Oxfam
Oxfam is a UK-based international NGO founded in 1942, operating in over 100 countries to deliver humanitarian aid, development programs, charity retail, and advocacy on poverty, inequality, and climate justice, funded by donations, grants, and retail income.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1942
- HeadquartersOxford, United Kingdom
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Oxfam does
Oxfam is a UK-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief and headquartered in Oxford, England. Operating as part of the Oxfam International confederation, Oxfam GB delivers humanitarian response, long-term development, and advocacy across more than 100 countries, with documented active programming in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, East Africa (South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya), Venezuela, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, and Yemen. Its programmatic focus spans WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), food security, livelihoods, women's rights, and climate justice, delivered both directly and through a network of local implementation partners including PMRS, Juzoor, CFTA, and PEF in Gaza, ORDA Ethiopia, and WASDA in Kenya.
The organization runs a diversified operational portfolio beyond field programming. In the UK, Oxfam operates more than 100 high street charity shops, an e-commerce online shop, the Sourced by Oxfam ethical product range, and the Batley textile recycling plant handling 12,000 tonnes of donated textiles annually. Supporter engagement is driven through emergency appeals, the Oxfam Lottery (£1/week), monthly and legacy giving, Zakat donations, festival volunteering, the annual Second Hand September campaign, and free global-citizenship education resources for UK schools. The technology stack is non-proprietary, centered on standard web, e-commerce, and CRM infrastructure, with a recent pilot in blockchain-based parametric micro-insurance with Aon and Etherisc in Sri Lanka.
Oxfam GB is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity (England and Wales no. 202918; Scotland SCO 039042). Its income derives from four documented streams: individual donations and fundraising, charity retail, institutional funding (governments, foundations, multilaterals), and the weekly lottery. It has no shareholders, no parent company, and no traditional equity ownership. The organization faces material regulatory headwinds, including the refusal of Oxfam India's FCRA registration renewal (December 2021 and December 2022) and Israel's revocation of Oxfam's operating license alongside 36 other aid organizations, both of which constrain geographic program continuity.
Oxfam firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oxfam
- Legal name
- Oxfam GB
- Website
- https://oxfam.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1942
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Oxfam is a UK-based international NGO founded in 1942, operating in over 100 countries to deliver humanitarian aid, development programs, charity retail, and advocacy on poverty, inequality, and climate justice, funded by donations, grants, and retail income.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oxfam industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Aid Services
- NAICS
- Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Community Food Services (624210), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support (BPAGAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)
Keywords
Where Oxfam is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oxford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Oxfam business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations and Fundraising: Oxfam receives donations from individuals through one-time gifts, monthly giving, legacy bequests, and fundraising activities. Donations support emergency appeals, development programs, and general operations.
- Charity Retail: Revenue from selling donated second-hand goods through high street Oxfam shops, an online marketplace, and the Sourced by Oxfam ethical brand. Oxfam became the first national charity to develop its own facility for recycling and reusing clothes, handling 12,000 tonnes of textiles annually.
- Institutional Funding: Funding from governments, foundations, and multilateral organizations for specific humanitarian and development programs. Oxfam has faced funding shortfalls, including only receiving $800,000 of its $10 million DRC Ebola appeal.
- Lottery and Gaming: Oxfam operates a weekly lottery where participants pay £1 per week for chances to win prizes, with proceeds supporting Oxfam's work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | One-time and recurring donations for general or specific appeals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Oxfam product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oxfam is a registered charity that delivers humanitarian aid, emergency response, and long-term development programs aimed at ending poverty and inequality worldwide. The organization funds this work through individual donations, institutional grants, charity retail (high street shops and an online store selling donated second-hand goods), and a weekly lottery, while also running public campaigns and advocacy on issues such as climate justice, gender equality, and wealth inequality.
Product overview
Oxfam is a global charitable organization fighting inequality to end poverty. Rather than a unified technology platform, Oxfam's products and services span emergency humanitarian appeals, retail operations (online and high street shops), educational resources, and fundraising campaigns. Key offerings include the Oxfam Online Shop and Sourced by Oxfam ethical product range, emergency appeals for crises in DRC, Gaza, Venezuela, and East Africa, the Oxfam Education resource library for global citizenship teaching, Oxfam Lottery for fundraising, and the annual Second Hand September campaign promoting sustainable fashion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sourced by Oxfam: A range of ethical, sustainable and brand-new items sourced by Oxfam from around the world, including Fairtrade products, recycled items, and goods from accountable suppliers.
- Oxfam Online Shop
Products and services
- Oxfam Online Shop
Quantifiable outcome
- 821 million people facing chronic food deprivation globally
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Oxfam
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Oxfam technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Oxfam partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.
- Mercy CorpsmajorHumanitarian aid organization working alongside Oxfam and other NGOs in Ebola-affected provinces of DRC. Mercy Corps, Danish Refugee Council, CARE International, and Oxfam together stated that their US-funded water, hygiene, and sanitation projects have been scaled back or dropped since funding cuts including dismantling of USAID.
- Danish Refugee CouncilmajorHumanitarian organization partnering with Oxfam and other NGOs in DRC Ebola response. Joint statement on funding cuts to water, hygiene, and sanitation projects.
