How do I apply to the Beloved Foundation?

The foundation welcomes requests from victims, survivors and family members affected by the New Year's Eve fire in Crans-Montana. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For information on methods and timing, please contact the Municipality of Crans-Montana or the cantonal administration of Valais. According to Director Cardon, no requests have been rejected so far.

What interventions does the Beloved Foundation finance?

The foundation supports three main areas: education (school continuation, professional retraining of young people), psychological support and emotional rehabilitation, and direct economic aid to families in difficulty. Several tens of thousands of francs have already been paid for these concrete interventions.

What is the difference between the help of the Beloved Foundation and the LAV?

The LAV (Federal Law Concerning Assistance to Victims of Crime) provides basic federal benefits such as counseling, compensation, and legal support. The Beloved Foundation intervenes where there are gaps: professional retraining, personalised educational projects, more generous economic aid. It does not double the ordinary performance, but integrates it where necessary.

How much funding does the Beloved Foundation have?

The foundation has 24 million francs in donations and pledges of donations, coming from the Canton of Valais, Canton of Vaud, Municipality of Crans-Montana and private donors. Several tens of thousands of francs have already been paid. The foundation is looking for additional resources, as the needs will persist for several years.

When was the Beloved Foundation established?

It was established on 27 March at the initiative of the Canton of Valais, following the New Year's fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which caused 41 deaths and 115 injuries. The president is former Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, the director is Christian Cardon.

Aid to victims: 70 requests to the Beloved Foundation

By Redazione Frontaliere Ticino (AI-generated text) · Published on 6 September 2026

Foundation office with staff providing psychological and financial support to victims in Switzerland

The Beloved Foundation, established by the Canton of Valais, handled 70 requests for help. So far no refusal, you pay tens of thousands of francs.

Context

In brief

Beloved Foundation receives 70 requests for assistance from victims in Crans-Montana
No requests refused so far, tens of thousands of CHF disbursed
Budget of 24 million CHF from Valais, Vaud, Crans-Montana and private donors
Psychological, educational and financial support interventions

Key facts

What: Beloved Foundation for victims of the New Year's Eve fire
Where: Crans-Montana, Valais
When: Established on March 27
Who: President Doris Leuthard (former federal councillor), director Christian Cardon
Budget: 24 million CHF in donations and pledges
Victims: 41 dead, 115 injured in the fire at Le Constellation bar
Requests: 70 received so far, no refusals

The Beloved Foundation, established by the Canton of Valais on March 27 to support the victims of the New Year's Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, has so far received around seventy requests for assistance. A positive note characterizes the first report: no request has been refused. This was reported by director Christian Cardon in an interview with Le Matin Dimanche, emphasizing that all requests receive careful and thorough evaluation. Some requests have already been approved and funded, while others are still under evaluation.

The foundation's overall budget is substantial: 24 million francs, coming from donations and pledges from the Canton of Valais, the Canton of Vaud, the Municipality of Crans-Montana, and private donors. A significant amount that demonstrates the commitment of multiple institutional levels in supporting the victims. So far, several tens of thousands of francs have been disbursed for concrete and direct interventions to the survivors and their families.

The fire and the context of the foundation's establishment

The fire at Le Constellation bar caused 41 deaths and 115 injuries, an extraordinarily serious tragedy that shook Valais and all of Switzerland. The Beloved Foundation was born from the initiative of the Canton of Valais as an integrated support tool to address the medium- and long-term consequences on victims, survivors, and their families.

According to director Cardon, the foundation's mandate is broad: it covers "rehabilitation interventions that will contribute to the recovery or reintegration of patients." A crucial aspect is that the foundation does not intend to duplicate the benefits provided by the Federal Law on Assistance to Victims of Crime (LAV), but rather to intervene "where there is a gap." This approach avoids bureaucratic duplications and focuses resources on unmet needs.

Types of requests and support

Many young people have turned to the foundation to receive help in the field of professional retraining. In other cases, parents of victims or people in financial difficulty as a result of the tragedy have presented specific projects for which the foundation has provided concrete support. The field of action is structured around three pillars: education, psychological support, and direct financial aid to families in difficulty.

The president of the foundation is the former federal councillor Doris Leuthard, who has emphasized that the tragedy will have lasting consequences on the survivors and their families. Her role ensures a federal vision and coordination with public institutions at multiple levels.

