ActionAid
ActionAid International is a 1972-founded global nonprofit federation headquartered in Johannesburg, operating across 45+ countries to advance women's rights, climate justice, tax/debt reform, and emergency humanitarian response through country offices and civil-society partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersChard, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ActionAid does
ActionAid International is a global nonprofit federation founded in 1972, registered in the Netherlands and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with regional offices in London, New York and Brussels. The organization operates through a federation of 45+ country offices spanning Africa (18+ countries), Asia (11+), Europe (8+), the Americas (4+) and Oceania, delivering programs through locally rooted teams in partnership with civil society organizations. Its work is organized around four programmatic pillars: Women's Rights, Politics and Economics (tax justice, debt relief, public services), Land and Climate, and Emergencies Response.
ActionAid's core 'products' are programmatic initiatives and advocacy publications rather than commercial offerings. Major initiatives include the Combatting Modern Slavery Project in Ghana and Ethiopia (launched 2021 with NORAD funding), the #HerStory anti-slavery campaign, and concurrent emergency responses (Ebola in DRC, Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire monitoring, Thailand floods). Research output is substantive, including 'How the Finance Flows' (2024, documenting US$677 billion in Global South subsidies to climate-destructive sectors), 'The Vicious Cycle' (2023, on debt–climate linkages), 'Who Owes Who?' (2025) and 'Still Cooking With a Failed Recipe' (2026, an IMF policy critique across 11 countries). Technology is described as programmatic rather than technology development; no AI, SaaS, API, SDK or proprietary software products are disclosed.
The revenue model is charitable: ActionAid raises funds through individual donations, institutional grants (notably NORAD, DANIDA and government partners), and multi-year programmatic funding. Pricing is non-commercial — donations are solicited via actionaid.org/donate. The organization has 501–1000 employees, does not disclose revenue, and operates without a parent company under a governance-based federation structure. Customer concentration risk sits on the institutional donor side (NORAD named explicitly), while beneficiaries span vulnerable populations, women, youth, and survivors of modern slavery across the Global South.
ActionAid firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ActionAid
- Legal name
- ActionAid International
- Website
- https://actionaid.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- ActionAid International is a 1972-founded global nonprofit federation headquartered in Johannesburg, operating across 45+ countries to advance women's rights, climate justice, tax/debt reform, and emergency humanitarian response through country offices and civil-society partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ActionAid industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Humanitarian Aid and Development
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Humanitarian Health Coordination & Emergency Response Partnerships (HLAJAOAI)
Keywords
Where ActionAid is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chard
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
ActionAid business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: ActionAid generates revenue through charitable donations from individuals, institutional funding from governments, and grants from development partners such as NORAD. The organization operates as a non-profit federation with country-level offices receiving funding for specific programs and emergencies.
- Programmatic Funding: The Combatting Modern Slavery Project in Ghana and Ethiopia was funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) from 2021 to 2023, demonstrating the organization's reliance on multi-year institutional grants for specific initiatives.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
ActionAid product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ActionAid International is a global non-governmental federation that delivers humanitarian programs, advocacy campaigns, and policy research across four pillars: Women's Rights, Politics and Economics, Land and Climate, and Emergencies Response. The organization runs standalone initiatives such as the Combatting Modern Slavery Project and emergency appeals (e.g., DRC Ebola response), produces research publications on debt, tax, and climate justice, and distributes community toolkits. Funding is raised from individual donors, institutional grants (e.g., NORAD), and governments; beneficiaries are vulnerable populations in 45+ countries.
