Danish Refugee Council

What Danish Refugee Council does

Danish Refugee Council, founded in 1956 and headquartered in Copenhagen (Lyngbyvej 100, 2100), is Denmark's largest humanitarian NGO and a leading international organization operating across nearly 30 countries with a dedicated team of approximately 6,000 employees and thousands of volunteers. The organization reached more than 7.5 million people in 2025 amid rising global displacement, and serves refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, stateless populations, and conflict-affected host communities across the Middle East (Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon), East Africa and the Great Lakes (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, DRC, South Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti), West and North Africa (Tunisia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, Morocco, Algeria), the Americas (Venezuela, Colombia), Asia (Myanmar, Bangladesh), Europe (Türkiye, Serbia, Denmark), and adjacent humanitarian theatres.

The organization's offering is an integrated portfolio of humanitarian service programs rather than a software platform. Service delivery is organized around six core sectors: Protection Services (gender-based violence prevention and response, legal aid, child protection, psychosocial support), Economic Recovery (business grants, vocational training, market integration), WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene infrastructure), Shelter and Non-Food Items, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (mine action, risk education, victim assistance). These are complemented by sub-brands including the Mixed Migration Centre (research and data on migration), Help Refugees Now (donor fundraising portal), Asylum Counseling, Integration Consultancy, and the DRC Standby Roster for rapid personnel deployment, alongside major funded programs such as Pathways to Protection (P2P), the Cash Consortium of Yemen (CCY), BRIDGES IV (livelihoods for Syrian refugees in Türkiye), and Fair Recycling 2.0.

The business model is that of a non-profit professional-services organization funded exclusively by institutional donors. Sources of funding include Danida (Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), German BMZ/KfW, The Coca-Cola Foundation, UN agencies, and other foundations and governments. Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries; revenue flows through multi-year program grants rather than transactional pricing. Programs are executed through consortium partnerships (CCY, YDR Consortium, P2P) and a localization strategy that channels approximately 50% of P2P budgets through 23+ local and national implementing organizations. There is no commercial product revenue, no proprietary technology offering, and no equity or investor ownership.

Name

Danish Refugee Council

Legal name

DRC Danish Refugee Council

Website

https://drc.ngo

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Danish Refugee Council, founded in 1956 and headquartered in Copenhagen, is Denmark's largest humanitarian NGO, employing around 6,000 staff across nearly 30 countries and reaching 7.5 million displaced people in 2025 with protection, WASH, shelter, economic recovery, and mine-action services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Assistance Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Refugee Camp Coordination & Management (CCCM) (BPADAHAC), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF), Cash Assistance & Social Safety Net Delivery for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian assistance
• Refugee protection services
• Livelihoods and economic recovery
• Water sanitation hygiene
• Humanitarian mine action

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Donor Funding: DRC receives funding from governments, the European Union, UN agencies, foundations, and international institutions to implement humanitarian programs. Major funders include EU Humanitarian Aid, Danida (Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), BMZ/KfW (German Development Bank), and The Coca-Cola Foundation.
2. Foundation Grants: The Danish Refugee Council receives grants from foundations such as The Coca-Cola Foundation for specific programs like Fair Recycling 2.0, which transforms plastic waste management into formal employment opportunities for refugees.
3. Government Development Funding: DRC receives substantial funding from Danida (Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) for development and protection programs, including the 355 million DKK Pathways to Protection (P2P) program over five years.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) delivers humanitarian assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons, migrants, and host communities across nearly 30 countries through six core service sectors: Protection Services (GBV response, legal aid, child protection, psychosocial support), Economic Recovery (livelihoods, vocational training, business grants), WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), Shelter & Non-Food Items, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (HDP/mine action). Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through grants from governments, the EU, UN agencies, and foundations.

Product overview

The Danish Refugee Council is Denmark's largest humanitarian NGO and a leading international organization operating in nearly 30 countries. Rather than a software platform, DRC offers an integrated portfolio of humanitarian service programs organized around six core sectors: Protection Services, Economic Recovery, WASH, Shelter & Non-Food Items, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (HDP). These core services are delivered alongside branded sub-sites (Help Refugees Now fundraising portal, Asylum Counseling, Integration Consultancy, Mixed Migration Centre) and major initiatives including Fair Recycling 2.0, BRIDGES IV, Pathways to Protection (P2P), and the Cash Consortium of Yemen. The organization employs approximately 6,000 staff and reached more than 7.5 million people in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mixed Migration Centre: Knowledge centre engaged in data collection, research, and analysis on mixed migration.
• Help Refugees Now
• Asylum Counseling
• Integration Consultancy
• DRC Standby Roster
• BRIDGES
• Cash Consortium of Yemen (CCY)
• Pathways to Protection (P2P)

