What The Adventure Project does

The Adventure Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in November 2010 by Becky Straw and Jody Landers, headquartered in New York with 11–50 employees. Its operating model centers on fundraising from U.S.-based individual donors, corporate partners, and foundations, then channeling capital to a curated portfolio of local partner organizations across seven African countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Togo, Malawi, Tanzania) that implement job-creation programs in four verticals: Climate (clean cookstove artisans), Health (community health workers), Hunger (small-scale farmers with irrigation), and Water (water kiosk entrepreneurs and well caretakers).

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its "product" is a programmatic job-creation intervention priced in impact units ($1.15 reaches one person, $1,200 funds one job serving approximately 500 community members). Operations are supported by standard nonprofit infrastructure: Salesforce CRM, MailChimp/ActiveCampaign email, Stripe/PayPal/FundraiseUp for donation processing, WebFlow for the website, and QuickBooks for accounting. Programmatic tools include peer-to-peer fundraising via Donor Support, matching-gift search via Double the Donation, and crypto donations via Every.org.

The revenue model is donation-based with three primary streams: individual donations ($453K in FY2024 across 5,416 gifts), corporate partnerships ($438K including $310K in multi-year Women's Fund pledges through 2030), and foundation grants ($40K). FY2024 total revenue was $933,126, marking the sixth consecutive year of fundraising growth. Cumulative program impact since founding includes 2,675 jobs created serving 2.9 million people. Customer concentration is split between a long tail of individual donors (including 400+ monthly Collective members) and a small number of large corporate anchors, with Catbird's $500K commitment representing the single largest multi-year pledge.

Name

The Adventure Project

Legal name

Adventure Project, Corp

Website

https://theadventureproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Adventure Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that raises donations in the U.S. to fund job-creation programs across seven African countries in climate (clean cookstoves), health (community health workers), hunger (small-scale farmers), and water (kiosk entrepreneurs), partnering with vetted local organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals making one-time or recurring monthly gifts. FY2024 saw $453K from individuals across 5,416 donations. Monthly donors (The Collective) provide sustainable recurring revenue.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including multi-year pledges. FY2024 saw $40K from foundations.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships, employee giving programs, matching gifts, and custom brand partnerships. FY2024 saw $438K including $310K in committed multi-year pledges for Women's Fund through 2030.
4. E-commerce Product Sales: Sale of Gifts That Give products including charcoal soap, votive candles, and hand sanitizer through the Adventure Project Shop. Products sourced from partners like APOTHEKE.
5. Donor-Advised Fund & Stock Donations: Acceptance of DAF donations, stock donations, and cryptocurrency through partners like Every.org.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Adventure Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds job-creation programs to lift people out of extreme poverty in Africa. It accepts individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships, then channels the funds to vetted local partner organizations in six countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Togo, Malawi, Tanzania) that train and employ community health workers, smallholder farmers, water kiosk entrepreneurs, and clean cookstove artisans. The organization also runs an e-commerce shop selling Gifts That Give products and a Women's Fund ensuring at least 50% of partner organizations are female-founded.

Product overview

The Adventure Project is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of job creation programs aimed at ending extreme poverty in Africa. The core offering consists of donation-based programs including the Collective Monthly Giving Program (recurring donations funding sustainable jobs), Create a Job (direct job sponsorship), and Fundraise (individual/team campaigns). These fund four program verticals: Climate/Clean Cookstove Artisans (manufacturing and selling fuel-efficient stoves), Health/Community Health Workers (maternal and child healthcare provision), Hunger/Small-Scale Farmers (irrigation and agricultural tools), and Water/Water Kiosk Entrepreneurs (clean water treatment and distribution). Additional offerings include a Women's Fund supporting female-founded organizations, Corporate Brand Partnerships for businesses, and a Shop selling charcoal-themed products. The organization partners with local enterprises including Mukuru Clean Stoves, KickStart International, Saha Global, Integrate Health, Living Goods, Water For People, and Yamba Malawi to implement programs across Kenya, Ghana, Togo, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Malawi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Fund: A fund to ensure at least 50% of partners are female-founded, supporting women leaders running transformative organizations in Africa.

Products and services

• Collective Monthly Giving Program A monthly recurring donation program where donors join The Collective to create sustainable jobs in Africa. Members choose a giving amount (e.g., $100/month creates a new job, $25 feeds a family) and receive monthly Good Jobs Report emails with impact updates.
• Create a Job A donation offering where donors directly fund the hiring of an entrepreneur in Africa. Donors choose a program area (Health, Hunger, Water, Climate) and are matched to the individual hired, receiving updates on their progress within 12-18 months.
• Fundraise Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns enabling individuals and teams to raise money to create jobs. Includes the #FillHerFactory campaign supporting Mukuru Clean Stoves stove artisans and briquette makers.
• Climate - Clean Cookstove Artisans Program Job creation program training local stove masons and artisans in Kenya and Tanzania to manufacture and sell fuel-efficient clean cookstoves from recycled metals. Each stove reduces 1 ton of black carbon per year and saves 6 trees.
• Health - Community Health Workers Program Training program for women to become Community Health Workers who provide prenatal care, child health services, and distribute health products door-to-door in Uganda, Kenya, and Togo. Each CHW serves approximately 800 people and reduces child mortality by 25%.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,675 jobs created serving 2.9 million people
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary, major and minor.

