mensch-zuerst schweiz (people first)

What mensch-zuerst schweiz (people first) does

mensch-zuerst schweiz (people first), legally 'Mensch zuerst, Verein für Selbst-Vertretung,' is a Swiss nonprofit association (Verein) founded in 2014 and headquartered at Pestalozzistrasse 11 in Rorschach, Canton St. Gallen. The organization is dedicated to self-advocacy and self-representation for people with learning difficulties and disabilities, delivering peer-based services including peer counseling (Peer-Beratung), personal future planning (Persönliche Zukunftsplanung), institutional satisfaction reviews (Zufriedenheits-Überprüfung), advisory board support (Begleitung des Beirats), exchange meetings, and self-representative training. Service delivery is grounded in a peer-led model where course leaders and counselors are themselves 'Experten in eigener Sache' (experts by experience) — people with and without learning difficulties — providing an authenticity that conventional care models lack.

The organization generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees (CHF 20 for active members with learning difficulties who hold voting rights at the general assembly, CHF 50 for supporting individual members without voting rights, and CHF 100+ for organizational/institutional members based on size), supplemented by project grants from public bodies (notably the EBGB — Federal Office for Gender Equality — for the 'Selbstvertretung für Menschen mit Lernschwierigkeiten in der Schweiz' program) and donations. Its go-to-market is community-led: the organization reaches new members and institutional clients through exchange meetings, referral networks among Swiss disability foundations, the annual Rorschacher Fachtagung conference (280+ attendees in 2023), and a dense ecosystem of 30+ named partner organizations spanning St.Gallen, Zürich, and international DACH-region peer networks (Germany, Austria, Italy).

The company is small by any commercial standard — approximately 8 employees — and is a member-governed association rather than a venture-backed business, with no external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries disclosed. Service delivery is currently concentrated in the Swiss German-speaking cantons of St.Gallen and Zürich, with international activity limited to knowledge exchange. There are no proprietary technology products, no software platform, and no mobile application; the value proposition is delivered entirely through in-person and human-mediated services.

Name

mensch-zuerst schweiz (people first)

Legal name

Mensch zuerst, Verein für Selbst-Vertretung

Website

https://mensch-zuerst.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

mensch-zuerst schweiz (people first) is a Swiss nonprofit association founded in 2014 that delivers peer-led advocacy, counseling, and training services for people with learning difficulties, serving members, disability foundations, and cantonal governments across St.Gallen and Zürich.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy and Peer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPACANAI

Coaching, Mentoring & Facilitation Services

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Training, Learning & Development Services

SECONDARYEDAKAMAL

Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health)

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Mental Health Supports (School-Based)

Keywords

• Disability self-advocacy
• Peer counseling services
• Personal future planning
• Self-representation support
• Satisfaction verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Rorschach

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The organization generates revenue through annual membership fees from active members (people with learning difficulties), supporting members (individuals without learning difficulties), and organizational/institutional members. Membership provides access to participation in general assemblies and organizational activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

mensch-zuerst schweiz is a Swiss nonprofit association (Verein) that provides peer-based support services for people with learning difficulties, including peer counseling (Beratung auf Augenhöhe), personal future planning, institutional satisfaction reviews, advisory board support, and self-representation training. Services are led by "experts by experience" — people with and without learning difficulties — and are delivered directly at offices in Rorschach and Zürich as well as on-site at partner institutions across Switzerland.

