Your monthly donation is extremely valuable as it allows us respond quickly to emergencies and to support refugees all over the world. It also helps us protect people and families in the long run. You can set up a regular payment order through online banking:  

IBAN CH62 0900 0000 1561 7329 8

In 2022, we will be offering you different options for direct debit:   

• by credit card on our online giving platform   
• by PostFinance direct debit form   
• by LSV payment authorization form from your bank 

General donations are the most helpful because they allow UNHCR to support those most in need in countries affected by crises, even when the media is no longer talking about these crises. General donations also give UNHCR the flexibility to respond immediately to emergencies, and efficiently.   

In 2022, for every franc donated to the Switzerland for UNHCR Foundation, about 82 cents will go to UNHCR programmes supporting uprooted people. The remaining 18 cents will be used to cover our investment and operating costs. Each year we are committed to reducing our costs as much as possible to maximise our impact on the ground.

Yes, Switzerland for UNHCR is a foundation under Swiss law and is registered in Geneva. As a donor, you will receive a certificate at the beginning of the year following your donation(s), indicating the total amount of your contributions for the previous year. That amount can be included in your tax return.   

Donations to charitable organizations are eligible for tax deductions in most Cantons. Please check your Canton’s legislation to know the percentage of your deduction. 

If you have any questions about your donation certificate, please contact our donor relations department. We will gladly reissue a copy.  

Please note that your certificate will include all donations made during the previous calendar year. We refer to the value date of the bank, i.e., the date on which the money was transferred into our account. If you donated at the end of December, and if your bank processed the payment after December 31, your donation will appear on the certificate for the following year. 

If you have lost your donation certificate, please contact our donor relations department. We will gladly reissue a new one. 

Scammers regularly try to take advantage of the plight of people forced to flee by asking for money through fake online donation pages, mailings, and other marketing methods. Those scams are particularly acute during times of humanitarian emergencies. Those communication look and speak like UNHCR and claim to support refugees, migrants, and other people in urgent need. But money donated lands in the hand of scammers. 

It can be difficult to judge if a communication is real or fake. Here are a few good tips: 

• Look out for incorrect grammar. If the communications contain spelling mistakes, it might not be an official UNHCR communications. 
• We will never ask you for your bank details. Donations to UNHCR or Switzerland for UNHCR are made either through secured online payments within our official websites or through payment slips, clearly stating our bank and address details. 

If you have any doubts, do not make a donation. Reach out first to our donor care team to make sure that the request of payment is coming from an official UNHCR source.  

The donor relations department is available to help update your contact information, such as your address, phone number or e-mail address. Once the changes have been made, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.  

As a donor, you will receive stories on how your gifts support refugees. We will also keep you informed about sudden humanitarian emergencies.  

Our goal is to keep you informed about the activities we run to support refugees. If you would like to change or reduce the amount and types of communication you receive from us, please let our donor relations department know. We will comply with your choices.  

You can subscribe to our newsletter. When there is a crisis, you will be among the first to know what is happening on the ground, what UNHCR is doing to respond, and what you can do to help save lives. 

If you have never subscribed to our postal mail, it is likely that we reached out to you during a crisis. We collect names and addresses of potential donors from a mailing list rental company. You can request to be removed from our list at any time.