Tel 143 - Emergency hotline for emotional support

What Tel 143 - Emergency hotline for emotional support does

Tel 143 - Die Dargebotene Hand is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1957 that provides free, anonymous, confidential emotional support 24/7 via the national emergency number 143, encrypted chat (daily 10am-10pm), and encrypted email (48-hour response), in German, French, Italian, and English (evenings only via the Heart2Heart sub-brand). The organization served 184,331 phone dialogues and 9,367 chat/email contacts in 2024, with mental health concerns accounting for 74,736 of those contacts and suicidal thoughts for 8,040. Operations are coordinated through a national headquarters in Zürich and 12 regional offices covering all of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, staffed by 716 active volunteers (average tenure 8-10 years) supplemented by roughly 300 paid staff. The technology stack is deliberately simple and privacy-preserving: WordPress on Hostpoint, Matomo analytics on own infrastructure, HTTPS, and encrypted chat/email with automatic 60-day message deletion.

The business model is a charitable donations model with no fees charged to users. In a typical year, 63% of funding comes from private individual donations, 28% from institutional contributions (foundations, corporates, national churches, cantons, municipalities), and 9% from self-generated revenue (merchandise, training courses, bequests). Notably, the organization receives no federal government funding despite operating the national emergency number 143. It is Zewo-certified, a member of IFOTES since 1966, and holds the 2020 Prix Courage Lifetime Award. The customer base is Swiss and Liechtenstein residents in emotional distress, with intentional referral of minors to Pro Juventute (Tel 147); younger adults are increasingly served via chat and email channels. Distribution is fully direct-to-consumer through three channels (phone, chat, email) plus 12 regional offices, with awareness driven by media partnerships, Zewo certification, and word-of-mouth rather than paid advertising.

Name

Tel 143 - Emergency hotline for emotional support

Legal name

Swiss Association Die Dargebotene Hand / Project «Heart2Heart»

Website

https://143.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Tel 143 - Die Dargebotene Hand is a Swiss non-profit founded in 1957 that provides free, anonymous telephone (143), chat, and email emotional support 24/7, serving 193,698 contacts in 2024 across 12 regional offices covering Switzerland and Liechtenstein through 716 trained volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Helpline and Emotional Support Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Couples & Family Therapy Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAG)

Keywords

• Crisis helpline services
• Emotional support hotline
• Suicide prevention counseling
• Mental health helpline
• Anonymous telephone counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Private individual donations account for 63% of funding. Recurring donations are particularly valued as they reduce administrative costs. Donors can give via QR payment slips, bank transfer, E-banking, TWINT, credit card, or PayPal.
2. Institutional Contributions: 28% of funding comes from foundations, companies, national churches, cantons, and municipalities. Major institutional donors include Swisscom, BlueCall, Ernst Göhner Foundation, Swiss Casino Association, AIDS Help Switzerland, Innovage, Promotion Santé Suisse (2024-2026 project), and Assura.
3. Self-generated Revenue: 9% of funding from own resources. Includes merchandise sales (chocolate hearts), training courses for listening skills, and bequest/legacy donations.
4. Federal Funding: Although 143.ch is a national emergency number, the organization does NOT receive federal government funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tel 143 (Die Dargebotene Hand) provides free, anonymous, and confidential emotional support services to individuals in Switzerland and Liechtenstein through three channels: a 24/7 telephone hotline (number 143), online chat (daily 10am-10pm), and email counseling (48-hour response time). All services are delivered by trained volunteer counselors and are offered at no cost to users in German, French, Italian, and English.

Product overview

143.ch is a unified humanitarian crisis support service offering emotional assistance through three main channels: telephone (143, available 24/7 in German/French/Italian), chat (daily 10am-10pm), and email counseling (48-hour response time). The Heart2Heart sub-brand extends English-language support (0800 143 000, evenings 6-11pm). All services are delivered by trained volunteers, remain anonymous and confidential, and are free of charge. The organization operates 12 regional offices across Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Telephone Crisis Support (143)
• Chat Counseling
• Email Counseling
• Heart2Heart (English Support Line)

Quantifiable outcome

• 184,331 phone dialogues in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SwisscomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial telecommunications partner providing annual donations, IT support discounts, and specialist consulting in telecommunications. Critical infrastructure partner for hotline operations.
• BlueCallcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides specialized telephony solutions enabling 143.ch to be reachable at all times. Offers significant price reductions for phone services.
• AIDS Help SwitzerlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration benefiting people needing emotional support after HIV testing. For each HIV test sold, a portion goes to 143.ch, contributing to sexual health domain.
• RaiseNowcoreTechnology or IntegrationFundraising platform provider for processing online donations. PCI DSS certified. Helps process donations via credit card, TWINT, and other methods.
• BrevocoreTechnology or IntegrationEmail and instant messaging service (formerly Sendinblue) for customer relationship management, newsletters, and notifications.
• HostpointcoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss web hosting provider for 143.ch website and digital infrastructure.
• WordPress.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite builder and blog hosting platform for 143.ch website.
• Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media platforms for presence and content sharing. Integration of social plugins and sharing functionality.
• IPSILON (Suicide Prevention)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss association providing guidelines for responsible media coverage of suicide. 143.ch references their guidelines for media.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): US national three-digit crisis hotline (988) for mental health and suicide prevention, offering 24/7 phone, chat, and text support. Direct peer as a national emergency-number crisis service launched in 2022.
• Telefonseelsorge: Germany's national crisis hotline (0800-1110111 / 1110 222) offering 24/7 anonymous phone, chat, and email counseling. Direct peer as a DACH-region emotional support service with multi-channel delivery and trained volunteers.
• Lifeline Australia: Australia's primary 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention service (13 11 14). Direct peer in anonymous phone, text, and online chat crisis counseling delivered by trained volunteers.
• Crisis Text Line: US/Canada text-based crisis counseling service (text HOME to 741741) operated by trained volunteers. Direct peer in digital-first (text/chat) anonymous emotional support for high-acuity situations.
• S.O.S. Amitié: France's primary emotional support helpline providing 24/7 anonymous phone and written-message support. Direct peer in continental European non-profit crisis support model.
• Samaritans: UK-based non-profit emotional support helpline (116 123) operating 24/7 via phone, email, and letter. Closest direct peer to Tel 143 in mission, delivery model, and volunteer-based operations.
• 113 Suicide Prevention Hotline (Norway): Norway's national 24/7 crisis hotline (113) providing phone and chat-based emotional support and suicide prevention. Direct peer as a national emergency-number emotional support service.

Others

• IFOTES (International Federation of Telephone Emergency Services): International umbrella federation of which Tel 143 is a member since 1966. Industry body and standards-setter for the global telephone emotional support service category.

Emerging players

• Pro Juventute / Tel 147: Swiss youth-specific helpline (147) operated by Pro Juventute for children and adolescents. Domestic peer for the youth segment that Tel 143 explicitly refers out to.
• Die Nachtwanderer / Nightlines: European network of student-run nighttime crisis helplines and chat services. Comparable in mission (emotional first aid) and volunteer-based chat/email delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/143ch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzX2ViQKPmJ_5vPQH1G5Kig
• Facebookfacebook.com/143ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/143ch
• Instagraminstagram.com/143ch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tel 143 - Emergency hotline for emotional support