Name

Stiftung Balm

Legal name

Stiftung Balm

Website

https://stiftungbalm.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Social Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Chronic Condition Care Coordination (EDALAFAI)

Keywords

• Disability care services
• Special education school
• Vocational training programs
• Residential care home
• Sheltered workshop services

Headquarters

HQ city

Jona (Rapperswil-Jona)

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Cantonal disability funding (IV/BIV): Core operational funding comes from disability insurance (IV) and cantonal social welfare contributions for residential, educational, and vocational services, in line with Swiss federal framework agreements (Rahmenbedingungen für Wohnheime, Tagesstätten und Werkstätten).
2. B2B industrial and service contracts: The Production & Services division generates revenue through industrial contracting (assembly, metalworking, mailing, picking/packing), gardening, floristry, gastronomy, and crafts sold to external customers including named firms.
3. Direct retail sales: Revenue from on-site retail outlets including the Balm farm shop (Hofladen, open 24/7 self-service), arte e fiori florist shop, weekly Friday market, and Café Balm.
4. Balm Bio Box subscription: Weekly or bi-weekly subscription box delivering organic vegetables and homemade specialties in three sizes (Single CHF 16, Duo CHF 21, Family CHF 28) with home delivery in Rapperswil-Jona for CHF 5.
5. Mis Gartebeet (rented garden plots): Annual rental of 15 m² garden plots on the Balm site: Basic subscription CHF 290/year, Plus subscription CHF 450/year (includes 4 hours of planning and planting assistance).
6. Community gastronomy catering: The gastronomy division produces up to 500 meals per day for internal canteens, residential groups, and external clients, and offers catering services for events.
7. Donations and fundraising: Donations are accepted via the St. Galler Kantonalbank (IBAN CH54 0078 1624 4588 9200 0). The Freundeskreis der Stiftung Balm association raises funds through annual membership fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stiftung Balm is a Swiss charitable foundation that provides integrated education, residential care, vocational training, and supported employment services for people with cognitive and physical disabilities in the Rapperswil-Jona region. It also operates commercial Production & Services divisions — including an ISO 9001:2015-certified industrial workshop, Bio Suisse-certified nursery and farm, floristry, gastronomy, and crafts — that employ approximately 200 people with disabilities while generating revenue to support the foundation's social mission.

Product overview

Stiftung Balm is a Swiss foundation providing comprehensive services for people with disabilities through three main divisions: Education (Heilpädagogische Schule with therapeutic and consultation services), Living & Working (residential homes, day structures, and vocational training), and Production & Services (industrial workshop, horticulture, floristry, arts & crafts, gastronomy, and laundry). The organization operates as a multi-service provider with approximately 375 staff supporting around 200 clients across diverse offerings including a Bio Suisse-certified nursery, ISO 9001:2015 certified industrial workshop, and various retail outlets. The foundation emphasizes the Functional Health approach and supports self-determination, participation, and personal well-being aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• arte e fiori: Floristry shop located at Rathausstrasse 7 in Rapperswil, offering flowers, plants, and handcrafted products
• Café Balm
• Balm Bio Box
• Balmhof
• Heilpädagogische Schule
• Werkatelier