Product overview

mensch-zuerst schweiz (people first) is a non-profit association offering a portfolio of peer-based support services for people with disabilities. The core offerings include Peer Counseling (Beratung auf Augenhöhe), Personal Future Planning (Persönliche Zukunftsplanung), and Satisfaction Reviews (Zufriedenheits-Überprüfung) conducted by peers at eye level. Additional services include Advisory Board Support (Begleitung des Beirats), Creating Encounters (Begegnungen), Personal Assistance Information, and Teaching/Workshops. Education offerings include Self-Representative Training (Selbstvertreter-Weiterbildung) and Peer Continuing Education. This is not a technology product but a service-based organization focused on disability rights and self-determination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer-Beratung (Peer Counseling)
• Persönliche Zukunftsplanung (Personal Future Planning) Personal future planning service for all people who want to change something in their lives, supporting goal-setting and life planning with the help of trained facilitators.
• Zufriedenheits-Überprüfung (Satisfaction Review) Peer-based satisfaction surveys and reviews of disability institutions, conducted at eye level to assess quality of life for residents. Includes peer surveys conducted on behalf of Canton Zürich.
• Begleitung des Beirats (Advisory Board Support) Support for building new advisory boards, supporting existing advisory boards, and providing further education for advisory boards in institutions serving people with disabilities.
• Begegnungen schaffen (Creating Encounters) Organization of exchange meetings, supporting the building of new self-representation groups, and networking for people with learning difficulties.
• Persönliche Assistenz (Personal Assistance) Information about living with personal assistance and content mediation on personal assistance options in Switzerland.
• Unterricht, Referate und Workshops (Teaching, Presentations and Workshops) Teaching individual lessons at various schools, presentations and workshops at events of various organizations, and organizing conferences such as the Rorschacher Fachtagung.
• Selbstvertreter-Weiterbildung (Self-Representative Training) Training program designed to help participants discover personal strengths, acquire new knowledge, and learn self-representation skills.
• Peer-Weiterbildung (Peer Training) Continuing education program 'Counseling at Eye Level' (Beratung auf Augenhöhe) for peer advisors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 280+ participants at Rorschacher Fachtagung 2023
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stiftung ArkadiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted peer verification and advisory board support at the foundation.
• Artiset ZürichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports networking with various institutions in the canton of Zürich.
• Behindertenkonferenz Kanton Zürich (BKZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on advocacy for people with disabilities in Canton Zürich.
• Kanton St.GallencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports peer counselors in the canton of St.Gallen.
• Martin StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn employee completed peer counselor training and now offers peer counseling at the institution.
• Mensch zuerst - Netzwerk People First Deutschland e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational learning partner - exchanges knowledge and best practices in self-representation.
• Mensch Zuerst VorarlbergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular meetings for exchange and mutual learning.
• Mensch zuerst KärntenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline exchange with Austrian partner organization.
• People First SüdtirolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational contact for self-representation.
• Paulus AkademieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides spaces for various events and supports various projects.
• socialdesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboratively created the concept for 'Peer-Beratung Kanton St.Gallen'.
• Würth Haus RorschachminorOthersProvides spaces for various events at reduced rates.
• TechnoramaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in project 'Technorama für alle' to make Technorama more accessible for people with learning difficulties.
• WinklusionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchanges information about Personal Future Planning and Inclusive Education.
• Baugenossenschaft BGF (Zürich Affoltern)minorOthersProvides office space in the Zürich Affoltern settlement.
• Atelier LeutholdminorOthersCreates graphics and designs for the organization.
• Weibel Druck & Design AGminorOthersSupports and prints materials for the organization.
• Büro ÖminorOthersSupports accounting services in St. Gallen.
• mitschaffe.chminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the idea of job placement at inclusive labor market.
• CléAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocates for life with personal assistance like mensch-zuerst.
• Karl der Grosse / InkluVision FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in InkluVision Festival and exchanges information.
• Gruppe MitspracheminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular exchange with the group.
• INSOS SG-AIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetworked with various institutions in cantons SG and AI.
• Jugend am WerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchanges information and participated in Congress in Vienna.
• QualisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange about satisfaction verification in institutions for people with disabilities.
• SignaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports various projects.
• SinnseinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports various projects.
• BehindertenseelsorgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual door-openers in their work.
• meinplatz.chminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccompanies the platform to expand opportunities for self-determination.
• HPV RorschachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular exchange about self-representation.
• Einfach SurfenminorOthersFollows the guidelines of Einfach Surfen for accessible web design.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• People First Südtirol: South Tyrolean (Italian) counterpart of the People First self-advocacy movement, directly comparable as a DACH-region peer support organization for people with learning difficulties, sharing membership, training, and peer verification methodologies.
• Mensch zuerst - Netzwerk People First Deutschland e.V. German sister organization and explicit international learning partner of mensch-zuerst schweiz, offering the same peer-led self-representation model for people with learning difficulties. Directly comparable in mission, services, and member-led governance structure.
• Mensch Zuerst Vorarlberg: Austrian Vorarlberg-based People First chapter in regular exchange with mensch-zuerst schweiz. Directly comparable as a regional German-speaking self-representation association serving the same constituency with identical peer-led services.

Broad incumbents

• Pro Infirmis Schweiz: Switzerland's largest disability advocacy and services NGO, operating nationally across all disability types. While not focused exclusively on self-representation or learning difficulties, Pro Infirmis is the dominant incumbent in the same Swiss disability ecosystem and a potential partner or competitor for cantonal contracts.
• Insos Schweiz: National association of service providers for people with disabilities in Switzerland. Represents the institutional Stiftungen that mensch-zuerst serves, making it a critical ecosystem stakeholder and channel partner.
• Inclusion Handicap: Swiss umbrella organization of disability associations, active in federal disability policy and CRPD implementation. Operates at a higher policy level than mensch-zuerst but serves overlapping constituencies and shares policy alignment.
• Inclusion Europe: European-level federation of associations for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Operates at a broader policy and European Commission engagement level, comparable as a supranational peer-support advocate.

Others

• Qualis (Zufriedenheitsüberprüfung): Swiss provider of satisfaction evaluation services in disability institutions; listed as an information-exchange partner of mensch-zuerst. Overlaps in the institutional quality assessment space but takes a more clinical/audit approach.
• Special Olympics Switzerland: Swiss chapter of the Special Olympics movement for people with intellectual disabilities. While focused on sport rather than self-advocacy, it serves an overlapping constituency in Switzerland and frequently co-occurs in disability policy forums.
• socialdesign: Swiss social-sector design and consulting firm that co-developed the 'Peer-Beratung Kanton St.Gallen' concept with mensch-zuerst. Operates as a partner/adjacent service provider in the Swiss social innovation ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4PJ47QPm7mtd86eiQZBYBQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/menschzuerstschweiz1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mensch-zuerst-schweiz-people-first
• Instagraminstagram.com/mensch_zuerst_schweiz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about mensch-zuerst schweiz (people first)