- CARE InternationalmajorLeading humanitarian organization working with Oxfam, Mercy Corps, and Danish Refugee Council in DRC. Joint advocacy on funding shortfalls impacting Ebola response.
- WWFminorEnvironmental organization that co-signed letter with Oxfam and other European NGOs calling for windfall profit taxes on oil companies.
- CAN EuropeminorClimate action network co-signing letter with Oxfam calling for EU windfall profit taxes on oil companies.
- Transport & EnvironmentminorEuropean NGO co-signing letter with Oxfam on windfall profit taxes, representing over 40 million citizens across 2,000 member organisations.
- AbilityNetminorUK charity helping Oxfam with digital accessibility assessment using the Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM) and providing training resources.
- VOCAL Coffee AllianceminorCoalition of eight civil society organizations including Oxfam that published report on sustainability in coffee supply chains based on consultations with producers in eight origin countries.
- Patriotic MillionairesminorNonprofit organizing wealthy individuals to advocate for higher taxes on the rich. Co-organized open letter with Millionaires for Humanity and Oxfam signed by nearly 400 wealthy individuals.
- Millionaires for HumanityminorNonprofit advocacy organization co-organizing open letter with Patriotic Millionaires and Oxfam calling for higher taxes on the superrich at Davos World Economic Forum.
- ORDA EthiopiamajorLocal Ethiopian organization working in areas where people are displaced to provide clean water, showers, toilets, hygiene kits and money for essentials.
- Somali Resilience ProgrammemajorSomali partner organization offering training to help farmers adapt to a changing climate in Somalia.
- WASDAmajorOrganization in Wajir County, Kenya, offering people money digitally transferred to their mobile phones so they can buy essentials.
- Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)majorLocal Palestinian partner distributing vouchers and cash for food along with hygiene items to people in makeshift shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis.
- JuzoormajorPalestinian partner organization responding in Gaza communities with humanitarian assistance.
- Culture & Free Thought Association (CFTA)majorPalestinian partner organization distributing aid in Gaza communities.
- Palestinian Environmental Friends (PEF)majorPalestinian partner organization responding to humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
- BarbourminorFashion brand created 30 limited edition Shaun the Sheep-inspired wax jackets to support Oxfam, with proceeds benefiting the charity. Sold through Oxfam stores and Barbour's website.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Oxfam competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CARE International: Global humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with emergency response, food security, and women's empowerment programs; explicit co-partner with Oxfam in DRC Ebola response and joint advocacy.
- Plan International: Global NGO advancing children's rights and equality for girls, combining humanitarian response with long-term development and advocacy in a structure highly analogous to Oxfam's.
- Norwegian Refugee Council: Humanitarian organization assisting displaced populations, with similar WASH, food security, and shelter programming in the same crisis theaters as Oxfam (Gaza, East Africa, DRC).
- Save the Children: Major international humanitarian and development NGO focused on children's welfare, with combined emergency response, long-term development, and policy advocacy similar to Oxfam's integrated model.
- ActionAid: International anti-poverty federation with a rights-based approach combining emergency response, women's rights, and grassroots advocacy that mirrors Oxfam's integrated humanitarian-development model.
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders): Medical humanitarian organization providing emergency medical care in conflict zones and epidemics; co-listed with Oxfam among the 37 NGOs whose licenses Israel revoked in Gaza.
- Mercy Corps: International humanitarian NGO delivering emergency relief and development programs in conflict and disaster zones; joint Oxfam partner in WASH projects in Ebola-affected DRC.
Broad incumbents
- World Vision: Large Christian humanitarian organization with child-focused development, emergency response, and advocacy programming that overlaps substantially with Oxfam's portfolio.
- Catholic Relief Services: US-based international humanitarian agency of the US Catholic Bishops, operating emergency relief, health, agriculture, and education programs in over 100 countries similar to Oxfam.
- International Committee of the Red Cross: Largest and oldest humanitarian organization, operating under international mandate with comparable emergency response, healthcare, and advocacy programs in conflict zones.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Oxfam social profiles
Digital presenceOxfam financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oxfam leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Oxfam funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oxfam M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Oxfam
What does Oxfam do?
Oxfam is a registered charity that delivers humanitarian aid, emergency response, and long-term development programs aimed at ending poverty and inequality worldwide. The organization funds this work through individual donations, institutional grants, charity retail (high street shops and an online store selling donated second-hand goods), and a weekly lottery, while also running public campaigns and advocacy on issues such as climate justice, gender equality, and wealth inequality.
Is Oxfam a public or private company?
Oxfam is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Oxfam founded?
Oxfam was founded in 1942. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Oxfam based?
Oxfam is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Oxfam make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are charity Retail, institutional Funding and lottery and Gaming.
Who are Oxfam's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CARE International, Plan International, Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, ActionAid, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and Mercy Corps. Broad incumbents are World Vision, Catholic Relief Services and International Committee of the Red Cross.
Does Oxfam have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oxfam.
What industry is Oxfam in?
Oxfam's product category is Humanitarian Aid Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAAAJ, Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support, with a secondary code of BPADAEAK, Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming. Its NAICS code is 624230 and its SIC code is 4950.