HEKS/EPER: Responsible content management for global aid projects

About HEKS/EPER

Founded in 1946, HEKS/EPER works in over 30 countries across four continents to combat poverty and injustice and to promote a life in dignity for all. The organization provides humanitarian assistance, fosters systemic change worldwide and in Switzerland, and focuses on climate justice, the right to land and food, flight and migration, and integration. Through its programs in Switzerland, HEKS/EPER champions the rights and causes of refugees and socially underprivileged people.

In 2024, HEKS/EPER worked worldwide and in Switzerland to support people in need. Internationally, HEKS/EPER was active in 35 countries with 20 country offices, implementing 225 projects and programs. Through this work, 3,863,661 people received direct support, and additional 3,214,995 people were assisted through humanitarian aid.

In Switzerland, HEKS/EPER supported 167,982 people through 6 regional offices.

Transparency and accountability are central to its work, reflected in the fact that 95% of donors perceive HEKS/EPER as a transparent organization.

Challenges: managing sensitive, project-based content at scale

HEKS/EPER manages a growing archive of more than 50,000 digital assets, mainly photographs, videos, and publications. This content must serve many purposes: documenting project progress, communicating with sponsors, supporting fundraising campaigns, responding to media requests, and producing publications such as newsletters, reports, films, and the organization’s magazine Handeln.

Several challenges made content management particularly complex:

• Project-driven structure: Most HEKS/EPER activities are organized into projects, often sponsored by individual churches or organizations. Content must be linked to specific projects, regions, and themes to ensure accurate reporting and communication.
  
  
• Sensitive material: Much of HEKS’ content shows people in vulnerable situations. Handling this material ethically and in line with privacy regulations is critical.
  
  
• Distributed content sources: Content might be captured in remote or unstable regions, often with limited or no internet access.
  
  
• High expectations for transparency: Donors, partners, and journalists expect timely, accurate, and trustworthy content.
  
  

To solve these challenges, HEKS/EPER needed a content platform that combined structure, control, flexibility, and ease of use.

Solution: Fotoware Alto as a central content hub

HEKS/EPER uses Fotoware Alto as a centralized content platform to store, structure, manage, and distribute its digital assets. The platform supports HEKS’ project-oriented way of working while giving teams full control over sensitive content.

Structured, project-based organization

Fotoware Alto’s data modeling and metadata capabilities allow HEKS/EPER to organize content around projects, regions, themes, sponsors, and project codes. Automated tagging and semantic data relationships make it possible to search for content in multiple ways, whether by country, continent, subject matter, or sponsoring organization. This ensures that teams can quickly find the right content for updating sponsors, publications, or external communications.

Ethical handling of sensitive content

Protecting dignity and privacy is of highest priority for HEKS/EPER. Fotoware Alto enables the organization to flag sensitive content either manually or automatically using tags. Flagged assets can be restricted from use or visibility, reducing the risk of misuse or accidental use of personal information.

Granular permission settings allow HEKS/EPER to control exactly which user groups can view, edit, download, or delete content and data. This ensures that sensitive material is only accessible to the right people while still supporting collaboration across departments.

Supporting publications and storytelling

HEKS/EPER’s identity and mission are communicated through a wide range of publications, from newsletters and fundraising materials to films and annual reports. Fotoware Alto’s advanced filtering and search capabilities make it easy for teams to find relevant, project-specific content and create and save views for different use cases. This improves ease of use for all users across the organization.

Working under difficult conditions

HEKS/EPER often operates in regions affected by political instability, social unrest, or limited infrastructure. Internet connectivity can be unreliable or entirely unavailable. Fotoware Alto supports this by allowing content to be ingested from almost any source.

Photographers and film crews may submit material via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, physical media like USB drives, or delayed uploads once connectivity is restored. Regardless of source or resolution, all content can be stored, tagged, and organized centrally.

Controlled distribution to media and partners

Journalists in Switzerland and abroad regularly request content related to HEKS/EPER’s work. Rather than offering open self-service access, HEKS/EPER uses Fotoware Alto’s sharing functionality to distribute selected assets directly to journalists. This allows the organization to control exactly which assets are shared, with whom, and for how long, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and responsible use.

Results: transparency, trust, and efficiency

With Fotoware Alto, HEKS/EPER has established a clear, structured, and ethical approach to content management. Teams can find and use the right content faster, sensitive material is handled with care, and communications remain consistent and trustworthy across all channels.

The platform supports HEKS/EPER’s commitment to transparency, strengthens relationships with donors and sponsors, and enables fast responses to media requests, all while respecting the privacy rights of the people represented in images.

Looking ahead

HEKS/EPER started using Fotoware (Picturepark) solutions in 2012 and migrated to the cloud-based DAM platform Fotoware Alto (formerly Picturepark Content Platform) in 2020. Since then, teams have benefited from a more intuitive user interface, improved search and filtering, and better support for multilingual content in German, French, and English.

Looking forward, HEKS/EPER plans to manage additional content types in Fotoware Alto and introduce more automation. Through streamlining content processes, the organization aims to spend less time on administration and more time doing what matters most: supporting communities around the world with compassion, respect, and accountability.