Golden West Humanitarian Foundation

What Golden West Humanitarian Foundation does

Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 and headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, that delivers humanitarian mine action services to governments and security forces in post-conflict countries. The organization operates across Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM), Military Explosives of Concern (MEC) handling, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance, serving national militaries, police forces, and civilian agencies in 24 countries across Asia, the Pacific, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

The foundation's technical portfolio rests on proprietary hardware and process IP: the Mobile Ordnance Disposal System (MODS), a patent-pending tool for separating electronics from energetics in complex munitions without detonation; the Mobile Cutting System (MCS), a remotely operated bandsaw compatible with 23,000+ ordnance types; and the Explosive Harvesting Program (EHP), a closed-loop system that converts decommissioned ordnance into standardized demolition charges and has supplied over 500,000 charges to the Cambodian Mine Action Centre. The Applied Technology Training Center (ATTC) in Cambodia — replicated in the Philippines in 2023 — functions as the organization's flagship R&D and training campus. Golden West also runs the Quick Reaction Force, deployable globally within 48 hours for Conventional Weapons Destruction emergencies, and operates a sub-brand, Swim for Life Vietnam, for drowning prevention.

The revenue model is grant- and donation-based rather than commercial. Funding flows primarily from US federal sources — State Department PM/WRA, the US Humanitarian Demining R&D Program (HDR&D), US Army Humanitarian Demining R&D, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Department of Defense — supplemented by charitable donations routed through PayPal. The organization sells no products at retail; MODS is manufactured and commercialized by a third party (Heartland Technologies LLC). Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and services are delivered through long-term government partnerships and field programs staffed by country managers rather than through traditional sales channels.

Name

Golden West Humanitarian Foundation

Legal name

Golden West Humanitarian Foundation

Website

http://goldenwesthf.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers humanitarian mine action, EOD training, and physical security and stockpile management programs to governments and security forces in post-conflict countries across roughly two dozen nations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Mine Action Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mine Action & Explosive Ordnance Risk Reduction (EOD/ERW) (BPADAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Humanitarian mine action
• Explosive ordnance disposal
• Stockpile management services
• Demining training programs
• Mine clearance equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodland Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary funding from government grants including the US Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) and the US Humanitarian Demining Research and Development Program (HDR&D).
2. Program Delivery Contracts: Contractual agreements with government agencies and international organizations for delivery of EOD training, PSSM capacity building, and humanitarian demining programs.
3. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting the organization's humanitarian mission. Tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers humanitarian mine action services worldwide, including EOD training to IMAS standards, physical security and stockpile management (PSSM), Military Explosives of Concern (MEC) survey and clearance, and the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) emergency response deployable within 48 hours. The foundation also develops proprietary disposal tools (MODS, Mobile Cutting System) and operates the Explosive Harvesting Program that produces demolition charges from decommissioned ordnance.

Product overview

Golden West Humanitarian Foundation operates as a nonprofit humanitarian organization offering an integrated portfolio of humanitarian mine action solutions. The core offering includes two proprietary disposal products—MODS (Mobile Ordnance Disposal System) and MCS (Mobile Cutting System)—which represent safer, more cost-effective alternatives to open detonation. Supporting these hardware products is the Explosive Harvesting Program, which produces demolition charges from decommissioned ordnance. The service portfolio encompasses training & capacity building, Physical Security & Stockpile Management (PSSM), Quick Reaction Force (QRF) emergency response, Military Explosives of Concern (MEC) handling, and Public Safety services. These are delivered through the Applied Technology Training Center (ATTC) in Cambodia, with operations spanning Asia, the Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Swim for Life Vietnam: A drowning prevention program providing survival swimming lessons, water safety education, and community awareness campaigns in Vietnam. Has provided lessons to almost 18,000 children in Quang Binh and Quang Tri Province since 2014.

Products and services

• Mobile Ordnance Disposal System (MODS) A specialized render-safe tool for expert EOD operators that selectively separates electronics from energetics in first-seen or complex munitions without initiating detonation. Incorporates the Non-Explosive Disposal System (NEDS) thermal torch component.
• Mobile Cutting System (MCS) A modified heavy-duty bandsaw with enhanced cooling that remotely cuts fuzes from explosive bodies, separating initiating elements from main charges without detonation risk. Compatible with 23,000+ ordnance types and handles items up to MK84 general purpose bomb size.
• Explosive Harvesting Program (EHP) A grant-funded closed-loop system that recovers and processes explosive material from decommissioned ordnance to produce standardized demolition charges for humanitarian mine action operations.
• Training and Capacity Building Services Comprehensive EOD and PSSM training programs delivered to military, police, and civilians worldwide. Includes IMAS-compliant Level 1-3 EOD training, humanitarian mine action survey and clearance techniques, demolition range safety, post-blast investigation, and instructor development.
• Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) Comprehensive ammunition management programs including stockpile assessments, infrastructure improvements, SOP development, regulatory reform, and hands-on training, delivered to defense forces worldwide.
• Quick Reaction Force (QRF) PM/WRA's primary first-response capability for Conventional Weapons Destruction emergencies, deployable worldwide within 48 hours. Provides emergency munitions response, needs assessments, and technical reporting for follow-on programming.
• Military Explosives of Concern (MEC) Handling End-to-end Military Explosives of Concern (MEC) capability including survey, hazard identification, remediation, and safe disposal of UXO, Discarded Military Munitions (DMM), and Munitions Constituents (MC). Operates to both MEC and IMAS Battlefield Area Clearance standards.
• Public Safety Services EOD training and advisory services for police forces, border agencies, and civilian emergency services, including post-blast investigation techniques, case management, arms management best practices, and organizational design advisory.
• Applied Technology Training Center (ATTC) Flagship R&D and training facility in Cambodia developed with the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC). Provides detection lanes with five soil types, EOD training ranges, inert ordnance, and explosive testing areas that support evaluation and refinement of new detection equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ explosive charges supplied to CMAC for landmine and UXO destruction
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

AI capability1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, regional and academic.