Products and services

• Heilpädagogische Schule (Special Education School) A special education school offering therapeutic support, consultation services, extracurricular care (morning, afternoon, and Wednesday midday supervision), and vocational preparation for children and youth with disabilities. The school follows the Functional Health (Funktionale Gesundheit) approach and provides speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.
• Wohnheim (Residential Home) A residential home with 74 places offering year-round 24-hour support including educational assistance, medical and nursing care for people with medium to high care needs. Includes specialized units for young adults (18–30), dementia care with a dedicated garden, and nursing care.
• Aussenwohngruppen (External Residential Groups) External residential groups in Rapperswil and Schmerikon offering partly supervised living in shared apartments (2–6 persons), young independent living preparation, and integration housing places for people transitioning to independent living.
• Wohntraining (Living Skills Training) A 3–4 year program for young adults preparing for independent living, with instruction on household management, finances, nutrition, health, media, and social skills. Participants attend classes twice weekly and work on other days.
• Tagesstruktur (Day Structure) Individualized daily and weekly structure combining therapy pool, gymnasium, farm activities, workshops, creative arts, music rooms, and the Balm Café. Activities focus on nature, movement, music, creativity, and production.
• Balmhof (Therapeutic Farm) A farm with animals (donkeys, goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens, cats) offering individualized activities including observation, touching, feeding, grooming, stable work, and walking, all supported by trained staff.
• Therapiebad & Turnhalle (Therapy Pool & Gymnasium) A therapy pool and gymnasium on the Balm site offering aquatic therapy, swimming activities, yoga, bowling, group sports, and games. The gymnasium is available for external rental for events and celebrations.
• Berufliche Massnahmen (Vocational Measures) Comprehensive vocational support including training, build-up and training programs, career clarification and preparation, job coaching, and the Balm vocational school. Designed to help people with disabilities achieve 50% work capacity and integrate into regular employment.
• Praktische Ausbildung PrA (Practical Training Programs) Supported vocational training programs (PrA INSOS) offering apprenticeships in horticulture/garden construction, floristry, mechanics, industry, crafts, kitchen, and hospitality/housekeeping. Combined practical work experience with school attendance.
• Beratungs- und Unterstützungsdienst (Consultation and Support Service) A specialized consultation service providing support for teachers, students with disabilities, and parents to achieve appropriate educational goals and facilitate social integration in the classroom.
• Industriewerkstatt (Industrial Workshop) ISO 9001:2015 certified industrial workshop offering approximately 95 supported work positions and up to 5 trainee positions in mailing, shipping, packaging, assembly, mechanical manufacturing, warehouse, logistics, and transport. Services include metalworking (CNC), assembly, packaging, mailing, and delivery handling.
• Metallverarbeitung (Metal Processing) CNC and conventional metalworking services including drilling, milling, turning, sawing, pressing, riveting, and welding. Features modern equipment such as 5-sided machining centers, live tooling lathes, and press equipment up to 25 tons.
• Montage & Assembling (Assembly Services) Complete and partial assembly services for components and apparatus, including pressing, riveting, and screwing operations at workbench or semi-automated workstations with quality control. Named customers include Geberit.
• Mailings (Direct Mail Services) Complete mailing services including material management, labeling, packing, weighing, counting, folding, addressing, franking, and shipping for training materials, folders, annual reports, and promotional gifts.
• Kommissionieren (Picking and Packaging) Packaging services including labeling, unit-based packing, welding, stacking, weighing, and ultrasonic welding capabilities for various products.
• Gartenbau (Garden Construction) Garden construction services transforming outdoor spaces through collaborative planning and creative execution of patios, raised beds, fencing, new plantings, and comprehensive garden renovations.
• Gartenpflege (Garden Maintenance) Professional garden maintenance including planting, seeding, lawn care, bed maintenance, tree pruning, leaf work, soil care, and seasonal services.
• Biodiversität (Biodiversity Services) Biodiversity and ecological design consulting including natural garden planning, ecological micro-structures, climate gardens, maintenance planning, and tree inspections per FLL guidelines.
