STRUCTURE:
The Foundation’s operational and administrative
head office is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Over
80 people work there supervising and managing the
operations of the majority of activities within Switzerland
and on-site. The Zurich and Bern offices support them.
On-site, some 2500 local staff runs the projects
with the assistance of around thirty expatriate delegates.
The work in the over 30 countries involved, including
Switzerland, is based on close collaboration with
local partner organizations or state institutions.
The Foundation of Terre des hommes is a member of
the International Federation of Terre des Hommes (IFTDH).
Within Switzerland, more than 2500 volunteers work
in 53 groups and sections, and make up the backbone
of the movement. These are linked to the head office
by a convention and specialize mainly in fund-raising
and promotion. In fact, over a third of annual funds
is collected by voluntary workers.
Most projects have a long-term vision, and their
beneficiaries are given constant support until they
are completely autonomous. However, Terre des hommes
also intervenes whenever emergency action is necessary.
With a budget of around CHF 30 millions per year
Terre des hommes is Switzerland’s largest humanitarian
organization giving assistance to children. The general
public provides almost two-thirds of its funds.