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian organization working on humanitarian demining and explosive hazard mitigation.
• Oklahoma State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partner with OSU's Institute for Global Explosive Hazard Mitigation. Golden West mentors EOD doctoral students and assists in field testing and research of innovation concepts. Partnership includes Demining Research Community work on drone/machine learning UXO detection achieving 92% detection rate.
• Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolden West developed the Applied Technology Training Center in conjunction with CMAC. Primary recipient of explosive charges from the Explosive Harvesting Program.
• US Marine Corps Forces PacificmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary partner in the Asia-Pacific region for humanitarian mine action cooperation.
• US Army PacificmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional military partner for humanitarian mine action in the Pacific.
• US European CommandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUCOM supports PSSM programs including Albania initiatives.
• US Indo-Pacific CommandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeographic combatant command supporting humanitarian mine action in the Indo-Pacific region.
• United NationsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN agencies engaged in humanitarian demining and explosive hazard management.
• UNOPSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Office for Project Services supporting humanitarian mine action implementation.
• Thai Mine Action CenterregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational mine action center in Thailand for regional cooperation.
• Vietnam National Mine Action CenterregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational mine action coordination body in Vietnam for clearance operations and training.
• Ammunition Management and Advisory Team (AMAT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational technical body supporting ammunition management best practices and IATG implementation.
• Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational center providing standards, guidance, and support for humanitarian demining operations.
• Albanian Armed ForcesregionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational military receiving PSSM capacity building and UXO clearance support.
• Armed Forces of MoldovaregionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational military receiving PSSM program support and technical assistance.
• Defense Forces of GeorgiaregionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational military receiving PSSM capacity building and technical advisory services.
• Republic of Fiji Military ForcesregionalImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPacific island nation military receiving EOD training support.
• American Public University SystemacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for EOD education and research.
• MITacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration on technology and research initiatives.
• New Mexico Tech Explosives EngineeringacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for explosives engineering education and research.
• University of Maryland - Study of Terrorism and Responses to TerrorismacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting counter-terrorism and security research.
• University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business SchoolacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for global impact and sustainable business initiatives.
• Villanova UniversityacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for EOD education and training programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DanChurchAid (DCA): Danish humanitarian NGO running mine action and PSSM programs in fragile states. Comparable in service mix (clearance, EOD training, stockpile management) and donor ecosystem, particularly across Eastern European and African programs.
• Norwegian People's Aid (NPA): Major international humanitarian demining and PSSM operator with programs across Africa, Asia, the Balkans and Caucasus. Comparable in mission, geographic footprint, and operational delivery to Golden West's EOD and stockpile management offerings.
• APOPO: NGO specializing in humanitarian demining using detection rats combined with emerging technology, plus TB detection research. Comparable as a humanitarian mine action innovator developing novel detection methods, with similar donor base and operational model.
• The HALO Trust: World's largest humanitarian mine action NGO, operating clearance, EOD training and stockpile management programs across dozens of post-conflict countries — directly comparable to Golden West in mission, donor base, and beneficiary countries (Cambodia, Solomon Islands, etc.).
• Mines Advisory Group (MAG): Leading humanitarian mine action and SALW organization delivering survey, clearance, and risk education in dozens of countries, funded by US, UK and UN donors. Directly comparable in service portfolio and donor overlap with Golden West's PSSM and capacity-building work.
• Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International): International NGO running mine risk education, victim assistance, and clearance advocacy in dozens of post-conflict states. Comparable in mission scope, country footprint, and donor base, though with stronger focus on victim assistance than Golden West.

Emerging players

• DOK-ING: Manufacturer of remote-controlled mechanized demining and EOD vehicles and robotic systems used by military and humanitarian operators. Comparable to Golden West on the mechanization/tooling side of humanitarian mine action, but as a commercial equipment supplier rather than service operator.
• Fenix Insight: Commercial developer of multi-sensor (GPR, metal detection, magnetometer) handheld and cart-based UXO detection systems. Comparable to Golden West in the technology track (detection and tooling innovation) and competes for similar national-military customers, but as a commercial vendor rather than a humanitarian NGO.

Others

• Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD): International centre of expertise setting IMAS standards and supporting national mine action authorities. Not a direct operator, but a key ecosystem partner of Golden West and a comparable node in the global mine-action architecture.
• United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS): UN system coordinator for mine action, policy lead and funder of national programs. Comparable mission alignment with Golden West and a frequent implementing/contracting partner, but operates as an intergovernmental body rather than an operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GoldenWestHF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GoldenWestHumanitarianOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoldenWestHF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/golden-west-humanitarian-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Golden West Humanitarian Foundation