Donor Profile: Switzerland - Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
UNHCR Funding Analysis
Executive Summary
Donor Profile: Switzerland – Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) stands as a pivotal and strategic mid-level donor within the humanitarian funding landscape, commanding a substantial share—up to 25%—of total humanitarian funding in key operational years. Switzerland’s funding portfolio is characterized by a pronounced concentration in select regions and projects, with a few high-value initiatives receiving up to $59 million, while a majority of projects and regions experience markedly lower funding levels, often below $3 million. This funding disparity creates both a risk of overdependence on few programs and a significant opportunity to strategically channel additional resources toward underfunded regions with demonstrated vulnerability and growth potential.
SDC’s funding dynamics reveal considerable volatility in both annual volume and transaction frequency, which underscores the importance of engagement strategies aimed at stabilizing and increasing the predictability of contributions. Although average transaction sizes are comparable to peer donors, the lower number of annual transactions limits Switzerland’s capacity to deliver sustained emergency response and resilience programming. Addressing this will be critical to maximizing Swiss funding impact and leveraging it as a reliable pipeline for operational scalability and innovation.
Notably, the Swiss funding footprint aligns well with priorities such as emergency response, resilience-building, and long-term sustainable development. Growing UNHCR’s operational coverage in Switzerland by 57% between 2018 and 2025 exemplifies positive expansion potential that can be amplified through targeted investment. Focusing on diversifying support across more countries and projects promises high return on investment by closing persistent coverage gaps and enabling efficient partner collaborations.
For fundraisers and project designers, the key actionable insights are: (1) prioritize cultivating deeper strategic partnerships with SDC that emphasize flexible, data-driven funding approaches to address performance disparities; (2) advocate for a balanced yet scalable allocation of resources that moves beyond a few large projects into broader geographic and thematic diversification; (3) develop tailored engagement models that mitigate funding volatility and promote higher transaction frequency to sustain momentum; and (4) position funding proposals around Switzerland’s demonstrated capacity for high-impact investments, linking accountability, innovation, and resilience outcomes.
In sum, SDC represents a donor with strong funding capacity and strategic influence, whose operational profile offers substantial opportunities for leveraging impact multipliers through focused advocacy, portfolio balancing, and enhanced partnership mechanisms. Immediate executive action to align strategies with Switzerland’s funding rhythms and priorities can optimize returns and accelerate progress toward shared humanitarian objectives.
Ranking
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) donor scores reveal a striking disparity: while some metrics reach the maximum 100 score, the average sits at a low 3.69 with a standard deviation of 12.2. This polarization exposes critical gaps in donor engagement and project impact assessment, underscoring an urgent need to channel investments toward underperforming areas to leverage untapped potential. The 96-point spread between minimum and maximum scores highlights both risk zones and high-impact entry points where targeted funding can scale proven initiatives efficiently. Prioritizing strategic partnerships with donors excelling in key metrics offers an impact multiplier effect, enabling collaborative gains where SDC’s influence is weakest. Immediate executive action to realign resource allocation toward these variances can optimize funding ROI and accelerate innovation in response capacity. This evidence-driven investment case invites major donors to seize opportunities for enhancing accountability frameworks and resilience-building programs within Switzerland’s development portfolio.
Focus Portfolio
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s portfolio highlights a funding landscape with substantial disparities, where a single initiative receives up to $59 million, while the median funding level stands near $748,000. This concentration presents a strategic priority: investing to scale proven high-impact programs while addressing underfunded regions. Notably, among 36 projects, the average funding is approximately $2.9 million, but the wide standard deviation underscores uneven resource distribution. For donors prioritizing accountability and impact multiplication, this signals an opportunity to leverage Swiss investments by channeling funds towards less-resourced initiatives with strong potential for emergency response and resilience. Decision-makers should consider reallocating or increasing commitments to balance this portfolio, mitigating risks linked to overdependence on few large projects and unlocking untapped efficiencies. We recommend a targeted call for partnerships that emphasize innovation in underfunded regions, enabling broader operational reach and enhanced return on investment. Immediate executive action to engage donors with data-driven narratives around funding gaps and success stories can catalyze resource mobilization at scale.
Earmarking Behavior
Switzerland’s earmarked funding for 2025 totals $105.5 million, revealing a high concentration in select regions, with the largest allocation at $42.5 million—accounting for over 40% of total funds. This focused investment underscores a strategic priority to maximize impact where needs and proven outcomes converge. The median regional funding stands at $2.4 million, highlighting significant disparities and the opportunity to leverage underfunded areas for greater resilience and innovation. For donors seeking to optimize emergency response and long-term stability, channeling additional resources into regions with lower current funding but high vulnerability can act as a powerful impact multiplier. Immediate attention to diversifying earmarking across more regions reduces risk concentration and unlocks scalable partner collaboration. We recommend committing to these strategic levers to amplify returns, balance portfolios, and enhance accountability mechanisms. Decision-makers are invited to invest decisively now, transforming these insights into actionable funding partnerships that accelerate sustainable impact.