Product overview
ActionAid International is a global federation working for a world free from poverty and injustice. The organization operates through four main programmatic areas: Women's Rights (including gender-based violence protection and women's economic empowerment), Politics and Economics (tax justice, public services, debt relief advocacy), Land and Climate (environmental justice, climate adaptation, agroecology), and Emergencies Response (humanitarian response to crises). The organization also produces research publications and tools including reports on IMF policy critique, climate finance, and tax justice, as well as practical resources like the Tax Justice Reflection Action Toolkit. Key campaigns include the Combatting Modern Slavery project and the #HerStory anti-slavery campaign. ActionAid does not offer a technology product or SaaS platform; it operates as a nonprofit federation conducting advocacy, publishing research, and implementing humanitarian programs through country offices worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Women's Rights Programs Core programmatic pillar focused on women's rights, including protection from gender-based violence, women's economic empowerment, and promoting women's leadership and participation in decision-making. Programs target women and girls in vulnerable communities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
- Politics and Economics Programs Advocacy and programs focused on tax justice, public services, debt relief, and economic policies that benefit people living in poverty. Includes research and policy engagement on IMF policies, progressive taxation, and sovereign debt sustainability.
- Land and Climate Programs Environmental justice initiatives including climate adaptation, agroecology, land rights, and supporting communities to transition to sustainable practices. Includes global climate finance advocacy and adaptation/resilience programming.
- Emergencies Response Humanitarian response to crises including natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflicts, with focus on protecting vulnerable populations. Includes emergency fundraising appeals, on-the-ground relief delivery, and post-crisis recovery support.
- Combatting Modern Slavery Project Multi-country initiative targeting the decrease in scale and prevalence of modern slavery through government partnerships, business accountability, and survivor support. Implemented in Ghana (12 districts, agribusiness focus with Ghana Agricultural Workers' Union) and Ethiopia (with Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organisations), with global advocacy via Feminists for a Binding Treaty and C190 Campaign Alliance.
- Tax Justice Reflection Action Toolkit (TJ-RATK) Community empowerment toolkit designed to help communities understand tax justice issues and engage in advocacy. Available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, the toolkit supports ActionAid's tax justice campaigns and civil society capacity building.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50 million people reached through programs addressing modern slavery globally
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ActionAid
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ActionAid technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ActionAid partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Education InternationalcoreEducation International co-sponsored the 'Still Cooking With a Failed Recipe' report on IMF advice on social spending, public services, debt, tax and gender equality, working alongside ActionAid and Tax and Education Alliance.
- Tax and Education AlliancecoreThe Tax and Education Alliance co-sponsored the IMF report along with ActionAid and Education International, bringing together expertise on taxation and education policy.
- Rosa Luxemburg StiftungcoreRosa Luxemburg Stiftung collaborates with ActionAid India to organize the Urban Action School 2026 at Mahatma Gandhi University, focusing on urban governance and citizen participation.
- Wefaq Association for Women and Child CarecoreWefaq is ActionAid's partner organization in Gaza, providing psychotherapeutic support to women and children affected by conflict. The organization has been impacted by funding cuts and continues to serve vulnerable populations.
- Ghana Agricultural Workers' UnioncoreThe main implementing partner for the Combatting Modern Slavery project in Ghana, working across 12 districts with particular focus on the agribusiness sector to prevent human trafficking, forced labour and worst forms of child labour.
- Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights OrganisationscorePartner organization in Ethiopia working alongside ActionAid and other organizations to address modern slavery, human trafficking, and worker rights in the country.
- Feminists for a Binding TreatyminorGlobal advocacy partner at the international level for the Combatting Modern Slavery project's campaigning and advocacy dimension, pushing for ratification of measures protecting rights to decent work.
- C190 Campaign AllianceminorGlobal campaign alliance working with ActionAid International to advocate for universal ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the workplace.
- Publish What You Pay AustraliacoreActionAid Australia is a key member of Publish What You Pay, working together to bring greater transparency and accountability to the mining, gas and oil sectors with a focus on companies operating overseas.
- World Health Organization (WHO)minorWHO declared the Ebola outbreak in DRC a public health emergency of international concern, coordinating with aid groups including ActionAid on response efforts.
