The SRC is Switzerland's oldest and largest relief agency, made up of 24 cantonal leagues, five rescue organizations, three foundations and two societies.

Also, Switzerland's neutrality and the existence of the International Committee of the Red Cross as an institution in Swiss civil society posed further difficulties.

In 1882 the Zurich Pfarrer Walter Kempin founded the "Centralverein des Schweizerischen Roten Kreuzes" (Central Verein of the Swiss Red Cross), and was its leader until 1885.

It lasted until the start of the 20th century, with the appointment of the doctor Walther Sahli as standing Central Secretary in 1898 from the Centralverein and with the Hülfsverein founded by Dubs, Moynier and Dufour beginning to consolidate the SRC structures.

During the Second World War, the SRC provided for the support of the civil population and the army with material and auxiliary personnel and organized a blood donation service.

The SRC had its national and international meaning strengthened by both world wars and so from 1945 it expanded its scope and gained new recognition both at home and abroad, shifting its focus from military to civilian aid.

It made a large contribution to forming the Swiss public health system, establishing and running a blood donation service and helping in outpatient care and occupational therapy.

Helping with transport and house visits, and training carers, the SRC is also engaged in the social-medical area, and was also in large part responsible for the increasing professionalization of hospitals, nursing and rescue work.

The SRC Headquarters are divided into four departments: International Cooperation (disaster relief within Switzerland or abroad, reconstruction, development cooperation), Health & Integration (health, integration, SRC Outpatient Clinic for victims of torture and war, asylum, vocational training, fundamentals & development, Red Cross Service), marketing & communication, finance, human resources & logistics.

From 2008 to 2012, the Lindenhof hospital will be investing in major structural work to replace existing facilities so that it can offer progressive and efficient services.

Presidents of the SRC and its precursor organisations: Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan The Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus (suspended) Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile [es] China Colombia Comoros Congo [it] Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica [es] Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba [es] Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador [es] Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Macedonia Norway Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru (suspended) Philippines Poland Portugal [pt] Qatar Republika Srpska Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan (Republic of China) Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Abkhazia (no-member) Cyprus, North (non-member) Hong Kong (autonomous branch of the RCSC) Kosovo (non-member) Macau (autonomous branch of the RCSC) Oman (non-member) Ossetia, South (non-member) SADR (pending recognition and admission) Somaliland (non-member) Taiwan (former member) Transnistria (non-member) Vatican City (autonomous branch of the Italian Red Cross)