Reka Foundation for Holiday Aid

What Reka Foundation for Holiday Aid does

Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe (Reka Foundation for Holiday Aid) is a Swiss charitable foundation established in 1943 and headquartered at Neuengasse 15 in Bern, operating as a subsidiary of the Schweizer Reisekasse (Reka) cooperative. The foundation enables economically and socially disadvantaged families in Switzerland to access one-week subsidized vacations, serving approximately 1,000 families annually across three core programs: a general family holiday program at CHF 200 per family per week; specialized single-parent programs (Mama plus! for single mothers with children aged 3–12 and Väter-Kinderwochen for single fathers with children aged 2–18) priced CHF 200–600 based on self-assessed financial capacity; and a camp co-financing program (Lager Restfinanzierung) that provides deficit guarantees to organizations hosting vacation camps for children with disabilities. In 2023 the camp financing program supported 270 children and youth with disabilities.

The foundation has no proprietary technology platform. Operations run on a standard website (reka-ferienhilfe.ch) with Stripe for payment processing, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager for traffic analysis, Google Ads and Facebook Custom Audiences for donor acquisition, and a multilingual site structure (German, French, Italian, English). The organization is staffed by approximately 5 employees led by Geschäftsführerin Julia Scheidegger, with program leads Iris Albiez (Mama plus!) and camp advisors Isabel Fernandez and Rita Lehmann; digital marketing is outsourced to asm Agentur für Sozial-Marketing and design to Jung von Matt/Limmat.

The business model is donation-only. Beneficiaries pay a solidarity contribution (CHF 200/week standard, CHF 200–600 for single-parent programs), and the foundation absorbs the gap to market rates of CHF 1,000–1,600 per week, funded entirely by individual donors, corporate philanthropy, event-based giving (birthdays, weddings, funerals), and legacies. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue. Geographic eligibility is restricted to Swiss citizens or C-permit residents with household income below CHF 60,000 (two-parent) or CHF 50,000 (single-parent), and vacations are delivered exclusively through the parent Reka cooperative's vacation village network and the Schweizer Jugendherbergen (Swiss Youth Hostels) partner network. Marketing relies on Coopzeitung editorial coverage, the annual Reka Adventskalender campaign, and partner referrals through Swiss social services.

Name

Reka Foundation for Holiday Aid

Legal name

Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe

Website

https://reka-ferienhilfe.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe is a Swiss charitable foundation established in 1943 that subsidizes one-week vacations in Switzerland for economically disadvantaged families, single parents, and children with disabilities, serving approximately 1,000 families annually via donations and its parent cooperative's accommodation network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit family vacation assistance services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (5615)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAAAJAJ

Hotel/Travel Emergency Backup Childcare

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Sick Child & Emergency Backup Childcare

SECONDARYHSAAAEAK

Live-In Household Support Bundles (Childcare + Light Housekeeping)

Home & Personal Services/Childcare, Babysitting & Nanny Services/Au Pair & Live-In Childcare Services

SECONDARYTHAGABAB

Budget Limited-Service Hotels

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Limited-Service & Budget Hotels

Keywords

• Subsidized family vacations
• Charitable holiday assistance
• Non-profit social services
• Single-parent support programs
• Disability camp financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Charitable donations and philanthropy: The foundation is funded entirely by donations from individuals, corporations, and institutional donors. Revenue is not generated from commercial operations. Donors contribute through one-time gifts, event-based donations (birthdays, weddings, funerals), legacies (Legate), and corporate philanthropy partnerships. There is no revenue-generating product or service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe subsidizes one-week vacation packages in Switzerland for families living in precarious financial conditions, charging a flat CHF 200 solidarity fee covering accommodation at Reka-Feriendörfer or Schweizer Jugendherbergen plus return public transport and a Reka-Card with Reka-Pay credit. Specialized single-parent programs (Mama plus! and Väter-Kinderwochen) combine subsidized stays (CHF 200–600 self-assessed) with structured support including childcare (Rekalino Club), guided discussion groups, and stress-management activities, while a camp partial-financing program co-finances organized vacation camps for children and youth with disabilities through deficit guarantees of CHF 40 per day / CHF 280 per week.

