Impact Finance
Impact finance at Helvetas brings together philanthropic capital, private sector expertise, and institutional leadership to mobilize funding and scale sustainable, high-impact solutions. By combining partners’ resources with our deep local knowledge and trusted networks, we design and support financial mechanisms that strengthen value chains and de-risk promising investments. Through this collaborative approach, Helvetas helps turn partnerships into practical, measurable results - advancing social equity, economic resilience, and environmental sustainability for people and ecosystems alike.
Our Commitment
For 70 years, Helvetas has been committed to reducing poverty, advancing human rights and making equal opportunities a reality everywhere. As a Swiss nonprofit organization that is politically and religiously independent, Helvetas supported 4.8 million people across 35 countries in 2024.
Our goal with impact finance is to leverage private capital for sustainable and inclusive development, using approaches that empower communities and foster long-term economic resilience. Helvetas achieves this by bringing together the essential pillars of capacity building and access to fair finance.
Our Impact Finance Model
Bridging the finance gap
It is estimated that over four trillion dollars is needed to close the global financing gap and to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The lack of access to fair finance is a key constraint for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which limits job creation and income generation. Impact finance approaches offer an alternative way of mobilizing and catalyzing capital to support inclusive economic growth.
Leveraging deep context knowledge
Helvetas helps create impact through our deep knowledge of regions and industries (or value chains) where the potential investee operates. Given our context knowledge, there are opportunities to provide advice to impact investors, offering tailored technical assistance and guiding investment strategies towards maximizing impact in poverty reduction, climate adaptation and mitigation, and increasing the resilience of vulnerable groups.
Helping businesses become investment-ready
Investment readiness depends on robust business models that allow enterprises to operate independently and sustainably while generating jobs and income opportunities. Helvetas supports MSMEs on this journey by providing targeted technical assistance and enhances their social and economic impact.
Supporting pipeline building and deal creation
Through an inclusive systems approach, Helvetas strengthens and connects local service providers — such as accelerators and incubators — with microfinance institutions, banks and impact investors to better serve the needs of local businesses. Helvetas also plays a key role as a deal facilitator: By drawing on its longstanding presence in partner countries and trusted local relationships, the organization can help identify viable investment opportunities and support partners throughout the negotiation process, from initial structuring to the final transaction.
How do you want to participate?
Collaborate with Helvetas and our partners to align your philanthropy or investment capital with measurable and lasting impact. Through our impact finance approach, we help structure and support initiatives that strengthen local economies, create jobs and income opportunities, and deliver tangible social and environmental benefits. By forming a catalytic partnership, you contribute to scaling or de-risking investments and unlocking additional private capital for sustainable development.
Partner with us to create opportunities where they are needed most. By blending your philanthropic support with private investment, we can reduce the risks associated with promising initiatives and unlock capital for communities striving to build a better future. Together, through impact finance and Helvetas’ deep local expertise, we can help people and ecosystems flourish with dignity, resilience and lasting impact.
Partner with us to co-create systemic solutions that strengthen your value chains while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. By combining your business expertise with Helvetas’ deep contextual knowledge, trusted local networks and impact finance instruments, we can jointly design and scale impactful initiatives that foster social equity, economic resilience and environmental sustainability.
Partner with us to shape the future of development cooperation through innovative finance solutions. We can combine your policy leadership with Helvetas’ proven expertise and local networks to design and scale catalytic mechanisms that foster social equity, economic resilience and environmental sustainability.
Projects
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