• Mukuru Clean StovescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2024First woman-owned factory in East Africa designing and manufacturing affordable clean cookstoves from recycled metals. Founded by Charlot Magayi. TAP helped fund new 3,000 sq ft factory in Homa Bay, Kenya creating 500 jobs for artisans and briquette makers.
• Lingua Franca NYCsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2024Earth Day collaboration raised awareness about environmental responsibility. Donated $100 from every sweater purchase to give 5 women in Kenya new cookstoves. Included live Q&A at NYC store.
• KickStart InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner equipping farmers with irrigation pumps in Kenya. Farmers use pumps on own land and rent to neighbors, creating sustainable income. Program expanded to Rwanda in 2024 with goal of 270 farmers by end of 2026.
• Saha GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for water treatment business owners in Ghana. Women entrepreneurs learn to treat surface water using locally-available materials to provide safe, affordable drinking water to communities.
• Living GoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner training Community Health Workers in Uganda and Kenya. CHWs go door-to-door teaching families health practices and selling life-changing products.
• Integrate HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner training Community Health Workers in Togo. Focus on reducing child mortality through healthcare access in communities with only 9% basic healthcare access.
• Water For PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner training water operators and engineers to manage and build piped water systems in Uganda.
• Yamba MalawicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner mentoring farmers and equipping them with drought-resistant seeds in Malawi.
• Energy 4 ImpactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner training and mentoring stove masons in Kenya and Tanzania to manufacture and sell fuel-efficient cookstoves locally.
• Merrill Lynch, Bank of AmericamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLead sponsor of Spring Gala in NYC. Crafted exclusive VIP experiences for 20 employees and clients to engage with TAP mission and impact.
• American ExpresssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCenturion (Black) Card Members given opportunity to make donations to TAP among three nonprofits dedicated to supporting small businesses globally.
• APOTKEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing charcoal votive candle and soap as free thank-you gift for active fundraisers.
• WolfoooodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner collaborating with TAP.
• A Street InvestmentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner collaborating with TAP.
• Jaxen GreyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner collaborating with TAP.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GiveDirectly: Direct peer — nonprofit that delivers cash transfers directly to people in extreme poverty. Comparable in operational geographies (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda) and donor base, with a focus on dignified economic empowerment that parallels TAP's job-creation thesis.
• charity: water: Direct peer — nonprofit focused on clean water access in developing countries using a similar transparent-impact storytelling and donor-sponsorship model. Highly relevant because TAP's CEO Becky Straw was an early employee of charity: water and TAP explicitly uses the same vetted-local-partner playbook.
• Partners In Health: Direct peer — nonprofit delivering healthcare in low-resource settings through community health workers. Closely aligned with TAP's Health vertical (Integrate Health and Living Goods CHW programs in Togo, Uganda, Kenya), especially its emphasis on employing local women as health workers.
• Heifer International: Direct peer — nonprofit that ends hunger and poverty by providing livestock and training to smallholder farmers. Highly comparable to TAP's Hunger vertical (KickStart irrigation pumps for small-scale farmers) and uses a similar "pass on the gift" job-creation model.
• WaterAid: Direct peer — international nonprofit focused exclusively on clean water access, sanitation, and hygiene. Overlaps with TAP's Water vertical (water kiosk entrepreneurs in Ghana, well caretakers in Uganda) and competes for the same donor pool interested in water solutions in Africa.
• Water for People: Direct peer — international nonprofit ensuring lasting access to safe water and sanitation. Directly comparable to TAP's Water vertical since Water for People is also a TAP implementation partner (training water operators and engineers in Uganda), making it both peer and partner.
• Kiva: Direct peer — nonprofit lending platform that funds entrepreneurs in developing countries via crowdfunded microloans. Operates the same job-creation/dignity-of-work thesis as TAP across overlapping geographies (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) and uses a similar direct-to-consumer donor experience.
• Acumen: Direct peer — nonprofit impact investor that funds early-stage social enterprises serving the poor. Comparable in its focus on building sustainable livelihoods rather than aid, and in supporting female-founded enterprises across Africa and South Asia.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Broad incumbent — large international humanitarian and development NGO with programs in food security, water, health, and economic recovery across Africa. Comparable in mission scope and donor audience to TAP, but at significantly larger scale and with direct field operations.
• World Vision: Broad incumbent — one of the largest international development NGOs, operating child sponsorship, health, water, and economic development programs across Africa. Comparable to TAP at the sector and donor-overlap level, but operates at vastly greater scale and as a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ad_venturepro
• Facebookfacebook.com/theadventureproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/theadventureproject

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Adventure Project