United Religions Initiative

What United Religions Initiative does

United Religions Initiative (URI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 by Bishop William E. Swing of the Episcopal Diocese of California and headquartered in the Presidio of San Francisco. It operates the world's largest grassroots interfaith peacebuilding network, comprising 1,293 self-organizing 'Cooperation Circles' across 113 countries, each consisting of at least seven members from at least three religions, spiritual expressions, or indigenous traditions. URI's core products include the Cooperation Circles program structure, the URI Connect mobile application (available on iOS and Android), a Training and Resource Center, a World Religions Curriculum for children (URI Kids), and recurring global campaigns such as the International Day of Peace, World Interfaith Harmony Week, Golden Rule Day, the Earth Restoration Initiative, and Youth Engagement programs.

URI generates revenue entirely through philanthropic streams: individual donations (monthly, multi-year pledges, stock/wire transfers, tributes, legacy gifts, endowments, and donor-advised funds), corporate partnerships, foundation connections, and proceeds from the annual Circles of Light Gala. No fees are charged for membership or participation in Cooperation Circles. The go-to-market motion is community-led: growth occurs through member referrals, regional assemblies, UN partnerships, and word-of-mouth within faith communities, supported by multiple Regional Support Offices and Regional Coordinators globally. The organization consults with the UN Economic and Social Council and is an associate of the UN Department of Global Communications, with signed cooperation agreements with UNEP and UNAOC providing institutional reach.

Name

United Religions Initiative

Legal name

United Religions Initiative

Website

https://uri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

United Religions Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the world's largest grassroots interfaith peacebuilding network, with 1,293 Cooperation Circles across 113 countries. It serves faith communities, donors, and UN partners through membership programs, mobile and web platforms, and global peacebuilding campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interfaith Peacebuilding Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Interfaith peacebuilding network
• Religious cooperation programs
• Grassroots community mediation
• Interfaith dialogue services
• Multi-faith coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: URI accepts donations from individuals through its website, with various giving options including monthly giving, multi-year pledges, stock/wire transfers, tributes, legacy gifts, endowments, and donor-advised fund contributions.
2. Corporate Partnerships: URI seeks corporate partnerships and foundation connections as part of its development strategy to expand its donor base beyond the primarily West Coast U.S. membership.
3. Events and Galas: URI holds the annual Circles of Light Gala to raise awareness and funds for the organization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

United Religions Initiative operates a global grassroots interfaith peacebuilding network of 1,293 self-organizing Cooperation Circles across 113 countries, each comprising at least seven members from at least three different religious, spiritual, or indigenous traditions. It delivers a mobile application (URI Connect), training and educational resources (including the URI Kids World Religions Curriculum and Training and Resource Center), and global programs such as International Day of Peace, World Interfaith Harmony Week, Golden Rule Day, Earth Restoration Initiative, and Youth Engagement to support interfaith cooperation and end religiously motivated violence.

Product overview

United Religions Initiative (URI) operates as a global interfaith peacebuilding network rather than a traditional SaaS product company. The organization's core offerings center on its network infrastructure and programs: URI Connect App serves as the primary mobile platform for network member connectivity; Cooperation Circles form the foundational grassroots membership units; Training and Resource Center provides educational materials and toolkits; and World Religions Curriculum (URI Kids) offers children's education. The global programs—including International Day of Peace, World Interfaith Harmony Week, Golden Rule Day, Earth Restoration Initiative, and Youth Engagement Program—drive the network's peacebuilding activities. Supporting services include publications (newsletters, brochures, impact reports) and the annual Circles of Light Gala.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cooperation Circles

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,293 Cooperation Circles operating in 113 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elite ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2021URI partnered with Elite Research to assess the network's peacebuilding impact worldwide over a three-year period. The evaluation explores the effectiveness, relevance, impact, and sustainability of URI's regional and global networks, helping URI understand if it is achieving its goals and enabling interfaith leaders worldwide to understand their work's impact.
• United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2020URI and UNAOC signed a Memorandum of Understanding reaffirming their commitment to promoting dialogue among people of different cultures and religions worldwide.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2020URI and UNEP signed a cooperation agreement for environmental preservation at global level. Areas of cooperation include: collaborating on faith and environmental sustainability; facilitating interfaith cooperation with religious leaders; promoting religious leaders' stewardship of Mother Earth; mobilizing faith-based organizations for UNEP's Faith for Earth & Interfaith Rainforest Initiative; implementing the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals; promoting the Green Rule Initiative; and observing World Environment Day on June 5th annually.
• United Nations (General)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURI has NGO consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is an associate with the UN Department of Global Communications. The organization works with the UN on many initiatives and participates in UN forums and events.
• Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education for the Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao project, establishing learning facilities in underserved communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Religions for Peace: Religions for Peace is a global multi-religious coalition with affiliated interreligious councils in nearly 90 countries, directly comparable to URI's network of Cooperation Circles in 113 countries. Both organizations convene faith communities for peacebuilding, engage the UN system, and operate as umbrella networks for grassroots interfaith action.
• Parliament of the World's Religions: The Parliament of the World's Religions convenes the largest international interfaith gatherings and produces the global 'On Golden Rule' document. It is directly comparable as a globally recognized interfaith organization that promotes cooperation among religions, though its model is event-centric rather than URI's year-round network model.
• Interfaith America (formerly IFYC): Interfaith America (formerly Interfaith Youth Core) builds interfaith cooperation primarily on US college campuses and now across communities, directly comparable to URI as an interfaith-cooperation network but with a US-centric and youth/campus focus rather than URI's global grassroots peacebuilding focus.
• KAICIID Dialogue Centre: KAICIID is an intergovernmental organization promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue globally, comparable to URI as a UN-adjacent interfaith body with a global footprint. It differs in being government-sponsored and centered on structured dialogue rather than grassroots organizing.
• Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding: Tanenbaum is a US-based nonprofit that combats religious prejudice and promotes interfaith understanding, directly comparable to URI as an interfaith nonprofit focused on peacebuilding, education, and prejudice reduction. It operates at smaller scale and primarily within the US.

Emerging players

• Search for Common Ground: Search for Common Ground is one of the largest dedicated peacebuilding NGOs, operating in dozens of conflict-affected countries. It overlaps with URI on conflict transformation but specializes in mediation and media-driven peacebuilding rather than faith-based network convening.
• International Council of Christians and Jews: ICCJ promotes cooperation between Christian and Jewish communities worldwide, comparable to URI as an interfaith cooperation organization. It is narrower in scope (two-faith focus) and operates as a smaller scholarly-network body rather than a large-scale grassroots convening platform.
• Peace Direct: Peace Direct supports local peacebuilders in conflict-affected countries and runs the Local Peacebuilding Leadership Network. It is comparable to URI in supporting grassroots peacebuilding worldwide but operates through funding and partnership rather than URI's membership-network model.

Broad incumbents

• World Council of Churches: The World Council of Churches is a broad ecumenical body of 350+ Christian churches with a global interfaith engagement program, comparable to URI in fostering religious cooperation and peace, but rooted specifically in Christian ecumenism rather than URI's explicitly multi-faith (Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, indigenous, etc.) grassroots model.
• United States Institute of Peace: USIP is a US government-funded institution that works to prevent and resolve violent conflicts globally, comparable to URI as a peacebuilding organization with international reach. It differs as a federally funded institution focused on policy and training rather than faith-network convening.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/uriglobal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/uriglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedreligionsinitiative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uriglobal
• Instagraminstagram.com/uriglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United Religions Initiative