Equal Playing Field
Equal Playing Field is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit that advances women's equality in football through global camps in 72 countries, FIFA-certified referee training, Guinness World Record events, and a biennial Equality Summit, serving girls and women aged 5-64 alongside grassroots organizations and policymakers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTexas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Equal Playing Field does
Equal Playing Field (EPF) is a US-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2016-2017 that advances women's equality in football from grassroots to elite levels. It operates global football camps and training programs across 72 countries and 6 continents, delivers FIFA-certified referee training (53 referees certified to date), and convenes a biennial Equality Summit that brings together thought leaders, activists, business leaders, and policymakers. The organization has built an integrated media-communications platform around four Guinness World Records (highest elevation at Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2017, lowest elevation at the Dead Sea in 2018, most players in a 5-a-side match and most nationalities in an exhibition match in Lyon in 2019-2020, plus Deena Rahman's penalty-kicks record), supported by a feature documentary released on BEIN Sports (2017) and Apple TV (November 2021).
EPF is entirely volunteer-powered with 1-10 paid staff and does not sell a technology product. Its 'technology' footprint consists of a Squaresquarespace website, social media accounts, and standard video distribution channels. The organization serves three primary segments: girls and women aged 5-64 seeking playing, coaching, and refereeing opportunities; grassroots organizations, NGOs, and federations needing capacity-building support; and thought leaders and policymakers driving systemic change. It reports engaging 9,000+ participants, partnering with 110+ non-profits, and reaching tens of millions of social media impressions and 42 international media outlets across 12 languages.
Revenue comes from individual donations, corporate sponsorship (including via the Benevity CSR platform), foundation grants, and nominal event registration fees (e.g., 20EUR adults / 10EUR kids for Festival of Football 2019). EPF has no equity investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and operates as an independent charitable entity co-founded by Erin Blankenship, Laura Youngson, and Maggie Murphy (who is concurrently CEO of Lewes FC). Its competitive position is built on brand recognition from world records, a content library anchored by the documentary, and an ecosystem of 10-20 recurring corporate and NGO partners rather than any proprietary technology.
Equal Playing Field firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Equal Playing Field
- Legal name
- Equal Playing Field
- Website
- https://equalplayingfield.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Equal Playing Field is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit that advances women's equality in football through global camps in 72 countries, FIFA-certified referee training, Guinness World Record events, and a biennial Equality Summit, serving girls and women aged 5-64 alongside grassroots organizations and policymakers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Equal Playing Field industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women's Sport and Gender Equality Nonprofit
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens) (MPAKACAL), Amateur & Grassroots Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAH)
Keywords
Where Equal Playing Field is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Texas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Equal Playing Field business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Personal donations can be made through crowdfunding site and PayPal. The organization is a registered non-profit charity/501(c)3.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate donations through Benevity CSR donation platform and direct corporate sponsorship arrangements with companies supporting the mission.
- Event Registration: Registration fees for participation in world record events and festivals. Registration for Festival of Football 2019 was 20EUR for adults and 10EUR for kids.
- Foundation Grants: Support from private foundations to help grow and amplify the work of leaders and changemakers for girls and women in sport.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Festival of Football 2019 registration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Equal Playing Field product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Equal Playing Field is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that advances women's equality in sport through global football camps and training programs (40+ camps in 23 countries serving 9,000+ girls and women), Guinness World Record events at extreme locations to drive global media attention, FIFA-certified female referee training (53 referees), a feature documentary film distributed on Apple TV and BEIN Sports, and the biennial Equality Summit convening activists, business leaders, and policymakers. The organization is entirely volunteer-powered and funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorship, foundation grants, and nominal event registration fees.
Product overview
Equal Playing Field is a registered non-profit charity/501(c)3 organization rather than a traditional software company. The organization operates as a collective of change-makers offering a portfolio of programs including football camps and training programs across 72 countries, Guinness World Record events at extreme locations to raise visibility for gender equality, a feature documentary film released on Apple TV and BEIN Sports, the biennial Equality Summit bringing together stakeholders in women's football, and an integrated media-communications platform. These offerings work together to advance women's equality in sport from grassroots to elite levels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Football Camps and Training Programs
Quantifiable outcome
- 9000+ girls and women engaged from 6 continents (aged 5-64)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Equal Playing Field
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Equal Playing Field technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Equal Playing Field partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Women WincoreWomen Win is a global multi-dimensional women's fund guided by the vision of every girl and woman exercising their rights. They supported 102 local partners in 51 countries globally in 2021. Women Win is a presenting partner of the 2022 Equality Summit.
- XerocoreXero is a cloud accounting software company helping small businesses. They are a presenting partner of the 2022 Equality Summit, focusing on the financial viability of women's football clubs at grassroots level.
- PixstorycorePixstory is a social media app focused on creating safe spaces for expression without hate and misinformation. They presented the Thursday Evening Drinks Reception at the 2022 Equality Summit and are partnered with Paris Saint Germain Féminines, Juventus, Arsenal.
- Minute MediacoreMinute Media is a leading technology and digital content company powering sports and culture content brands including The Players' Tribune, 90min, and FanSided. They are a presenting partner of the 2022 Equality Summit.
- Lewes Football ClubcoreThe only pro or semi-pro football club in the world to value and resource female players equally to male ones. Lewes FC CEO Maggie Murphy is also EPF Co-Founder. They are the presenting partner for the 2022 Equality Summit.
- PUMAcorePUMA is a presenting partner of the 2022 Equality Summit. Known for their support of women's sport and gender equality initiatives.