Operational details

How the Foundation Operates in the Context of Victim Support

The Federal Law on Victim Assistance (LAV) provides basic services at the federal level, including psychological support, legal advice, and compensation for material damages. However, the needs generated by a tragedy like the one in Crans-Montana require a much broader and personalized intervention. The Beloved Foundation was created precisely to fill these specific gaps, working in synergy with the public network without duplicating services.

Among the interventions funded by the foundation are psychological rehabilitation and personalized emotional support, educational programs for children of victims with continued schooling and reorientation, professional requalification for affected youth, and direct economic aid to families in precarious situations. Cardon emphasized that the foundation operates in coordination with other public and private actors (hospitals, cantonal social services, non-profit organizations), not replacing but rather integrating ordinary services. This cooperative approach reduces the administrative burden on victims and ensures comprehensive care.

Search for Additional Resources and Long-Term Support

Despite the initial budget of 24 million francs, the foundation is already seeking additional funds. Leuthard explained that the needs will evolve and persist long-term, and the severity of the tragedy has generated traumas that will require years of continuous support. Cardon added concrete considerations: although the financial endowment is substantial, in the face of the psychological and physical consequences of the tragedy, the foundation will need additional resources to carry out its action over several years.

This reflects a broader reality of supporting victims in economic difficulty: the repair from mass tragedies is not a matter of one-time amounts, but of multi-year programs that respond to evolving needs over time. The foundation's initial estimates will need to be reassessed over time as new needs emerge: delayed returns to work, prolonged medical care, longer-term school support.

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Key points

How to request help from the Beloved Foundation

Victims, survivors, and affected family members of the fire can submit requests for help to the Beloved Foundation. According to Cardon, the process is not rigid or bureaucratic: requests are examined on a case-by-case basis and evaluated based on the specific needs declared and documented. The director emphasized that so far there has been no negativity in the decisions, suggesting an inclusive approach and concrete support.

Requests are evaluated by a group of experts who verify the relevance of the intervention with respect to the foundation's criteria (education, psychological support, financial aid), the documentation of the link with the tragedy, and the economic situation and degree of need of the applicant. Decisions are not instantaneous: some requests have already been approved and funded with payments of several tens of thousands of francs, while others remain under evaluation. No precise timeline for the evaluations has been provided, but the fact that no request has been rejected so far suggests an inclusive attention to the process.

Contacts, access, and complementarity with other benefits

Specific contact details of the Beloved Foundation for submitting requests were not indicated in the official communication, but victims and family members can contact the municipal authorities of Crans-Montana or the Canton of Valais directly to obtain information on how to access support and complete the requests.

For those facing broader economic difficulties, in addition to the foundation's support, it is useful to check the available cantonal and municipal benefits: rent subsidies, health insurance premium reductions, education contributions, income support. Using the calculator to estimate which benefits might be available based on your economic situation is a useful first step to identify additional resources. The Beloved Foundation represents a model of public-private intervention: the Canton of Valais has taken the first steps in coordinating a structured response, but the contribution of private donors and other cantons (Vaud) has been essential to create a truly significant and lasting support network over time.

Source: tio.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply to the Beloved Foundation?: The foundation welcomes requests from victims, survivors and family members affected by the New Year's Eve fire in Crans-Montana. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For information on methods and timing, please contact the Municipality of Crans-Montana or the cantonal administration of Valais. According to Director Cardon, no requests have been rejected so far.
What interventions does the Beloved Foundation finance?: The foundation supports three main areas: education (school continuation, professional retraining of young people), psychological support and emotional rehabilitation, and direct economic aid to families in difficulty. Several tens of thousands of francs have already been paid for these concrete interventions.
What is the difference between the help of the Beloved Foundation and the LAV?: The LAV (Federal Law Concerning Assistance to Victims of Crime) provides basic federal benefits such as counseling, compensation, and legal support. The Beloved Foundation intervenes where there are gaps: professional retraining, personalised educational projects, more generous economic aid. It does not double the ordinary performance, but integrates it where necessary.
How much funding does the Beloved Foundation have?: The foundation has 24 million francs in donations and pledges of donations, coming from the Canton of Valais, Canton of Vaud, Municipality of Crans-Montana and private donors. Several tens of thousands of francs have already been paid. The foundation is looking for additional resources, as the needs will persist for several years.
When was the Beloved Foundation established?: It was established on 27 March at the initiative of the Canton of Valais, following the New Year's fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which caused 41 deaths and 115 injuries. The president is former Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, the director is Christian Cardon.