Product overview

Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe operates as a social charity foundation offering three integrated vacation assistance programs for disadvantaged Swiss families. The core offering is the family holiday aid (Ferienhilfe für Familien) providing subsidized week-long vacations at CHF 200. Specialized single-parent programs include 'Mama plus!' for mothers and 'Väter-Kinderwochen' for fathers, both combining structured support with family leisure. The camp partial financing program (Lager Restfinanzierung) supports organizations hosting vacation camps for children with disabilities. All programs leverage the foundation's partnership with Reka-Feriendörfer holiday villages and Swiss Youth Hostels across Switzerland, enabling approximately 1,000 families annually to access vacation experiences they could otherwise not afford.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mama plus!: Vacation weeks for single mothers with children aged 3-12, offering support programs and childcare while enabling family holidays at reduced costs.
• Väter-Kinder-Wochen (Fathers-Children Weeks)
• Lager Restfinanzierung (Camp Partial Financing)

Products and services

• Ferienhilfe für Familien (Family Holiday Aid)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000 impoverished families receive subsidized vacation weeks per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Schweizer Reisekasse (Reka)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchweizer Reisekasse Reka is the founding parent organization and primary operational partner. It owns and operates the network of Reka vacation villages and apartments used for the foundation's subsidized vacation program. Reka donates accommodation capacity at below-market rates and provides administrative infrastructure. The foundation is an independent charitable entity established by Reka.
• Schweizer Jugendherbergen (Swiss Youth Hostels)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchweizer Jugendherbergen (Swiss Youth Hostels) is a secondary accommodation partner. The foundation's beneficiary families can stay in family rooms at Youth Hostels across Switzerland, with half-board included. This partnership complements the Reka village network by expanding geographic options and accommodation styles.
• autismus deutsche schweizsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis association organizes three annual vacation camps for children aged 5–15 with autism spectrum diagnoses. Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe provides significant financial contributions to these camps. The camps require autism-trained staff, 1:1 care ratios, single rooms, and private kitchens — requirements that Reka helps fund. Camps are held at suitable venues in Switzerland.
• Schweizerische Muskelgesellschaft (Swiss Muscle Society)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Swiss Muscle Society organized a theater and arts camp in February 2024 at Ferienzentrum Wannental, Gontenschwil (AG) for children with muscular diseases. Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe provided substantial financial support, enabling 10 children to participate. Parents received respite care while children enjoyed adapted activities including swimming, a theater production, and an ice hockey game outing.
• Kollektiv Frei_Raum / Freaks&StarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis collective organized the inclusive four-day event 'SÄBELI BLUBB' at Lake Bielersee, Erlach in May 2024. Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe provided financial support for this inclusive event serving approximately 80 participants including families with tight budgets, single parents, people with disabilities, and individuals on IV pension. Activities included cooking, workshops, kayaking, camping, and a community variety show.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Schweizer Reisekasse Reka: The parent cooperative that operates the vacation villages used by Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe. It is the foundation's primary operational partner and beneficiary infrastructure, directly providing accommodation capacity at below-market rates.
• Schweizer Jugendherbergen (Swiss Youth Hostels): Direct accommodation partner providing family rooms with half-board for Reka Stiftung Ferienhilfe's beneficiary families. Comparable as a Swiss non-profit accommodation provider serving accessibility and youth/family tourism.
• Stiftung SOS Kinderdorf Schweiz: Swiss branch of SOS Children's Villages providing residential care and family support for vulnerable children. Comparable as a child welfare foundation supporting vulnerable families in Switzerland, though focused on residential rather than vacation support.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation Schweiz: Swiss affiliate of Make-A-Wish granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Comparable as a charitable foundation providing experience-based support to disadvantaged or ill children and families.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Schweiz: Switzerland's largest charitable organization addressing poverty and social exclusion. Comparable as a Swiss social services organization serving disadvantaged families, though broader in scope than Reka's vacation-focused mission.
• Winterhilfe Schweiz: Swiss charitable foundation providing direct material aid to families in financial distress across Switzerland. Comparable in mission (supporting low-income Swiss families) and donor-funded foundation structure.
• Pro Juventute: Major Swiss foundation dedicated to children, youth, and families in Switzerland. Comparable as a donor-funded Swiss charitable foundation focused on child welfare and family support services.
• Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz (Swiss Red Cross): Major Swiss humanitarian organization providing social and health services. Comparable as a Swiss charitable organization serving vulnerable populations including families and people with disabilities, though much broader in scope.

Others

• Pro Senectute Schweiz: Swiss foundation for elderly services. Thematically related as a Swiss donor-funded foundation serving vulnerable populations, though focused on elderly rather than family/child welfare.
• HEKS (Hilfswerk der Evangelisch-reformierten Kirchen Schweiz): Swiss development and social services organization. Thematically related as a Swiss charitable organization serving disadvantaged populations, though broader in mission scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Reka Foundation for Holiday Aid