- Kings College LondoncoreKings College Sport hosted the 2022 Equality Summit at their Strand Campus in London. Provided venue, hospitality, and operational support for the event.
- Women In SoccersupportingWomen In Soccer facilitated guided networking sessions during the 2022 Equality Summit, helping attendees make meaningful connections.
- Ida SportssupportingIda Sports hosted a women's pickup football event at the 2022 Equality Summit and raffled off female-specific football boots.
- Girls UnitedsupportingGirls United co-hosted the 'Play Like a Girl' open session and women's pickup football event at the 2022 Equality Summit.
- IGI InsurancesupportingIGI Insurance has supported EPF for 3 years, both financially and physically in world record attempts at Kilimanjaro, Jordan, and Lyon. The company has a 50/50 gender ratio in its global workforce and focuses on D&I initiatives.
- Discover FootballsupportingDiscover Football sees football as a way to empower women and promote intercultural understanding. Several EPF squad members have participated in their international exchanges and tournaments.
- PARK Social Soccer CosupportingAustralian/US company that believes 'passion is universal, but opportunity is not.' Provided training balls for EPF's Zambian and South African clinics.
- PitcherosupportingGlobal sports network providing clubs with website and app tools. Sponsored the EPF world record attempt and provided Pitchero Play app for capturing match highlights.
- V and V AdvertisingsupportingPartnered with EPF to host a football clinic in Palestine during International Women's Day week in March 2019.
- Pass CollectivesupportingSocial enterprise that nurtures inclusive development through creative intelligence. Partnered with EPF for the AFC Women's Day Equal Playing Field Football Festival in Bangalore, India.
- Shining Stars FCsupportingFootball club empowering young people through football. Partnered with EPF and Pass Collective for the Bangalore football festival.
- Positive Youth FoundationsupportingMidlands-based social enterprise working with around 3000 young people annually. Modeled official jerseys for EPF's 2019 World Record Match.
- Tekkers Academy BahrainsupportingDeena Rahman's academy in Bahrain coaches over 600 students including 200 girls. Deena has participated in all EPF world records and achieved her own record for most penalties in 24 hours.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Equal Playing Field competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Women Win: Global multi-dimensional women's sport fund that supported 102 local partners in 51 countries in 2021 and is a presenting partner of EPF's Equality Summit. Directly comparable mission (advancing girls and women through sport) with broader programmatic footprint.
- Lewes Football Club: The only pro/semi-pro football club globally paying female players equally to male players; co-founded by EPF co-founder Maggie Murphy. Directly comparable gender-equality-in-football mission with a club-operating model vs. EPF's advocacy model.
- Discover Football: International organization using football to empower women and promote intercultural understanding; several EPF squad members have participated in Discover Football exchanges. Direct peer in the women's-football-for-development niche.
- Soccer Without Borders: Uses soccer as a vehicle for refugee and immigrant youth inclusion; comparable sport-for-development model targeting marginalized populations through football programming and global camps.
- Women In Soccer: Network supporting women in football careers and facilitating connections across the women's football ecosystem; partnered with EPF on Equality Summit networking sessions. Comparable women's-football professional-development focus.
- Women Sports International: International advocacy organization promoting women and girls in sport at all levels; comparable mission around gender equality in sport with longer institutional history.
Emerging players
- Kick4Life: Football-for-good organization in Lesotho focused on youth health and HIV prevention. Comparable sport-for-development model with narrower geographic focus.
- Common Goal: Movement led by Juan Mata mobilizing football professionals to pledge a percentage of income to football-for-good initiatives; comparable sport-for-development model with a different (player-pledge) funding mechanism.
Broad incumbents
- Girl Effect: Larger, better-funded global organization empowering girls through media, mobile, and partnerships; comparable gender-equality mission but broader (not sport-specific) and significantly larger scale.
- International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG): Global umbrella network advocating for gender equity in sport with representation from 400+ organizations worldwide; broader, more institutional version of EPF's advocacy mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Equal Playing Field social profiles
Digital presenceEqual Playing Field financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Equal Playing Field leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Equal Playing Field funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Equal Playing Field 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 Equal Playing Field
What does Equal Playing Field do?
Equal Playing Field is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that advances women's equality in sport through global football camps and training programs (40+ camps in 23 countries serving 9,000+ girls and women), Guinness World Record events at extreme locations to drive global media attention, FIFA-certified female referee training (53 referees), a feature documentary film distributed on Apple TV and BEIN Sports, and the biennial Equality Summit convening activists, business leaders, and policymakers. The organization is entirely volunteer-powered and funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorship, foundation grants, and nominal event registration fees.
Is Equal Playing Field a public or private company?
Equal Playing Field is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Equal Playing Field founded?
Equal Playing Field was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Equal Playing Field based?
Equal Playing Field is headquartered in Texas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Equal Playing Field make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship, event Registration and foundation Grants.
Who are Equal Playing Field's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Women Win, Lewes Football Club, Discover Football, Soccer Without Borders, Women In Soccer and Women Sports International. Emerging players are Kick4Life and Common Goal. Broad incumbents are Girl Effect and International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG).
Does Equal Playing Field have an API?
No public API is recorded for Equal Playing Field.
What industry is Equal Playing Field in?
Equal Playing Field's product category is Women's Sport and Gender Equality Nonprofit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAFAF, Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs), with a secondary code of MPAKACAL, Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens). Its NAICS code is 611620 and its SIC code is 8200.