Skat Foundation
Skat Foundation is a Swiss non-profit foundation (est. 2002) that supports local partners implementing water, renewable energy, and waste management projects across the Global South, while hosting the RWSN and HPNET global knowledge networks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersSankt Gallen, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Skat Foundation does
Skat Foundation is a Swiss non-profit foundation founded in 2002 and headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The organization supports local partner organizations, communities, and networks implementing projects in water supply, renewable energy, and waste management across vulnerable and rural communities in the Global South. Its operational footprint spans at least 11 countries across four continents (Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Moldova, Nepal, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Ukraine, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan), with regional coordinators managing field teams of 5-50 employees. The foundation's core product portfolio consists of three knowledge networks and a publications/training ecosystem: the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN), hosted since 2002 with over 15,000 members from 165 countries and 100+ member organizations; the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET), officially hosted since 2023 with 200+ multi-actor members; the SEEED e-learning platform with 230+ users from 25 countries; and a publications catalog exceeding 100 knowledge products plus 700+ RWSN documents. Training courses, webinars, and capacity-building events delivered in multiple languages complement the network stewardship model.
The foundation operates under a project-based donor funding model with no commercial revenue. Its primary revenue streams are institutional grants and project-based contributions from bilateral donors (SDC, GIZ, ADA, FCDO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands), multilateral organizations (UNICEF, World Bank Group, WHO, IDB, African Development Bank), international NGOs (WaterAid, Terre des Hommes, Welthungerhilfe), and individual donations. It is a member of the Sufosec Alliance (6 Swiss NGOs, SDC-supported) and holds the Zewo quality seal for transparent fund management. Governance is provided by a 6-member Foundation Board chaired by Dr. Xaver Edelmann, with Managing Director Dr. Angelica Wehrli leading an approximately 10-person core professional team supported by 15 regional coordinators. The foundation achieved full organizational independence from founding partner Skat Consulting Ltd. in 2021, after which it assumed direct responsibility for staff, partners, and programmes.
Skat Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Skat Foundation
- Legal name
- Skat Foundation
- Website
- https://skat-foundation.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Skat Foundation is a Swiss non-profit foundation (est. 2002) that supports local partners implementing water, renewable energy, and waste management projects across the Global South, while hosting the RWSN and HPNET global knowledge networks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Skat Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Development Cooperation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
Keywords
Where Skat Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sankt Gallen
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Skat Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Project-based donor funding: Skat Foundation receives contributions tied to projects from donors including Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Swiss cantons/cities/communes, Swiss foundations and institutions, bilateral organisations (GIZ, ADA, FCDO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands), multilateral organisations (African Development Bank, UNICEF, World Bank Group, WHO, IDB), international NGOs (WaterAid, Tdh, One For All, GWC, FOS, Welthungerhilfe), and international foundations
- Donations: The foundation accepts donations from individuals and organisations through bank transfer and the StiftungSchweiz platform for online donations
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Skat Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Skat Foundation is a Swiss non-profit foundation that supports vulnerable rural communities across the Global South with water, renewable energy, and waste management solutions. The foundation delivers its work through local partner organizations, hosts global knowledge networks (Rural Water Supply Network and Hydro Empowerment Network), develops evidence-based publications, and runs professional capacity-building trainings for practitioners and policy-makers.
Product overview
Skat Foundation offers a portfolio of knowledge networks, e-learning platforms, publications, and training services focused on international development in water, renewable energy, and waste management. The core products include: the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN), a global network with 15,000+ members providing knowledge sharing and capacity building for rural water professionals; the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET) for small-scale hydropower practitioners; the SEEED E-learning Platform for hydro mini-grid training; and the Sufosec Alliance for sustainable food systems. These are complemented by over 100 publications and professional training courses in multiple languages. The organization does not offer commercial software products but provides these knowledge-sharing services to practitioners, policymakers, and organizations in the Global South.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) Global knowledge network hosted by Skat Foundation, connecting more than 15,000 rural water supply and sanitation professionals in 165 countries to share knowledge, debate issues, and produce publications on rural water supply.
- Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET) Knowledge exchange network for small-scale hydropower practitioners, hosted by Skat Foundation since 2023, supporting community-based micro/mini hydropower initiatives.
- SEEED E-learning Platform E-learning platform providing training for hydro mini-grid promoters, designed to upskill practitioners in small-scale hydropower project development.
- Publications and Knowledge Products Evidence-based publications, research documents, and films covering water, renewable energy, and waste management topics; the foundation has produced more than 700 documents, books, papers, and over 200 films.
- Training Courses and Webinars Professional capacity-building trainings, webinars, and courses on water supply, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, and renewable energy delivered to practitioners and partner organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70,045 people reached through projects & activities in 2023
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Skat Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Skat Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Skat Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Sufosec AlliancecoreSufosec (Swiss Alliance for Sustainable Food Worldwide) brings together six Swiss NGOs including Skat Foundation with a shared goal of reducing hunger and malnutrition by strengthening local food systems through agroecological approaches. Supported by SDC.
- Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET)coreSkat Foundation supports HPNET since 2016 and became its official host in 2023. HPNET is a collective of practitioners committed to the advocacy and advancement of sustainable small-scale hydropower (<1 MW) for community empowerment in the Global South.
- Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN)coreSkat Foundation has hosted the Secretariat of RWSN since 2002. RWSN is a vibrant network of more than 15,000 members from 165 countries committed to improving rural access to drinking water and fulfilling the vision of sustainable rural water services for all.
- WaterAidmajorInternational NGO collaborating on water and sanitation initiatives and professional drilling management courses
- World Health Organization (WHO)majorUN agency collaborating on drinking-water quality guidelines and WASH standards
- University of OxfordmajorAcademic partner leading the REACH programme on water security research, with Skat Foundation supporting knowledge brokering through RWSN
- HelvetasmajorSwiss NGO and founding partner of Skat Foundation, collaborating on development projects including solid waste management training in Bolivia
- Caritas SwitzerlandminorSwiss humanitarian organisation and founding partner of Skat Foundation
- SwisscontactminorSwiss development organisation and founding partner of Skat Foundation
- Skat Consulting Ltd.majorFounding partner of Skat Foundation; previously provided expertise, implemented projects, and administrative support until the organisations redefined their cooperation agreement in 2020, leading to Skat Foundation's independence in 2021
- Ser Familia BoliviacoreLocal partner implementing the Women and Youth in Waste Management project in Bolivia, focusing on labour market inclusion and green entrepreneurship
- DESPRO NGOcoreUkrainian NGO partner collaborating on healthcare reconstruction projects in Ukraine
- UN WatercoreUN coordination mechanism for water and sanitation issues; RWSN is a UN Water Partner providing formal access to intergovernmental preparatory processes
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Skat Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Swisscontact: Swiss development foundation promoting economic, social and ecological development through private-sector engagement; founding partner of Skat Foundation and operating with similar Swiss INGO funding structure and SDC reliance.
- Water for People: US-based non-profit focused on sustainable drinking water and sanitation services in developing countries; shares Skat Foundation's rural-water-supply specialisation and works with similar institutional donor set.
- Skat Consulting Ltd. Former founding partner of Skat Foundation with closely related thematic scope in water and infrastructure; operates on a commercial/consulting basis rather than grant-funded, creating a structural sister relationship in the same Swiss development ecosystem.
- Caritas Switzerland: Swiss humanitarian and development organisation; founding partner of Skat Foundation, with overlapping SDC funding base and complementary community-development projects in similar Global South geographies.
- Helvetas: Swiss INGO focused on poverty reduction through water, agriculture, and rural development in the Global South; a founding partner of Skat Foundation with closely overlapping thematic scope, donor base (SDC), and operating geographies.
- Solidarités International: French INGO specialising in WASH and food security in conflict-affected and fragile states; operates with comparable project-based donor funding model and field implementation footprint in overlapping geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Welthungerhilfe: Large German development NGO working on food security, WASH, and rural development; listed as a partner/donor of Skat Foundation and serves overlapping practitioner audiences with a broader thematic remit.
- IRC (International Rescue Committee): Major humanitarian INGO with significant WASH programming in fragile states; potential competitor for the same pool of multilateral/SDC project funding in overlapping geographies.
- WaterAid: Leading international NGO focused exclusively on water, sanitation and hygiene in low-income countries; an active funder/partner of Skat Foundation and serves overlapping WASH audiences at significantly larger scale.
Emerging players
- Practica Foundation: Dutch foundation focused on small-scale water and sanitation technologies for low-income contexts; smaller than Skat Foundation but highly overlapping in its emphasis on fit-for-purpose technical solutions and capacity building.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights2 records
Customer concentration
Skat Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSkat Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Skat Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Skat Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Skat Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Skat Foundation
What does Skat Foundation do?
Skat Foundation is a Swiss non-profit foundation that supports vulnerable rural communities across the Global South with water, renewable energy, and waste management solutions. The foundation delivers its work through local partner organizations, hosts global knowledge networks (Rural Water Supply Network and Hydro Empowerment Network), develops evidence-based publications, and runs professional capacity-building trainings for practitioners and policy-makers.
Is Skat Foundation a public or private company?
Skat Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Skat Foundation founded?
Skat Foundation was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Skat Foundation based?
Skat Foundation is headquartered in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Skat Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Project-based donor funding is the primary driver. The others are donations.
Who are Skat Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Swisscontact, Water for People, Skat Consulting Ltd., Caritas Switzerland, Helvetas and Solidarités International. Broad incumbents are Welthungerhilfe, IRC (International Rescue Committee) and WaterAid. Practica Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Skat Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Skat Foundation.
What industry is Skat Foundation in?
Skat Foundation's product category is International Development Cooperation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAL, Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8300.