Switzerland’s Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) commands a substantial 25% share of total funding in 2025, showcasing a strategic funding concentration that can be leveraged to amplify impact. Despite an average funding volume exceeding one billion USD, variability exists—highlighted by a standard deviation of 0.14 in funding share—pointing to opportunities to stabilize and scale investments across priority dimensions. This funding concentration underscores a key strategic priority for donors aiming to partner with reliable, high-capacity agents capable of delivering measurable impact. Targeted investment in SDC-backed programs offers a proven multiplier effect, reducing funding fragmentation and enabling streamlined allocation toward emergency response and sustainable development initiatives. Decision-makers should capitalize on this momentum by deepening collaboration with SDC, optimizing resource flows to underfunded dimensions, and mitigating risks associated with funding volatility. Immediate action to align donor strategies with SDC’s funding leadership can secure enhanced operational effectiveness, foster innovation, and deliver accountable results aligned with global humanitarian priorities.
Geographic Focus
Switzerland’s funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation shows significant volatility over recent years, with total annual contributions ranging from $189K to nearly $65M. This wide range demonstrates both a high ceiling for investment scale and risk of funding gaps. The median funding level of approximately $4M contrasts sharply with peak investments, highlighting an opportunity to leverage Swiss funding effectively through strategic advocacy and partnership. For donors prioritizing emergency response and innovation, scaling support alongside Switzerland’s peak years can amplify impact multipliers by up to 7.6 times compared to baseline funding. To capitalize, UNHCR should position Swiss funding as a strategic priority in Swiss diplomatic and development channels, emphasizing the correlation between targeted investment and rapid improvements in operational capacity. Immediate action to stabilize and grow this funding stream through expanded partnerships will mitigate risk and create a reliable pipeline for resilience-building initiatives. Decision-makers should invest in high-impact engagement tailored to Swiss funding cycles to maximize return on donor investment and secure sustained commitments.
Switzerland’s Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation commands a strategic 11% share of total funding in 2025, surpassing average contributors by nearly double the median. This robust positioning highlights a unique opportunity to leverage Switzerland’s proven funding scale as an impact multiplier in humanitarian response. The dataset’s concentration around high-value contributions—mean funding of approximately $500 million with a maximum of $1.58 billion—signals strong donor confidence that can be further mobilized. Investing to deepen partnerships with SDC will amplify resource flows to critical emergency and resilience priorities, especially given its role as a key mid-level funder linking regional and global aid streams. However, the significant funding variance (std dev $471 million) invites strategic diversification to mitigate risks of over-dependence. We recommend prioritizing engagement with SDC to co-develop scalable interventions and enhance transparency for increased accountability, aligning with donor appetites for innovation and measurable outcomes. In sum, directing resources to strengthen and scale SDC’s funding influence represents a high-return strategy for maximizing overall humanitarian impact. Decision-makers should act now to secure and expand this pivotal funding conduit before competing priorities divert attention.
Activities Shift
Switzerland’s funding portfolio via the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) shows a pivotal shift in disbursement patterns, presenting a strategic investment opportunity for donors focused on maximizing impact. Analysis across 22 records reveals that funding percentages vary widely, with a notable peak reaching 54.9%, underscoring Switzerland’s capacity to deliver concentrated financial support. The median funding level remains modest at 7.1%, signaling room for scaling investments that can act as impact multipliers. Country group distributions highlight consistent engagement in priority regions such as Sudan, South Sudan, Jordan, and Syria—aligning with urgent humanitarian and resilience priorities of donors. This pattern signals a clear avenue to leverage Swiss partnerships for scaling emergency response and development programs. Immediate executive action should prioritize cultivating deeper strategic relationships with the SDC by emphasizing flexible funding mechanisms that can respond rapidly to evolving crises. Such a focus offers a dual advantage: it optimizes resource allocation by tapping into SDC’s demonstrated funding agility while mitigating risks linked to fluctuating disbursement rates. We recommend positioning this funding pattern as evidence of high ROI potential in donor proposals, advocating for sustained or increased contributions to amplify proven impact in fragile contexts. Decision-makers must act now to harness Switzerland’s proven funding dynamics as a strategic priority for innovation and accountability in resource mobilization.
UNHCR’s expanding footprint in Switzerland demonstrates a compelling 57% increase in operation coverage from 2018 to 2025, underscoring a valuable opportunity for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to leverage diverse activities for amplified impact. This progressive coverage rise, averaging 32.3% in recent years, aligns precisely with donor priorities of resilience-building and operational scalability. However, variability in coverage—ranging from 11.8% to 57%—signals a critical need for targeted funding to close persistent gaps and solidify presence in underserved countries. Strategic investment in activity diversification promises a high return by multiplying UNHCR’s on-the-ground efficacy and boosting partner collaboration outcomes. We recommend positioning this trend as a flagship funding pillar to unlock major donor commitments focused on sustainable growth and adaptive response capabilities. Immediate executive action to prioritize resource allocation for expanding country coverage will convert this upward trajectory into a durable impact multiplier, advancing both emergency response and long-term development goals.
Transaction Volatility
Switzerland’s average transaction amount of $1.2M through just 42.5 transactions per year contrasts sharply with Top 10 donors averaging $2.9M across 586.9 transactions. This funding volatility risks undercutting sustained emergency response and resilience programming critical for displaced populations. Despite stable average transaction sizes, the significantly lower frequency limits scale and impact multiplier effects from Swiss contributions. Investing in stabilizing and increasing transaction volume with Switzerland offers a strategic priority opportunity to leverage its funding more effectively, enhance predictability, and unlock partnership synergies. Targeted engagement and tailored investment vehicles can mitigate risks from funding gaps and amplify Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s impact in high-need contexts. Decision-makers should prioritize resource allocation to partnership innovation and risk management mechanisms that transform current volatility into a reliable funding stream, directly advancing UNHCR’s accountability and emergency mandate.
