eBill Donations: New Potential in Donations

The Swiss AIDS Federation turns 40 and yet remains a pioneer: Managing Director Andreas Lehner was the first to rely on eBill Donations – and thus on the future of charitable giving.

Published at: 26 May 2025
Medium: Banking Services

40 Years of the Swiss AIDS Federation

Andreas Lehner is a confident person. Today, however, he is a little jittery: The 40th anniversary of the Swiss AIDS Federation is coming up soon. It will be a big event at the Swiss National Museum with a symposium, food trucks, performances, bars and an afterparty. As Managing Director of the Swiss AIDS Federation, Lehner will moderate but also help to organize the event.

First thought: the Swiss AIDS Federation is already 40 years old? The organization achieved maximum awareness with minimum budget at the time. Its original campaigns are still remembered today.

But since the turn of the millennium, the situation surrounding HIV has improved significantly. In the past, over 3,000 people in Switzerland got infected every year, but today the figure is less than 500. Back then, HIV patients were highly contagious and had a life expectancy of around ten years (National Library of Medicine, 2005), but today, with the right treatment, the virus has hardly any impact on life expectancy. The number of new infections has also fallen sharply.

The role of the Swiss AIDS Federation has changed accordingly. Andreas Lehner, who has been with the Swiss AIDS Federation since 2014 and Managing Director since 2018, has fundamentally transformed the specialist organization in response to the changing environment. “Donations have fallen by around 50 percent in the last ten years,” he says. The organization had to lay off employees and now employs around 20 people. The mission has now become broader. It is no longer just about preventing infection, but about supporting people with HIV throughout their lives while working for equal health opportunities.

At the same time, the donation system is also undergoing a fundamental shift away from letters and towards the digital world. And that’s exactly what we want to talk about today.

The Digital Donation Request Opens up New Possibilities

“When I saw that the eBill digital invoice could also be used for donations, I wanted it for us,” says Lehner. The Swiss AIDS Federation was the first organization to use eBill Donations. “It was immediately clear to me that this was a game changer.”

The advantages were obvious: “You approach donors exactly at the right moment – when they are making payments,” explains Lehner. More than half of Swiss households currently use eBill. “This means that the coverage is more than sufficient for us.”

The donation request via eBill appears in the same mailbox as an invoice, marked with a special symbol – with or without a fixed amount. The proximity to the donors leads to an outstanding conversion rate of 26 percent: This means that every fourth donation request sent out results in a payment. For comparison, in the case of donation letters, it is not even one in ten.

“It was immediately clear to me that this was a game changer.”

“We place the donation requests in the eBill mailbox at the end of each month,” says Lehner, “that is around the time when many people make their monthly payments.” The donation professional particularly appreciates the flexibility: “These days, you have to be able to react quickly. For example, we have already sent donation requests via eBill on Sundays and public holidays, which were received by the donors just minutes later. This is possible with eBill.”

The average donation amount via eBill Donations at the Swiss AIDS Federation is around 65 Swiss francs, which is comparable to postal channels. “Normally, digital channels bring smaller donation amounts. On Instagram, for example, it’s five to ten francs,” says Lehner.

A third-party partner is required to set up eBill Donations, which isn’t complicated according to Lehner. However, the system is only worthwhile above a certain size, which they have now reached. The Swiss AIDS Federation now has over 1,000 registered eBill donors, and still rising. “Our large mailing campaign at the end of the year includes 200,000 addresses. If we get them all onto eBill, it will really pay off,” says Lehner.

“Our large mailing campaign at the end of the year includes 200,000 addresses. If we get them all onto eBill, it will really pay off.”

Donors Always Remain in Control

In order for the Swiss AIDS Federation to be allowed to send a donation request via eBill, users must activate the organization or agree that the relief organization can contact them at all. “We are currently making a huge effort here,” says Lehner.

In contrast to the donation letter, the eBill donation request contains very little information. “It is possible to send a digital brochure in a PDF form”. For Lehner, however, brand awareness is much more important. Anyone who sees the Swiss AIDS Federation’s logo should immediately think: “I know that, it’s a good cause, I’ll donate.”

According to Lehner, word has gotten around between relief organizations that eBill Donations has potential. Because the Swiss AIDS Federation is a pioneer, he is often asked for advice. He is pleased, but at the same time emphasizes: “The more organizations use eBill, the more important it will be to stand out with convincing content.”

Lehner cultivates a fine tradition: For donations over 500 Swiss francs, he thanks the donors with a handwritten letter. He doesn’t know yet whether he will do the same for digital donations. “Many people appreciate the anonymity of digital donations, so we need to be tactful.”

Why Switch to eBill Donations?

eBill opens an additional channel for charities to reach more than three and a half million Swiss citizens. With eBill Donations, users receive their donation requests directly in their online banking where they can make a digital donation with just one click.

How Does eBill Donations Work?

The way it works is simple: Organizations send their donation requests with a PDF attached via eBill Donations directly to the online banking of their target groups. They can review the request and initiate a donation with one click. In addition, the organizations can suggest specific amounts or projects to select from. Organizations receive ongoing feedback on the success of the campaign via their network partner: how many requests were successfully submitted via eBill Donations and how many have resulted in a donation.

How Do Organizations Switch?

For the switch, organizations need the support of a network partner, who will assist them with the technical connection to the eBill infrastructure and support them in the next steps.

Text: Simon Brunner, Ammann, Brunner & Krobath AG

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