• Permakultur (Permaculture Design) Permaculture design consulting helping clients discover, design, and develop gardens in harmony with nature through ecological, economic, and social solutions.
• Gärtnerei (Bio Suisse-certified Nursery) Bio Suisse-certified nursery producing ornamental plants, vegetables, and operating a vineyard. Services include the Balm Bio Box subscription, 'Mis Gartebeet' rental plots, wine production, vegetable cultivation, ornamental plants, farm shop, and firewood sales.
• Balm Bio Box (Subscription) Weekly or bi-weekly subscription box delivering fresh organic vegetables, salads, and homemade specialties in three sizes: Single (CHF 16), Duo (CHF 21), and Family (CHF 28). Available for pickup or delivery in Rapperswil-Jona (CHF 5 delivery).
• Mis Gartebeet (Rental Garden Plots) Rental garden plot service offering 15 m² plots at Schwenkelweg on the Balm site for families, school classes, friend groups, and individuals. Includes Basic (CHF 290/year) or Plus (CHF 450/year) subscription options.
• Wein (Wine — Fluehölzli) Wine production from 6,500 m² vineyard at 475–500m elevation with PIWI grape varieties (Cabernet Jura, Cabaret Noir). Products include Fluehölzli Rot, Rosé, and Federweiss wines, certified by Bio Suisse.
• Hofladen (Farm Shop) 24-hour self-service farm shop on the Balm site offering seasonal organic vegetables, salads, herbs, homemade specialty sauces, spice oils, salts, eggs, and regional products.
• Cheminée- & Brennholz (Firewood) Hardwood firewood (beech and maple), 33 cm length, priced at CHF 220 per ster with delivery available in Rapperswil-Jona for CHF 80.
• arte e fiori (Floristry) Florist shop in Rapperswil's old town offering seasonal cut flowers, natural materials, bouquets, arrangements, wedding/event floristry, funeral floristry, flower subscriptions, and plant care services. Also sells handcrafted products from the workshop and gourmet products from the Balm kitchen.
• Kunsthandwerk / Werkatelier (Arts and Crafts Workshop) Workshop producing handcrafted cards for all occasions, gifts, souvenirs, household items, decorative articles, textile crafts, and custom-designed products. Also handles design, production, packaging, and shipping of mailings and giveaways.
• Gemeinschaftsgastronomie (Community Gastronomy) Central kitchen producing daily five different lunch menus with up to 500 meals delivered fresh in reusable containers to internal and external customers including residential groups, staff, schools, and canteens.
• Catering Customized catering from partial to complete packages for apéros and buffets, from small company events to large celebrations. Services include food, beverages, staffing, and equipment rental.
• Café Balm Café with 50 indoor and outdoor seats in natural surroundings near the farm, offering hot and cold beverages, sandwiches, snacks, cakes, and ice cream. Popular meeting point for families, walkers, and excursionists with play area and access to the farm.
• Genussprodukte (Gourmet Products) Artisanal gourmet products including Asian nut mixes, Mediterranean nut mixes, apricot jam, spice salts, tomato mustard, magic salt, various spice blends, brownie mix, spice oil, and custom gourmet boxes for gifting occasions.
• Chlaussack (Christmas Gift Sack) Hand-printed cotton Christmas gift sacks filled with peanuts, walnuts, beaver pastries, Lindor balls, chocolate figures, Gottlieber Hüppen, mailänderli, and cinnamon stars. Available in Mini (300–350g), Midi (500–550g), and Maxi (800–850g) sizes.
• Wäscherei (Laundry Service) Professional laundry service for personal and commercial textiles with modern machines and quality detergents ensuring maximum hygiene and gentle care for internal and external customers.
• Down-Syndrom & Demenz Online-Angebot (Online Support Service) Free online experience exchange for people with Down syndrome and their relatives, led by Antje Hirt, with sessions held every third Friday of the month (17:00–18:30) via Microsoft Teams. Individual counseling also available.
• Freundeskreis der Stiftung Balm (Friends Circle) Non-profit association supporting the foundation through public awareness, donations, networking, and testimonial generation. Offers Friend (CHF 150–350/year) and Sponsor (CHF 450–950/year) membership levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 500 meals produced daily in the gastronomy kitchen
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Markus Weber (winemaker, Meilen)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Markus Weber from Meilen processes grapes from Stiftung Balm's 6,500 m² PIWI vineyard into Fluehölzli Rot (red wine), Rosé, and Federweiss (semi-fresh wine). This is an ongoing co-production relationship — Stiftung Balm grows the grapes organically, and Markus Weber provides the winemaking expertise and facilities.
• Brennerei Kunz (distillery)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrennerei Kunz processes the grape marc (Trester) from the Fluehölzli vineyard into Fluehölzli Marc, a fruit brandy. This adds value to the winemaking byproduct stream.