- ActionAid NigeriacoreActionAid Nigeria is the country office that released the IMF report findings along with ActionAid International, focusing on debt burden analysis and advocacy for social spending in Nigeria.
- Networks of Women and Youth Groups in DRCcoreActionAid works with networks of women and youth groups in Ituri province to address gaps identified in Ebola response assessments, providing information, protection services, and community-led response.
- Clement Isong FoundationcoreThe Clement Isong Foundation collaborated with the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources and ActionAid Nigeria to organize a roundtable on green jobs and climate policy in Akwa Ibom State.
- Government of GhanacoreActionAid Ghana called for stronger partnerships among stakeholders to address water access, gender inequality, and climate change during an event for World Water Day 2026 in Tamale.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ActionAid competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CARE International: Major humanitarian and development federation with comparable women's empowerment focus, emergency response capacity, and federation-of-country-offices structure serving similar vulnerable populations across Africa and Asia.
- BRAC: Large international development organization with federation-style multi-country presence, comparable focus on women's economic empowerment, poverty alleviation, and community-led programming across the Global South.
- International Rescue Committee: Direct peer in humanitarian crisis response with active operations in DRC, Gaza, and similar conflict-affected contexts; competes for the same UN, ECHO, and US government emergency funding streams.
- Oxfam International: Largest comparable international NGO federation with country offices delivering poverty alleviation, women's rights, and emergency response across similar geographies and donor bases; operates a comparable confederation model with differentiated national affiliates.
- Plan International: Direct peer on girls' rights and gender equality programming, with similar federation structure, comparable country footprint, and overlapping donor base focused on women's and adolescent empowerment.
Broad incumbents
- Save the Children: Significantly larger international NGO focused on children's rights and emergency response, competing for the same institutional donor pool and overlapping on humanitarian programming in conflict-affected countries.
- World Vision International: Faith-inspired humanitarian organization with comparable multi-country federation model and emergency response capacity, though with broader child-focused mandate; competes for similar institutional and individual donor pools.
- Mercy Corps: Major humanitarian and economic development NGO with overlapping emergency response, climate adaptation, and youth employment programming; comparable scale and similar donor mix of institutional grants and individual giving.
Emerging players
- Anti-Slavery International: Specialist NGO focused on modern slavery and human trafficking — a direct comparator for ActionAid's Combatting Modern Slavery Project, operating in overlapping geographies and advocating for ILO Convention 190 ratification.
- Tax Justice Network: Closely aligned advocacy organization on tax justice and illicit financial flows, with which ActionAid co-publishes research and jointly campaigns on debt and climate finance issues targeting Global South governments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ActionAid social profiles
Digital presenceActionAid financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ActionAid leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
ActionAid funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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ActionAid 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 ActionAid
What does ActionAid do?
ActionAid International is a global non-governmental federation that delivers humanitarian programs, advocacy campaigns, and policy research across four pillars: Women's Rights, Politics and Economics, Land and Climate, and Emergencies Response. The organization runs standalone initiatives such as the Combatting Modern Slavery Project and emergency appeals (e.g., DRC Ebola response), produces research publications on debt, tax, and climate justice, and distributes community toolkits. Funding is raised from individual donors, institutional grants (e.g., NORAD), and governments; beneficiaries are vulnerable populations in 45+ countries.
Is ActionAid a public or private company?
ActionAid is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ActionAid founded?
ActionAid was founded in 1972. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is ActionAid based?
ActionAid is headquartered in Chard, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ActionAid make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are programmatic Funding.
Who are ActionAid's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CARE International, BRAC, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam International and Plan International. Broad incumbents are Save the Children, World Vision International and Mercy Corps. Emerging players are Anti-Slavery International and Tax Justice Network.
Does ActionAid have an API?
No public API is recorded for ActionAid.
What industry is ActionAid in?
ActionAid's product category is International Humanitarian Aid and Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAKAD, International & Local Implementing NGOs, with a secondary code of HLAJAKAE, Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8300.