TLDR: When it comes to AI, church congregations face a choice that is rarely made consciously: the major U.S. provider ChatGPT or one of the two Swiss alternatives, Euria from Infomaniak and Lumo from Proton. Added to this is the question of whether OpenAI’s nonprofit license is worth it. Both questions can be answered pragmatically, and neither option replaces the rule of thumb for data protection.
„Should we use ChatGPT, or is there something from Switzerland?“
This question comes up in almost every parish workshop.
The short answer: There are two well-established Swiss alternatives. Euria by Infomaniak—data stays in Geneva and Zurich, and it’s free without needing an account. Lumo by Proton—focuses on encryption, and also offers a free basic version.
For standard administrative tasks, either one is perfectly sufficient.
But there’s one thing no tool can replace: the data protection rule of thumb. A Swiss data center cannot turn a pastoral care note into a permissible data entry. That’s a different issue, and it applies equally to each of the three tools.
And for those who want to stick with ChatGPT: OpenAI for Nonprofits offers discounted rates for church congregations; the verification process is handled by an external partner service.
Two Ways to the Same Goal
A parish office looking to draft an invitation doesn’t need a comprehensive report on AI sovereignty. Still, it’s worth taking a moment to consider which tool best suits your needs before committing to one.
ChatGPT: The Reference
ChatGPT remains the most comprehensive and advanced option. It offers a wide range of features, extensive experience handling everyday queries, and good image and dictation capabilities. The downside: Inputs run through OpenAI’s U.S.-based infrastructure. For simple text formulation using placeholders—without any personal data—this isn’t a problem in practice. For organizations that prioritize data residency itself, regardless of content, this is a reason to avoid the default choice.
Euria and Lumo: Switzerland's Answer
Euria, developed by the Geneva-based provider Infomaniak, processes and stores data exclusively in Swiss data centers in Geneva and Zurich. User input is not used to train the models, and a „volatile mode“ stores absolutely nothing if desired. The service is therefore compliant with the Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is explicitly aimed at sectors with heightened confidentiality requirements, such as healthcare, education, and public administration—a category that a parish office fits well into. The basic version is free and can be used without an account; an advanced version costs CHF 19 per year via My kSuite, and kSuite Pro is available for organizations at CHF 22.90 per user per year.
Lumo by Proton, another Swiss company based in Geneva, focuses on encryption: A feature called “Ghost Mode” does not store chat histories at all, and Proton advertises that it does not use user data for model training. The free basic version is available, though the limits on the number of messages and chat history are not clearly communicated. The Plus version costs the equivalent of about CHF 10 to 13 per month, depending on the payment method, or is included in the larger Proton Unlimited package.
Both alternatives are newer and have a narrower range of functions than ChatGPT. For standard administrative tasks—such as drafting invitations and polishing meeting minutes—they are generally more than sufficient.
The Decision Rule
Anyone who already follows the general rule of thumb for data protection—that is, never enters names or specific personal data—can stick with ChatGPT if its feature set and your habits make it the right choice. Those who are looking for an alternative—whether out of principle, due to a requirement from a diocese or regional church, or simply because they want data to remain in Switzerland—will find Euria or Lumo to be mature options that offer no loss of quality in everyday use.
It is important to note that a Swiss data center does not turn a pastoral care note into permissible data. The choice of tool determines where the processing takes place, not whether the content may be entered at all.
The Nonprofit License: What's Worth It for Church Congregations
Through its „OpenAI for Nonprofits“ program, OpenAI offers discounted rates to nonprofit organizations. ChatGPT Business Standard seats cost $8 per user per month with annual billing, or $10 with monthly billing, while Premium seats are not eligible for the discount. Larger organizations can also receive a discount of up to 75 percent on ChatGPT Enterprise. Eligibility is verified through the partner service Goodstack. Church congregations and parishes are considered nonprofit organizations depending on their legal status; a specific review takes place only upon registration. OpenAIOpenAI Help Center
There is currently no comparable, publicly announced nonprofit license for Euria and Lumo. Given the already low entry-level prices—especially for Euria’s free basic version—this question rarely comes up in practice.
A pragmatic approach to data protection, regardless of the tool
The rule of thumb remains the same for each of the three tools: If it involves a specific person by name, do not enter it. If it refers to a general pattern without a name or details, that’s fine. This rule applies regardless of whether the data is processed in California or Geneva. Tool selection and the data protection rule of thumb address two different questions, and both must be considered individually for each entry.
Experience has shown that prices and terms change quickly for all three providers. The figures listed are current as of September 2026 and should be verified on the respective provider’s website before making a decision.
Key Points
- ChatGPT offers the widest range of features, but processes data using U.S. infrastructure
- Euria (Infomaniak) processes and stores data exclusively in Swiss data centers; can be used for free without an account
- Lumo (Proton) relies on encryption and a storage-free "Ghost Mode"; the basic version is free but has unclear limits
- OpenAI for Nonprofits offers church congregations discounted ChatGPT rates; eligibility is verified through Goodstack
- The rule of thumb for data protection applies regardless of the tool chosen; a Swiss data center does not override it
- Check the current prices and terms of all three providers before making a decision
Disclaimer: This article was compiled manually based on my own knowledge and supplemented by AI-assisted research (Perplexity.Ai and Gemini.Google.com), then simplified using Deepl.com/write. The text is then reviewed and critically evaluated by two individuals of my choosing. The image is AI-generated (Ideogram/Adobe Firefly). Experience has shown that prices and licensing terms change rapidly; all information is current as of September 2026 and should be verified on the respective provider’s website before making a decision. This article is purely educational and does not claim to be exhaustive. Please let me know if you notice any inaccuracies; thank you.
Questions about AI and digital business models? #fragRoger
Would you like to know more? I’d be happy to visit your parish, diocese, or regional church to help out with a workshop or a presentation.
Feel free to reach out to me anytime for a no-obligation chat. If I can help, please contact me at #fragRoger.
And that’s why I remain convinced: The future no longer belongs to typing and clicking, but to collaborating with intelligent systems—no matter which tool you ultimately choose. So if you want to talk, and if you want to work with me, feel free to reach out
Sources
OpenAI. (2026). Introducing OpenAI for Nonprofits. https://openai.com/index/introducing-openai-for-nonprofits/
OpenAI Help Center. (2026). OpenAI for Nonprofits. https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9359041-openai-for-nonprofits
IT Magazine. (December 9, 2025). Infomaniak Launches Euria, an AI Designed with Privacy in Mind. https://www.itmagazine.ch/artikel/86168/Infomaniak_bringt_auf_Vertraulichkeit_ausgelegte_KI_Euria.html
The Internet for Architects. (December 17, 2025). Swiss AI Chatbot Euria for Data Protection and Sustainability. https://internet-fuer-architekten.de/euria-schweizer-ki-chatbot-datenschutz-nachhaltigkeit/
heise online. (July 24, 2025). Proton Launches Lumo, a Privacy-Friendly AI Chatbot. https://www.heise.de/news/Proton-veroeffentlicht-datenschutzfreundlichen-KI-Chatbot-Lumo-10498983.html
AI Without Fear. (2026). Proton Lumo Review: AI with Data Privacy. https://ki-ohne-angst.de/proton-lumo-test/
