, an anonymous foundation and individual donors.
Summary of fondation hirondelle accounts
The overall presentation of Fondation Hirondelle accounts meets the requirements of the Swiss norms GAAP RPC and GAAP RPC 21. This presentation provides a true and fair view of the financial situation and income of the organization. The accounts comply with Swiss law and Fondation Hirondelle’s statutes.
The summary of accounts is based on the annual accounts as of 31st December, 2025, which have been prepared in accordance with the above-mentioned principles.
Balance sheet as of december 31 (in swiss francs)
Operating account of fondation hirondelle (in swiss francs)
Statement of changes in restricted funds and capital 2025 (in swiss francs)
Governance
Members of the fondation hirondelle board in 2025
Fondation Hirondelle has been registered with the Geneva Trade Registry since 17th March, 1995. Our statutes, the most recent version of which dates to 24th October 2024, define our mission as “to provide useful, impartial and independent information to populations that are prevented from accessing such information by a conflict situation, a crisis, a disaster or any situation where the right to receive information is obstructed for any other reason” (Article 2.1, Statutes), including “propaganda undertakings that incite violence” (Article 2.2, Statutes). This mission is pursued with “no distinction based upon nationality, race, opinion or religion between its potential beneficiaries” (Article 2.4, Statutes).
As of 31st December 2025, the members of the foundation Board, our governing body, were as follows:
Burgener Tony, President*
Former Director General of Swiss Solidarity, collective signature
Hofstetter Marc
Former Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), collective signature*
Werenfels Isabelle
Senior Fellow at the Middle East and Africa Research Division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, collective signature*
Argiroffo Francesca
Former journalist, member without signature
Belkaïd Akram
Editor-in-Chief of Le Monde Diplomatique, member without signature
Eby Marie-Jeanne
WWF Fundraising Director, member without signature
Fetz Mario
Former General Secretary of La Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil International, member without signature
Guevara-Frey Eric
Journalist, member without signature
Pignard-Cheynel Nathalie
Director of the Academy of Journalism and Media, University of Neuchâtel, member without signature
Roth Robert
Professor of Law and former judge of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, member without signature
Trechsel Anna
Journalist, member without signature
Directors
Vuillemin Caroline
General Director, collective signature
Boissez Nicolas
Director of Operations, collective signature
Prestat Carine
Director of Services and Support (until August 2025), collective signature
Vasserot Christyl
Director of Support and Institutional Development (since September 2025), collective signature
* Members of the Restricted Board
During its biannual meetings, the foundation Board evaluated:
- The nature and extent of possible conflicts of interest in the strategic and operational running of the foundation by its directors and its monitoring body. No conflict of interest was identified or declared in 2025.
- The financial prospects of the foundation, an operational and non-granting organization. The global forecast for 2025–2026 as defined by the foundation Board is to maintain financial stability for Fondation Hirondelle with an expected financial volume of between CHF 13 and 15 million, and diversified sources of revenue from public and private funders.
Organisation chart
