Brightening lives
We are an operational non-profit organisation working in 19 countries. We believe the power of positive environments transforms the fearful experience of impersonal and clinical settings.
The Foundation
Based in Geneva (Switzerland), we are an operational non-profit Foundation founded in 2008. To date we have completed over 300 projects in 19 countries, across Europe and the USA, reaching over 6.5 million beneficiaries.
Anouk is a determined and loving little girl with special needs, who brightens the lives of all those who meet her.
Her story has brought together an equally determined and experienced team, whose aim is to brighten the lives of both children and adults in medical institutions.
Our mission
Humanise institutions
To transform the clinical environment in hospitals and social-medical institutions by creating a visually calming and welcoming atmosphere.
Since 2008, we have been helping patients or residents feel cared for and reassured in hospital and socio-medical institutions.
Our values
❱ Empathy
❱ Creativity
❱ Well-being
Our method
We have developed therapeutic murals that improve the physical, psychological, and emotional care of patients and residents and also support staff.
Our method involves participation, involvement and interaction. Together we design the right mural to improve the medical and social environment. This significantly improves the quality of a patient’s journey and the staff working environment. Very specific training for 1.5 years is required to join our team of artists.
Our murals are based on the principles of art therapy, design thinking, knowledge of design and a large body of research. The benefits are multiple: in terms of health, quality of life, and economic outcomes.
Financing
Our annual budget : CHF 500,000.-
All our projects are made possible thanks to the generosity of various donors (figure 1) and through a close collaboration with local partners.
We are proud to be able to say that our operating costs are at 16% and that 83% of all donations are directly attributed to projects (figure 2).
The accounts are audited by Berney & Associés S.A. in Geneva, regulated by the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (DFI), and governed by Swiss law.
Donations are tax-deductible in Switzerland, the EU, via Transnational Giving Europe, and the USA, via Charities Aid Foundation America. They are our trusted partners for international philanthropy.
Our team
VANESSA VON RICHTER
Director
BEATRIZ ARISTIMUÑO
Consultant
Miodrag Vargić
Painter and sculptor, lives in Serbia
Emmanuel Martin
Illustrator, lives in France
Kata Koleszár
Painter, lives in Hungary
Guillaume Ozon
Painter, lives in Serbia.
Carole Lombardo-Ténèze
Painter, decorator, lives in France
Alexandre Levine
Painter, lives in Switzerland
Ani Kocharyan
Painter and multimedia artist, lives in France
Nicolas Péché
Art therapist, lives in France
Our board members
Philippe R. Calame
President
Our action committee
- Laurence Collins (community day)
- Dominique Correia de Oliveira (projects for seniors in Switzerland)
- Thierry Dana (photograph)
- John D. Firestone (USA projects)
- Ann Huber-Sigwart (Switzerland projects)
- Frederic Japy (Art4Impact)
- Anastasia Kotchoubey (Art4Impact)
- Elizabeth Leatherman (USA projects)
- Simona Leenders (Italy projects)
- Alexandra Olga Henry (Romania projects)
- Linnea Ribbelöv (Art4Impact)
- Isabel Sepúlveda-de Scalon (USA projects)
- Sandy van Klei (Art4Impact)
- Amelie van Moorsel (Art4Impact)
- Carole Varone (communication)
- Darya von Bergen (social media)