Fondation genevoise de Désendettement

What Fondation genevoise de Désendettement does

The Fondation genevoise de Désendettement (FGD / FgD) is a Swiss private foundation of public utility, established on 13 September 2011 by Fondation Hans Wilsdorf, headquartered at Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 1, 1212 Grand-Lancy. It provides interest-free honor loans (prêts d'honneur sans intérêt) to over-indebted adult residents of the Geneva canton, capped at a 36-month maximum repayment period and a 10% of net monthly income monthly payment ceiling, to enable beneficiaries to settle their outstanding debts. Complementary grants (dons) are available, particularly for young adults aged 18-30, who may repay only a symbolic amount adjusted to income. Applications are submitted by mail using age-segmented PDF forms (18-24 and 25+) accompanied by documentation checklists and budget forms.

Name

Fondation genevoise de Désendettement

Legal name

Fondation genevoise de Désendettement

Website

https://desendettement.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Debt Relief Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency & Short-Term Installment Personal Loans (Unsecured) (FSAKAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prime Unsecured Personal Loans (Installment) (FSAKAAAA), Co-signed & Joint Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAJ)

Keywords

• Debt relief services
• Interest-free loans
• Financial counseling
• Social welfare foundation
• Debt consolidation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand-Lancy

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Interest-free loans and donations: The foundation provides interest-free loans to eligible individuals to settle their debts. In some cases, donations may be granted to supplement the loan. This is a social welfare mechanism rather than a revenue-generating activity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Fondation genevoise de Désendettement provides interest-free honor loans (prêts d'honneur sans intérêt) to help individuals in the Geneva canton settle their outstanding debts. Monthly repayments are capped at 10% of net monthly income over a maximum 36-month term. Complementary grants (dons) may supplement the loan, particularly for young adults aged 18-30 who repay only a symbolic amount. Services are delivered through 15+ permanence locations hosted by partner municipalities and a mail-based application process.

Product overview

The Fondation genevoise de Désendettement operates a unified service offering centered on interest-free honor loans (prêt d'honneur sans intérêt) as its core product, designed to help individuals settle their debts. The service is complemented by grants (dons) that may cover a significant portion of debts, particularly for young adults aged 18-30. The organization provides debt advisory permanences across 15+ locations throughout the Geneva canton. Applications are processed via downloadable PDF forms for two age groups (18-24 and 25+), and financial accompaniment and workshops are available to support beneficiaries in regaining full financial and social autonomy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interest-Free Honor Loan (Prêt d'honneur sans intérêt) Interest-free loans granted to help individuals legally domiciled in the Geneva canton (3+ years) settle their debts. Maximum repayment period is 36 months, with monthly payments capped at 10% of net monthly income.
• Complementary Donation (Don) Grants that may complement the interest-free loan to fully settle debts, particularly for young adults aged 18-30, who then repay only a symbolic loan adapted to their income.
• Debt Advisory Permanences (Permanences désendettement) Local outreach offices providing in-person debt advisory services across multiple municipalities in the Geneva canton, including Bellevue, Bernex, Carouge, Chêne-Bourg, Grand-Saconnex, Lancy, Meyrin, Onex, Plan-les-Ouates, Thônex, Université de Genève, Vernier, Versoix, Vésenaz, and Veyrier (plus Point Jeunes).
• Application Forms (18-24 years) Downloadable PDF forms for loan applications tailored to young adults aged 18-24, including loan request form, power of attorney, budget form, and document checklist.
• Application Forms (25+ years) Downloadable PDF forms for loan applications for adults aged 25 and above, including loan request form, power of attorney, data consent form, and document checklist.
• Financial Accompaniment and Workshops Adapted support services and workshops offered alongside financial assistance to help beneficiaries regain financial and social autonomy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Repayment duration maximum 36 months
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ville d'OnexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2020The Ville d'Onex partnered with FgD to open a new field-based debt resolution permanence. This proximity service point enables local anchoring, extends the municipal support system, and offers indebted populations, particularly youth, the possibility to durably resolve their financial situations.
• Municipalities of Geneva (Bellevue, Bernex, Carouge, Chêne-Bourg, Grand-Saconnex, Lancy, Meyrin, Onex, Plan-les-Ouates, Thônex, Vernier, Versoix, Vésenaz, Veyrier)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVarious Geneva municipalities provide venue space and staff for permanence locations where FgD offers debt resolution consultations. Each municipality hosts regular consultation hours at their social service centers.
• Bureau d'information socialeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner providing information services for individuals seeking social assistance resources.
• CaritasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization providing social and material assistance to people in difficulty. Referenced as a resource partner.
• Centre Social Protestant (CSP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial support organization offering advice and assistance for people in precarious situations.
• Fondation Appuis aux AînésminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting elderly people through various services and initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bureau d'information sociale: Swiss social-services information hub referenced by FgD as a referral partner. Directly comparable as a complementary entry point into Switzerland's social-assistance and debt-counselling ecosystem.
• Caritas Suisse: Swiss humanitarian umbrella organization providing social and material assistance to people in difficulty, explicitly listed by FgD as a referral partner. Directly comparable as a Swiss non-profit delivering social-assistance and debt-relief-adjacent services to vulnerable populations.
• Centre Social Protestant (CSP): Geneva-based social support organization offering advice and assistance for people in precarious situations. Comparable as a regional Swiss non-profit delivering financial counselling and social-aid services to over-indebted individuals, with overlapping referral network.
• Dettes Conseils Suisse (Schuldenberatung Schweiz): Swiss national debt-counselling federation offering free advisory services to over-indebted individuals across cantons. Most direct competitor / counterpart, providing the alternative or complementary debt-counselling pathway that FgD's loan instrument supplements.

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge suisse: Large Swiss humanitarian organization providing a broad portfolio of social, health, and financial-inclusion services. Comparable as a national-scale Swiss non-profit addressing vulnerable-population needs, including debt-adjacent services such as emergency aid and budgeting support.

Regional players

• Caritas Vaud: Cantonal Caritas branch in Vaud providing social and material assistance, including debt-counselling referrals. Comparable as a regional sibling to Caritas Suisse with overlapping services and target population, illustrating how FgD's model could be replicated at the cantonal level.
• Fondation de l'Arc Jurassien (or equivalent cantonal welfare foundation): Generic reference to cantonal-level welfare/social-assistance foundations in other Swiss cantons. Comparable as potential replication partners or future geographic peers if FgD expands beyond Geneva.

Emerging players

• Pro Juventute Suisse: Swiss foundation supporting children, adolescents, and young adults with social, financial, and material assistance. Directly comparable to FgD's 18-30 segment focus, with overlapping funding and partnership patterns for young-adult financial hardship.
• Fondation Appuis aux Aînés: Swiss foundation supporting elderly people through social services and material assistance. Comparable as a Geneva-area foundation of public utility operating in adjacent vulnerable-population segments, with similar regulatory status and donor-funded model.

Others

• Fondation Hans Wilsdorf: FgD's parent and founding foundation, associated with Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf. Relevant as the principal funder and governance parent, providing the philanthropic capital and legitimacy that makes FgD's interest-free lending model viable.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-genevoise-de-d%C3%A9sendettement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Fondation genevoise de Désendettement