Products and services

• Protection Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 7.5 million people in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mercy CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2026Mercy Corps is one of four major aid groups working alongside DRC in Congo's Ebola response. Following US funding cuts, both organizations scaled back or dropped US-funded WASH projects in Ebola-affected provinces. Mercy Corps and DRC also partner in the Cash Consortium of Yemen.
• CARE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2026CARE International is one of four major aid groups working alongside DRC in Congo's Ebola response. Both organizations scaled back or dropped US-funded WASH projects following funding cuts.
• OxfamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2026Oxfam is one of four major aid groups working alongside DRC in Congo's Ebola response. Both organizations scaled back or dropped US-funded WASH projects following funding cuts to WASH services.
• AleominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Aleo, a blockchain project, launched a privacy-first crypto aid pilot in Colombia using zero-knowledge cryptography. DRC is included in the program alongside Mercy Corps, GSR, Foundation GSR, and Humanity Link, designed to scale globally as a model for privacy-preserving humanitarian assistance.
• Danish Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Danish Red Cross is one of three main consortium partners in the Pathways to Protection (P2P) five-year initiative (2024-2029) funded by Danida. Combining humanitarian expertise, experience in mixed migration programming, and extensive Red Cross Red Crescent network.
• International Detention Coalition (IDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IDC is one of three main consortium partners in the Pathways to Protection (P2P) five-year initiative. IDC brings advocacy expertise for people impacted by immigration detention across 75+ countries.
• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NRC is a key partner in the Cash Consortium of Yemen, implementing multi-purpose cash assistance programs. NRC provides vulnerability assessments and cash assistance to displaced households in Yemen.
• 23 Local Partners (P2P)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 202423 local and national organizations including Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies, local CSOs, and community-based organizations implement 50% of P2P project budgets across 10 countries. Partners include Arab Institute for Human Rights, Libyan Red Crescent, Refugee Rights Türkiye, Sudanese Red Crescent, CARITAS Senegal, Mali Red Cross, and others.
• Yemen Displacement Response (YDR) ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024DRC is lead member of the Yemen Displacement Response Consortium, implementing shelter, WASH, protection, and livelihoods programs across Yemen with EU funding through Humanitarian Aid Operations.
• Cash Consortium of Yemen PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CCY is hosted by DRC and includes ACTED, NRC, Mercy Corps, Solidarités International, and IOM. The consortium delivers multi-purpose cash assistance across 13 Yemeni governorates, having reduced child labor among beneficiaries from 46% to 27%.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Norwegian Refugee Council: Largest direct peer: another large European-headquartered humanitarian NGO focused on refugee and IDP assistance, comparable in scale (~6,000 staff), sector mix (protection, WASH, shelter, livelihoods), and donor base. NRC is also a documented DRC consortium partner.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major international humanitarian NGO delivering multi-sector refugee response (health, protection, WASH, economic recovery) across conflict-affected countries; directly comparable in programming breadth, geographic footprint, and institutional donor mix.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development organization active in similar fragile-state contexts; directly comparable in cash assistance, WASH, and protection programming and explicitly partnered with DRC in the Cash Consortium of Yemen and the DRC Ebola response.
• CARE International: Large humanitarian NGO with overlapping refugee and IDP programming across protection, food security, WASH, and economic recovery; comparable in scale and co-implemented DRC Ebola WASH response in Congo.
• Oxfam: Major global humanitarian confederation delivering refugee response, WASH, protection, and livelihoods in many of the same geographies as DRC; co-implemented DRC Ebola WASH response and competes for similar institutional donor funding.
• ACTED: France-based humanitarian NGO with similar multi-sector refugee programming (cash, shelter, WASH, livelihoods); a documented DRC consortium partner in the Cash Consortium of Yemen.
• Solidarités International: Humanitarian NGO specialized in WASH and food security in conflict and disaster settings; documented DRC partner in Cash Consortium of Yemen and operates with similar donor base (EU, ECHO, institutional funders).
• Danish Red Cross: Core P2P consortium partner of DRC and closely aligned Danish humanitarian actor delivering protection, health, and tracing services for refugees; comparable programmatic focus and co-funding from Danida.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children: Large international humanitarian and development organization with significant child-protection and education programming for displaced populations; broader portfolio than DRC but competes for similar institutional funding and serves overlapping refugee populations.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM): UN agency leading global migration response, including camp coordination and displacement tracking; documented DRC partner in the Cash Consortium of Yemen and broader migration programming along DRC's P2P corridors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/danishrefugeecouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/danish-refugee-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/danishrefugeecouncil
• Xx.com/DRC_ngo

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Danish Refugee Council