Reach for Change

What Reach for Change does

Reach for Change is a Swedish-registered non-profit foundation (Stiftelse, organizational number 802426-5590) founded in January 2010, originally under the name 'Playing for Change' before rebranding in 2012. Headquartered at Skeppsbron 18 in Stockholm, the organization operates regional offices in Sweden, Ethiopia (10-year anniversary in 2026), Ghana, and the Baltics, and supports social entrepreneurs across 18+ countries whose ventures address challenges affecting children, youth, and vulnerable groups. Its core product is the Toolkits Platform (toolkits.reachforchange.org), a web-based resource center organized around development stages (Proof of Concept to Scaling Readiness) and modules including Effective Solution, Financial Sustainability, Leadership & Team, and Systems Change, with design thinking methodologies integrated throughout. Beyond the digital toolkit, the organization runs fellowship and accelerator programs such as the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship (with grants up to USD 60,000) and partners with Village Capital, FMO, and RVO on the USD 4 million Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility, which has deployed equity and debt investments into Ghana-based startups including Rivia Clinics and VDL Fulfilment.

Reach for Change does not charge social entrepreneurs for its programs and is funded through grants, donations, and institutional partnerships rather than product revenue. Key partners include the Mastercard Foundation, FMO (Dutch development bank), Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), JPMorganChase (via the Ignite Nordic partnership), Vinnova (the Swedish innovation agency that created the Toolkits Platform), and the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, plus regulatory affiliations with Svensk Insamlingskontroll (holding a 90-account) and Giva Sverige. The organization is GDPR-compliant, conducts bi-annual external audits, and reports annually via its Social Impact Report. As a non-profit foundation, Reach for Change has no parent company, subsidiaries, public ticker, or disclosed funding rounds; its governance is overseen by a Board of Trustees chaired by Cristina Stenbeck, with Sofia Breitholtz as CEO.

Name

Reach for Change

Legal name

Reach for Change

Website

https://reachforchange.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reach for Change is a Swedish non-profit foundation founded in 2010 that supports social entrepreneurs across 18+ countries through regional offices (Sweden, Ethiopia, Ghana, Baltics), grant-funded fellowship programs, and a public Toolkits Platform serving ventures addressing challenges for children, youth, and vulnerable groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Social Entrepreneurship Support

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Accelerator / Incubator-Backed ETA Programs (FSANALAD), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Social entrepreneurship support
• Non-profit accelerator programs
• Entrepreneur development toolkits
• Impact investment facilitation
• Foundation grant funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant-Based Programs: As a non-profit organization, Reach for Change primarily operates through grant funding and donations rather than revenue-generating activities. The organization provides grants to social entrepreneurs and manages investment facilities for early-stage startups.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reach for Change operates as a non-profit accelerator and ecosystem builder that supports social entrepreneurs with grants, mentorship, and a structured online toolkit. Its programs span four regional hubs (Sweden, Ethiopia, Ghana, Baltics) and include the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship and the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility, a USD 4M investment vehicle. The organization does not charge entrepreneurs for participation; funding is sourced from foundations, development banks, and corporate sponsors.

Product overview

Reach for Change is a global non-profit organization that operates as a platform organization with multiple product and program offerings. The core product is the Toolkits Platform (https://toolkits.reachforchange.org), a web-based resource center for social entrepreneurs that includes design thinking tools, development stage resources, and four key framework modules: Effective Solution, Financial Sustainability, Leadership & Team, and Systems Change. Additional offerings include the EdTech Fellowship Program in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, and the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (a USD 4M investment fund managed by Village Capital).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toolkits Platform A web-based resource center providing tools, resources, milestones, and action points for social entrepreneurs developing sustainable ventures, covering design thinking, impact measurement, financial sustainability, leadership, and systems change across Proof of Concept, Scaling Readiness, and Impact at Scale stages.
• EdTech Fellowship Program Fellowship program in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation supporting early-stage education technology companies, providing grants of up to USD 60,000, demo-day exposure, and investor matchmaking.
• Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility USD 4M pilot investment vehicle providing equity and debt capital to early-stage African startups, including Ghana-based ventures such as Rivia Clinics (USD 200K) and VDL Fulfilment (USD 150K).

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.9 million children, youth and vulnerable groups reached
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Ministry of Education (Ethiopia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEthiopian Ministry of Education partnered with Reach for Change Ethiopia to co-organize the High-Level EdTech Demo Day and Investment Forum celebrating Reach for Change Ethiopia's 10th anniversary.
• Ignite NordicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership between Reach for Change and Ignite Nordic, with support from JPMorganChase, to help underserved entrepreneurs in Sweden access resources and support.
• Svensk InsamlingskontrollcoreOthersSwedish fundraising control organization that validates Reach for Change. The organization holds a 90-account, complying with requirements for trustworthy fundraising policies and processes.
• Giva SverigemajorOthersReach for Change is a member of Giva Sverige (Swedish Fundraising Association), complying with their Quality Code for best practice governance of charitable organizations including transparency and ethical standards.
• VinnovaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish government agency supporting innovation that created the Reach for Change toolkits platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Impact Hub: Impact Hub operates a global network of innovation hubs supporting social entrepreneurs - comparable to Reach for Change's regional offices in Sweden, Ethiopia, Ghana, and the Baltics with shared tooling and accelerator programming.
• Village Capital: Village Capital runs entrepreneur development programs and manages the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility alongside Reach for Change - they are both peer and active partner, sharing identical thesis on early-stage social venture development.
• NESst: NESst supports social enterprises across emerging markets with enterprise development, impact investment, and capacity building - directly comparable to Reach for Change in mission and emerging-market depth.
• Echoing Green: Echoing Green runs fellowship programs for early-stage social entrepreneurs globally - directly comparable to Reach for Change's Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship and Change Leader model.
• Yunus Social Business: Yunus Social Business supports social enterprises addressing poverty through entrepreneurship, with programs in Africa and Latin America - comparable to Reach for Change in social business model and multi-region emerging-market focus.
• Acumen: Acumen combines patient capital investment with Acumen Academy for social entrepreneurs - directly comparable to Reach for Change's blend of grantmaking, capital facilities (Africa Ecosystem Catalysts), and entrepreneur curriculum.
• Ashoka: Ashoka is the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs ('Ashoka Fellows'), directly comparable to Reach for Change in mission, entrepreneur selection model, and global multi-region presence.

Broad incumbents

• Skoll Foundation: Skoll Foundation funds and profiles leading social entrepreneurs worldwide via the Skoll Award and supports platforms like WorldConference - a broader incumbent operating at significantly larger scale than Reach for Change.
• Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: Hosted by the World Economic Forum, Schwab Foundation runs a global Social Innovators network - a broader, deeper-pocketed incumbent in the same social entrepreneurship ecosystem-builder category.

Regional players

• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Tony Elumelu Foundation's Entrepreneurship Programme identifies and funds African entrepreneurs - comparable to Reach for Change's Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility and EdTech Fellowship in supporting early-stage African founders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQVt60yMMgIrthragSp3jjg
• Facebookfacebook.com/reachforchangeorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reach-for-change
• Instagraminstagram.com/reachforchange
• Xx.com/reachforchange_

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Reach for Change