La Paternelle: Une histoire de solidarité

What La Paternelle: Une histoire de solidarité does

La Paternelle is a Swiss non-profit cooperative society (société coopérative sans but lucratif) founded in 1884 and headquartered in Bussigny, Vaud. It operates a dual-purpose model: it provides collective family insurance and orphan protection services to members via a strategic partnership with Retraites Populaires (coverage tiers: Mini, Midi, Maxi; eligibility up to age 55), and it runs one of Europe's longest-running youth theater programs, producing an annual spectacle at the Théâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne since 1888 — currently in its 131st edition with approximately 180 young performers and an equal number of volunteers. The organization also operates the Ateliers du Pélican, recurring community workshops focused on mutual aid, creativity, and personal development.

The cooperative monetizes through subscription membership fees across active insurance tiers and supporting tiers (Membre Ami·e at CHF 20/year; Pélican d'Or at CHF 150/year with two theater tickets and aperitif access), one-time theater ticket sales, corporate membership contracts (e.g., Pont12 Architectes SA sponsors employee families), and individual donations via e-banking, TWINT, and QR code payments. The 2026 spectacle production carries an indicative CHF 350,000 budget. The organization has 10 employees, serves the Vaud canton in French-speaking Switzerland, and reported over 1,100 members across 322 households as of 2024, with approximately 25 new members admitted annually. Operations are manual/community-driven rather than technology-enabled, with no proprietary systems, API, or mobile application — the website (paternelle.ch) and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) function primarily as information, enrollment, and community-engagement surfaces.

Name

La Paternelle: Une histoire de solidarité

Legal name

La Paternelle

Website

https://paternelle.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swiss non-profit cooperative founded in 1884 in Bussigny, Vaud, providing collective family insurance/orphan protection via Retraites Populaires and operating a 131-year youth theater tradition at Lausanne's Théâtre de Beaulieu, serving 1,100+ members across 322 households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mutual Aid Cooperative

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG)

Keywords

• Family insurance protection
• Mutual cooperative society
• Youth theater productions
• Orphan support services
• Community solidarity workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Bussigny

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Cotisations: Annual membership fees from active members (Mini, Midi, Maxi categories), supporting family insurance coverage and cooperative operations. Payment options include annual and semestrial billing.
2. Theater Spectacle Revenue: Annual children's theater production at Théâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne generates revenue through ticket sales and program advertisements.
3. Donations: Individual donations accepted via e-banking, TWINT, and QR code payments. Pélican d'Or membership at CHF 150/year provides premium donor benefits including event access.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Enterprise membership contracts where businesses sponsor employee memberships. Sponsorship packages for theater productions include advertising in program booklets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Paternelle is a non-profit cooperative that provides collective family protection insurance for children who become orphans, administered through a long-standing partnership with Retraites Populaires across three membership tiers (Mini, Midi, Maxi). It also operates one of Europe's longest-running youth theater programs, producing an annual spectacle at the Théâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne with nearly 180 young performers and an equal number of volunteers, complemented by the Ateliers du Pélican community workshops.

Product overview

La Paternelle is a non-profit cooperative society founded in 1884 that provides dual offerings: (1) Family insurance and protection services for children who become orphans, administered through a partnership with Retraites Populaires, with various membership tiers (Mini, Midi, Maxi); and (2) A renowned youth theater program operating since 1888, one of Europe's largest, featuring annual spectacles at Théâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne with nearly 180 young performers and volunteers. The organization also runs the Ateliers du Pélican workshops for community building and personal development. Membership is available in multiple tiers ranging from insurance-focused active membership to supporting friend memberships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ateliers du Pélican: Regular gatherings to promote mutual aid, stimulate creativity, encourage personal development, and strengthen social bonds.

Products and services

• Soutien aux Familles - Protection des Enfants Family insurance and protection services for children who become orphans, administered through a collective insurance contract with Retraites Populaires. Coverage available for children up to 20 years old, with multiple membership tiers (Mini, Midi, Maxi) and benefits including funeral costs and incapacity support. Aimed at member families across French-speaking Switzerland.
• Théâtre de La Paternelle (Annual Youth Spectacle) Annual youth theater program featuring near 180 young performers and around the same number of volunteers in end-of-year performances at the Théâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne. Currently in its 131st edition (2026 'Aladdin et la Lampe merveilleuse'). Open to public ticket sales and serves as a flagship cultural engagement activity for member families and the broader community.
• Ateliers du Pélican Regular workshops for member families aimed at fostering mutual aid, stimulating creativity, encouraging personal development, and strengthening social bonds.
• Membership Programs (Membre Ami·e, Pélican d'Or, Active Member Mini/Midi/Maxi) Tiered cooperative membership offerings: Active members (Mini/Midi/Maxi with insurance coverage and cotisation), Friend members (Membre Ami·e at CHF 20/year for supporters without insurance), and Pélican d'Or members (CHF 150/year with badge, two show tickets, and official aperitif invitation). Corporate memberships also available for businesses sponsoring employee families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,100+ families protected through membership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Retraites PopulairescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Paternelle partners with Retraites Populaires for collective insurance coverage provided to members. The insurance contract (Article 6.2) governs membership eligibility (up to age 55), coverage conditions, and claims processing. Members consent to data sharing between La Paternelle and Retraites Populaires for insurance administration.
• Pont12 Architectes SAminorOthersArchitecture firm whose founder François is a member of La Paternelle. The business provides corporate membership coverage for its employees as an employee benefit, exemplifying enterprise membership model.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge suisse: Switzerland's largest humanitarian organization delivering social assistance, family support, and community health programs nationwide. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the Swiss social-services space where La Paternelle operates at a regional, family-protection niche.
• Pro Senectute: Switzerland's leading foundation serving older adults and their families with insurance, support, and community programs. Comparable as a large Swiss nonprofit offering family-linked protection products and recurring member cotisations on a regional branch model.
• Caritas Suisse: National Swiss social services organization providing family assistance, counseling, and community programs. Comparable as a large-scale incumbent in nonprofit family/social services with a member-and-donor-funded revenue model.

Direct peers

• Pro Juventute: Switzerland's leading foundation for child and family welfare, offering protection programs, parenting services, and youth support across cantons. Most directly comparable to La Paternelle's orphan/family-protection mission and Vaud-based service model.
• Terre des Hommes Suisse: Swiss children's rights and welfare organization focused on child protection and family support, with an active donor and member community. Overlaps with La Paternelle's child-centered solidarity mission and recurring donor/member revenue model.
• Théâtre du Jorat: Regional theater in canton Vaud producing community and youth-oriented productions in a historic venue. Comparable to La Paternelle's annual youth theater tradition at Beaulieu as a regional cultural institution with strong community engagement and ticket-driven revenue.

Regional players

• Comédie de Lausanne: Lausanne-based theater offering subscription-style programming and community productions. Comparable to La Paternelle's annual spectacle in terms of Vaud-based theatrical programming and subscription/ticket revenue mechanics.
• Aide et Soins à Domicile Suisse: Swiss federation of home care and family assistance providers, organized as a cooperative-like network of regional branches. Comparable operating structure (regional, member-based, family-support focused) and similar Vaud presence to La Paternelle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Paternelle
• Facebookfacebook.com/paternelle
• Instagraminstagram.com/la_paternelle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lapaternelle

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 La Paternelle: Une histoire de solidarité