Helvetas USA

What Helvetas USA does

Helvetas USA is the Washington, DC-based US fundraising entity of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, the largest Swiss-based international development NGO, founded in 1955. It is a registered non-profit organization with 1–10 employees that raises funds from individual donors, institutional donors, and foundations in the United States and channels them into the broader Helvetas network's development programs. The parent network operates across 35 project countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, implementing 295 projects in 2025 that reached approximately 7 million people.

The organization's programmatic work centers on five areas: Water, Food & Climate (WASH infrastructure, water governance, climate resilience); Skills, Jobs & Income (vocational training, green-skills workforce development); Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion (migration safety, social cohesion programming); Bridges & Roads (trail bridge construction and rural access infrastructure); and Humanitarian Response. Its proprietary 'WISE Scales' methodology captures user-experience dimensions of water supply beyond standard access metrics, and its trail bridge sub-practice combines policy development, technical engineering, supply-chain coordination, and community engagement. Implementation is delivered through a network of 2,400 partner organizations and direct government partnerships (notably with the Ethiopian and Madagascar governments).

Helvetas USA does not sell products or charge for services. Revenue is generated entirely through donations and grants, distributed via a Donorbox-powered online donation platform, e-newsletter, content marketing, events, and institutional funder engagement. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and operates without private-equity, venture, or public ownership. Recognitions include the Candid Platinum Seal (2026) for transparency and 1% for the Planet membership for environmental giving.

Name

Helvetas USA

Legal name

Helvetas USA

Website

https://helvetasusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Helvetas USA is the Washington, DC-based US fundraising arm of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation (founded 1955), a non-profit that raises donations and grants to support development programs in WASH, rural infrastructure, vocational training, and climate resilience across 35 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAL

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPADAEAH

Health Systems Strengthening & Global Health Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

SECONDARYBPAGABAH

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPADAEAK

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• International development programs
• Water sanitation hygiene
• Rural infrastructure development
• Vocational skills training
• Humanitarian response services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Helvetas USA raises funds from individual donors, institutional donors, and foundations to support development projects in partner countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Helvetas USA is a non-profit development organization that implements programs in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), climate resilience, rural infrastructure (bridges and roads), vocational training and skills development, humanitarian response, and social inclusion across 35 low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. The organization delivers these services through partnerships with 2,400 local partner organizations and national/regional governments, reaching nearly 7 million people annually. Funding is sourced from individual donors, foundations, and institutional grants.

Product overview

Helvetas USA is an independent development organization, not a technology product company. It operates as a sister organization of Helvetas (founded in 1955, the largest Swiss-based international development NGO). Helvetas USA does not offer software products or a technology platform. Instead, it provides development programs and services focused on: Water/Food/Climate (WASH and water governance), Skills/Jobs/Income (education and workforce development), Voice/Inclusion/Cohesion (participation and migration support), Bridges & Roads (rural access infrastructure), Humanitarian Response, Youth engagement, and Urban Engagement. These programs are implemented through partnerships with 2,400 partner organizations worldwide, reaching approximately 7 million people annually in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water, Food & Climate Program
• Skills, Jobs & Income Program
• Bridges & Roads (Rural Access Infrastructure) Program
• Voice, Inclusion & Cohesion Program
• Humanitarian Response Program
• Youth Engagement Program
• Urban Engagement Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 800,349 people gained new access to safe drinking water within 15-minute walk in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 2,400 Partner Organizations WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelvetas works with 2,400 partner organizations worldwide to implement development programs across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
• Ethiopian GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Ethiopian government and private sector on Trail Rural Access Program developing policies, technical expertise, supply chains, and community buy-in for trail bridge construction.
• Helvetas Switzerland (Sister Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelvetas USA operates as a sister organization of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, the largest Swiss-based international development NGO founded in 1955.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CARE USA: Major US-based international development NGO focused on poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, WASH, and emergency response across 100+ countries — a directly comparable peer in fundraising model and programmatic focus.
• Oxfam America: US-based affiliate of Oxfam International; similarly raises funds in the US to support multi-country international development programs in WASH, food security, and economic justice across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• BRAC USA: US fundraising arm of BRAC, the world's largest development NGO — analogous sister-organization structure to Helvetas USA, with comparable programming in livelihoods, education, and health across multiple developing countries.
• Mercy Corps: US-headquartered international development and humanitarian NGO operating in 40+ countries with comparable portfolios in WASH, livelihoods, climate resilience, and youth employment — closely parallel to Helvetas's program mix.
• Swisscontact (USA / Foundation): Swiss-based development foundation focused on economic development, vocational training, and inclusive market systems — directly comparable to Helvetas's Swiss roots and skills/jobs/income programming portfolio.
• WaterAid America: US affiliate of the global WaterAid federation, focused specifically on WASH programming in low-income countries — the closest direct functional peer to Helvetas's water and sanitation work.

Emerging players

• BuildOn: US-based nonprofit focused on rural school construction and adult literacy in developing countries, with infrastructure programming comparable to Helvetas's community-level construction projects.
• Engineers Without Borders USA: US-based NGO focused on engineering-driven infrastructure projects in developing countries including WASH and bridge construction — directly comparable to Helvetas's rural access infrastructure specialty but with a volunteer-led model.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Much larger US-headquartered humanitarian and development organization responding to crises worldwide with programs in WASH, health, economic recovery, and education — overlapping scope but significantly broader humanitarian footprint.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): One of the largest US-based international humanitarian agencies, operating 100+ country programs in WASH, agriculture, health, and emergency response — a broader incumbent with overlapping programmatic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helvetas-usa
• Xx.com/helvetasusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Helvetas USA