• Universitätsspital Zürich (USZ) — Neuropsychologie & Trisomie 21 SprechstundecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. phil. Sandra Loosli, Head of Neuropsychology and Trisomy 21 Clinic at University Hospital Zurich, collaborates with Stiftung Balm on the free online experience exchange program for families and relatives of people with Down syndrome and dementia. She is a co-founder of this program.
• insieme 21 / Avanti 21coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarbara Habegger, Managing Director of insieme 21 (interest representation for people with Trisomy 21) and Head of Avanti 21, collaborates as a co-founder of the online experience exchange on Down syndrome and dementia.
• Psychiatrie St. Gallen — Konsiliar- und LiaisonpsychiatriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. med. Angela Brucher, Chief Physician and Medical Director of Psychiatry St. Gallen (Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry), collaborates on the Down syndrome and dementia online experience exchange program as a medical expert partner.
• Dr. med. Jens Wagner (psychiatrist, Stäfa)minorOthersDr. med. Jens Wagner, psychiatrist based in Stäfa, collaborates on the Down syndrome and dementia experience exchange program as a clinical expert.
• VielfaltWerkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVielfaltWerk is an online marketplace (vielfaltwerk.ch) that sells gourmet products and artisan crafts produced by Stiftung Balm, extending the foundation's commercial reach to a nationwide Swiss consumer audience.
• Bäckerei WickminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBäckerei Wick produces chocolate with the Stiftung Balm logo for inclusion in the Chlaussack (Christmas gift bag) product — a custom private-label arrangement for the holiday gifting line.
• Volg LenggisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Volg Lenggis convenience store stocks and sells Stiftung Balm's Fluehölzli wines (Rot, Rosé, Federweiss) as a retail reseller in the local area.
• GeberitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGeberit commissioned industrial work from Stiftung Balm and featured the partnership in a video demonstrating how the foundation, as a social enterprise, delivers professional and successful collaboration with private industry in assembly and packaging operations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves21 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung Arkadis: Swiss foundation in the Olten area providing residential, vocational, and supported-employment services for people with disabilities, including industrial workshop and gastronomy lines. Closely comparable divisional mix to Stiftung Balm.
• Stiftung Wagerenhof: Large Swiss foundation in Uster (Canton of Zurich) operating residential homes, day structures, vocational training, and sheltered workshops for people with disabilities. Highly comparable to Stiftung Balm in operating model, multi-divisional structure, and reliance on IV/cantonal funding.
• Stiftung Brändi: Swiss foundation operating sheltered workshops and residential services for people with disabilities, with a strong focus on artisan and consumer-product retail lines (Brändi shoes, gift items). Comparable to Stiftung Balm on the commercial-workshop and artisan-products side, while operating at larger scale.
• Institution de Lavigny: Specialist Swiss institution in Vaud providing residential care, schooling, vocational training, and sheltered employment for people with disabilities, including a dedicated dementia service. Directly comparable multi-division disability-services operating model.
• Stiftung Altrieden: Swiss foundation in the Zurich area offering residential living, day structures, and supported employment for people with disabilities. Comparable to Stiftung Balm in scope of services and reliance on cantonal disability-insurance funding.

Emerging players

• PluSport: Swiss organization promoting sport for people with disabilities. Not a direct operator of residential or vocational services but is a recognized disability-services ecosystem player that complements Stiftung Balm's Balmhof and therapy pool offerings and shares the same donor/membership base.

Broad incumbents

• Pro Infirmis: Switzerland's largest disability advocacy and service organization providing advice, supported living, and accommodation services nationwide. Comparable as a major disability-services incumbent with broader geographic reach than Stiftung Balm.
• INSOS Schweiz: National umbrella association for Swiss providers of services for people with disabilities. Not a direct operator but represents and benchmarks institutions of Stiftung Balm's type and is the authoritative industry body for IV-funded residential, day, and workshop providers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCifKlroOo561EhVwwHfXxWQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Stiftungbalm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftung-balm
• Instagraminstagram.com/stiftung_balm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles39 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 Stiftung Balm