Roots to Rise offers support for holistic organisational development with a participatory approach building on the interdependence between people and structures within an organisation.
Roots to Rise is an LLC registered in Switzerland.
Vision
Non-profit organisations world-wide are thriving and able to fulfil their key role for sustainable development and social justice.
Mission
Provide visionary, strategic and hands-on support to non-profit organisations, with the aim to unearth their potential for quality results and lasting positive change.
Values
We are passionate about organisations with a social cause. We are convinced that they play a key role in ensuring constructive and peaceful solutions to global challenges and in making the world a just place, where all human beings can live in a healthy environment, in peace, dignity and wellbeing.
We believe that people working for a social cause deserve a healthy, professional, stable, well-functioning, efficient and effective working environment.
We believe that sustainable change can happen in a systemic manner, and if developed and carried by the people who are implied.
Approach
We work with tailor-made approaches ensuring meaningful participation of all stakeholders.
We use intercultural, creative and inspiring methods and practical tools to bring out the best in everyone.
With this we ensure, that potential dead-end situations or impeding power-structures within the organisation and with partners are overcome for everyone to work together towards a common goal.
Team
Beatrice Schulter – Founder and Director
Beatrice is an organisational development specialist with a background in pedagogy, education, multilingual education, human rights, children’s rights and peacebuilding.
Beatrice has more than 20 years of experience in working with and for NGOs in more than 18 countries world-wide. She has initiated and successfully implemented holistic strategic and change processes in various organisations, helping them to become stable, successful, innovative and visible players in their field. As international programme director of a Swiss-based development NGO and as CEO of the largest global network on children’s rights, she has worked with innumerable and diverse NGOs from all around the world to support them in their strategic organisational development.
Apart from her master’s degree in English and Russian philology, and her teacher’s diploma, Beatrice holds a certificate of advanced studies in organisational development, change management and leadership. Alongside her native Swiss German, Beatrice is proficient in German, English, Russian and French.
Beatrice is passionate about working with people dedicated to a social cause, and to involve, inspire and empower them to develop effective management and governance for their organisation.
Nadine Bernasconi – Communications and Administration Officer
Nadine Bernasconi holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Geneva and a Master's degree in Intercultural Conflict Management from Alice Salomon University in Berlin. Through her professional experiences in various NGOs in Switzerland and abroad, Nadine has specialised in communication and project management in the field of international cooperation. Besides being bilingual French-Spanish, Nadine is also fluent in English and German.
Nadine has long been very sensitive to human rights issues and has been involved as a volunteer in many social and human rights organisations.
Gillian Walter – Leadership Coaching and Supervision
Gillian is a dedicated ICF PCC accredited Leadership & Life Coach, owner of Inside-Out Coaching, a passionate supervisor, a curious writer, a BEd (Hons) teacher and fine artist. Born and raised in England, she now lives in Switzerland with her family and loves having two homes and cultures. In addition to English, Gillian is fluent in both Swiss- and High German.
Gillian provides 1:1 coaching, group coaching and Executive Reflection Supervision. Supervision provides the safe and fertile space for the deep, creative and insightful reflection necessary for creating a ‘Super-Vision’ and working more authentically, purposefully and creatively. Supervision is a uniquely different and deeper reflective process offering the freedom to pause, think and clarify broader and more complex perceptions and perspectives in order to discover and develop new insights, learning and resourcing.
Gillian has a passion for people from all walks of life, a scarily accurate intuition, a talent for finding inner sparks and unlocking hidden potential. She works with empathy, compassion and humour, but knows exactly when to challenge and motivate beyond stumbling blocks to success.
Marco Dolfini – Fundraising and Resource Development
Marco is a passionate fundraiser and expert in the areas of major donors, institutional fundraising and corporates. He brings his knowledge and 20+ years of experience to the analysis and development of sustainable fundraising strategies.
Marco has worked for international organisations whose focus corresponded to his personal interests and values: development cooperation, education, health and human rights. He is the co-founder and first executive director of a Swiss NGO that has been implementing educational projects for children and young people in developing countries for more than 15 years. He has advised organisations in on fundraising and organisational development in Switzerland and other countries.
Marco is fluent in German, English, French and Italian and has a Master’s degree in History and Sociology from the University of Bern and a Diploma in Fundraising from the University of Fribourg.
Marco is convinced that there is no such thing as a "one-fits-all" solution in fundraising. Crucial for a successful and sustainable fundraising strategy is always the well-considered and unique use of the limited resources available to an organisation.
Our Clients
Testimonials
"Roots to Rise - the name of your service could not be better chosen ... you really help the roots and all living things in an organisation to unfold."
Marie-Thérèse Sautebin-Pousse, Secretary General at CPA, Switzerland
"I liked working with Beatrice. She was creative, very pleasant and very instructive. We developed an overall strategy, a resource development strategy, a financial policy and an action plan in a participatory way and are now implementing it. Beatrice was always there for us, face-to-face and digitally. In this way, even fundraising is fun!"
Barbara Berger, Executive Director Santé Sexuelle Suisse, Switzerland
"In her mandate to analyse the governance of Docip, Ms. Schulter has shown empathy in her approach and great relevance in her analysis. She was able to detect the human and legal stakes involved in the difficulties of positioning the various bodies provided for in Docip's statutes and to bring about a consensus on solutions enabling each entity and person to find their rightful place. We would like to thank her warmly for this."
René Longet, President Docip, Switzerland
„Beatrice Schulter accompanied the Institute for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding in its organisational development and strategic process. Her support enabled us to analyse our situation and uncover options for the best way forward. Beatrice was highly committed, and her support was founded in methodological clarity, providing us with security for our strategic decisions. I am still benefiting from this support today, as she has provided us with great hands-on tools.”
Tanja Mirabile, Director ICP, Switzerland
“Beatrice has excellent skills in organisational development and change management. She is a pleasure to work with and is very clear thinking with a systematic approach to problem solving and developing long term strategies.”
Mary Robinson, Director GCPS Consulting, UK
“Beatrice is an extremely inspiring leader. She has the gift to listen to people, discover their personal capacities, stimulate their ideas and support them to reach the most demanding goals. She is skilled to co-creating a vision in which everybody feels welcome to take part. She is an experienced management "technician" in any complicated situation in any corner of the globe: able to work out the complicated human, financial and legal mechanisms that make an organisation succeed. Trust her your business or NGO and she will dig to find the treasure in it quickly to make it flourish and shine for a better world.”
Geneviève Piron, Board Member Docip, Switzerland
“I found Beatrice to have great strategic mind that approaches problems with systematic, long-term thinking. She certainly managed to take Child Rights Connect to the next level.”
Annette Lyth, Board Member Child Rights Connect, Switzerland
“Beatrice has excellent intercultural communication skills and manages to mobilise everyone to cooperate and co-create across cultures.”
Andrey Makhanko, INGO Ponimanie, Belarus
“I know the challenges of raising operational core funds for networks. Beatrice has done a fantastic job leading Child Rights Connect through difficult times and not only managed to sustain our very important collective work but also managed to create a solid base for further growth and development of the organisation.”
Thomas Müller, ECPAT, Thailand
“Beatrice is an inspiring and dedicated manager who has an open and inclusive approach to problem solving. I have learnt a lot from her patience, networking skills and practical tools. Beatrice has been able to reach out to the most remote organisations making them feel involved in the work. I always look forward to sharing experience with Beatrice, because of her innovative ideas and passion.”
Eamonn Hanson, War Child Holland
“Beatrice is a very organized and systematic person, with a great capacity to manage complex organizational systems and initiate strategic plans.”