PeacePlayers International

What PeacePlayers International does

PeacePlayers International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #52-2272092), founded in 2000/2001 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that uses basketball as a vehicle to unite, educate, and inspire young people living in communities affected by conflict, racial division, and socioeconomic inequality. The organization operates nine year-round program sites across the Middle East (Israel and West Bank), South Africa, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and five U.S. cities (Baltimore, Brooklyn, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles), serving youth ages 6-26 and cumulatively reaching more than 75,000 participants across 15-20 countries since inception.

The core product portfolio combines structured basketball programming with peace education, conflict resolution, leadership development, and DEI curriculum. Specific programs include the Leadership Development Program (year-long for ages 15-18), the Peace League (after-school for ages 8-13), Summer Camps, the Island Basketball League (first bicommunal league in Cyprus), and Cross Community Leagues in Northern Ireland. Supporting digital infrastructure includes the Virtual Learning Hub for remote coach/mentor training and the AmDigital participant tracking database. Content and community engagement are extended through the Play it Forward Podcast and the annual Friendship Games global convening.

The business model is donation-funded: PeacePlayers does not charge participants for programming and has no product sales. Revenue streams consist of individual donations (channeled through Network for Good, GoFundMe, and community fundraisers such as Mitzvah projects and bike rides), institutional grants from government entities (USAID's $1.6M MEPPA cooperative agreement, EU/Erasmus ~350K euros per 3-year cycle, British High Commission, US Embassy), foundation support (Laureus, Beyond Sport, Stevens Initiative, Women's Sports Foundation), and corporate partnerships (notably Nike, which has anchored US operations since 2017, and most recently the Candace Parker Foundation). Distribution is direct via site-based delivery through local schools, basketball clubs, and community organizations.

Name

PeacePlayers International

Legal name

PeacePlayers International

Website

https://peaceplayers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PeacePlayers International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit using basketball, peace education, and leadership development to unite youth ages 6-26 in divided communities across 15-20 countries, operating nine year-round sites and funded by donations, grants, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sport-Based Youth Peacebuilding Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs) (MPAKALAJ), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF)

Keywords

• Sport-based youth development
• Peace education programs
• Conflict resolution training
• Bicommunal basketball leagues
• Leadership development youth

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #52-2272092), PeacePlayers relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The organization accepts donations through its website and organizes community fundraising events.
2. Institutional Grants and Government Funding: PeacePlayers receives funding from institutional donors including USAID (a cooperative agreement worth $1.6M USD over 3 years for the MEPPA program), Laureus, EU, and Erasmus programs. The organization also receives support from government entities such as the British High Commission.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations such as Nike provide both programmatic and financial support, with Nike's partnership beginning in January 2017 to bring PeacePlayers' model to the United States.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PeacePlayers International uses basketball as a delivery vehicle to unite, educate, and inspire young people in divided or conflict-affected communities. It combines on-court basketball skills training with peace education, conflict resolution, leadership development, and DEI curricula delivered through after-school programs, summer camps, bicommunal leagues, and an annual global Friendship Games convening. Programs are offered free to youth participants and funded entirely through donations, corporate partnerships, and institutional grants.

Product overview

PeacePlayers International is a peacebuilding nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of programs using basketball as the primary vehicle to unite, educate, and inspire young people in divided communities. The core offering consists of basketball programming combined with peace education and leadership development, delivered through year-round programming including Peace League (after-school sports), Summer Camp, and the Leadership Development Program (LDP). The organization also operates the Virtual Learning Hub as a digital platform for remote learning and training, and produces the Play It Forward Podcast as a content platform for amplifying peacebuilding voices. The Friendship Games serve as the annual global convening connecting youth across all sites. Programs are delivered across multiple regions: Middle East, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and five U.S. cities (Baltimore, Brooklyn, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friendship Games: Annual global convening bringing together youth from all PeacePlayers sites worldwide
• Play it Forward Podcast
• Virtual Learning Hub
• PeacePlayers Girls Campaign
• Sport and Peace Innovation Network

Products and services

• Basketball Programming Core basketball programming that serves as the vehicle for uniting youth from divided communities, combining on-court basketball skills training with peace education and leadership development, delivered through the nine year-round sites.
• Peace Education Conflict resolution education integrated into basketball programming, teaching youth to overcome inter-ethnic barriers and build lasting peace.
• Leadership Development Program (LDP) Year-long program for youth ages 15-18 focused on conflict resolution curriculum including communication, peace education, university preparation, DEI, and team-building.
• Summer Camp Annual residential camp bringing together youth from all PeacePlayers communities for 6 days/5 nights of basketball training and leadership/conflict resolution workshops.
• Peace League After-school leadership-through-sports program for youth ages 8-13, creating safe spaces for building friendships across community divides through structured basketball activities.
• Island Basketball League (IBL) First ever bi-communal basketball league in Cyprus where teams representing both Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities compete monthly, followed by classroom DEI and conflict resolution sessions.
• Cross Community League (CCL) North, south, east and west Belfast leagues for Juniors (9-11 years) and Seniors (11-14 years), combining competitive basketball with community relations facilitation in Northern Ireland.
• Virtual Learning Hub Online digital platform delivering creative, high-quality tools to engage young people and train mentors and coaches in sport for social change and youth development, covering topics such as stereotypes, implicit bias, peace education, mental health, and storytelling.
• Play It Forward Podcast Global podcast featuring voices and stories of people working in their communities to promote peace and equity, with episodes covering leadership, sports, identity, and social justice topics; distributed via Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
• Friendship Games Annual global convening bringing together youth, alumni, and coaches from all PeacePlayers sites worldwide for team building and cultural learning activities.
• Local Basketball Clubs (Cyprus) Network of 12 basketball teams across Cyprus with over 200 children ages 8-18 participating in basketball training twice per week for 10 months per year.
• Assistant Coaches Programme Training program for graduates of the Leadership Development Program to work with local PeacePlayers Cyprus teams and develop skills to become future coaches and facilitators.
• Color the Court Community building project combining art and sport, with thematic workshops in schools creating peace-themed designs painted on refurbished basketball courts across Cyprus.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-year RCT in the Middle East proves impact on building peace between Israeli and Palestinian youth participants
• +3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Candace Parker FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Landmark partnership announced to launch the Candace Parker Academy and advance the Global Girls Campaign. This is a major strategic partnership focused on girls' empowerment through sport, aligning with PeacePlayers' global girls campaign initiatives.
• NikecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNike is a key global partner that helped launch PeacePlayers' US operations in January 2017, first in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Detroit, then Chicago and Los Angeles. Nike provides both programmatic and financial support, being instrumental in scaling the organization's US presence.
• LaureuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaureus is a global partner supporting PeacePlayers' work as part of their sport for development portfolio. Laureus funding helped stabilize PeacePlayers Cyprus operations.
• Beyond SportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeyond Sport is listed as a global partner supporting PeacePlayers' initiatives, contributing to the organization's funding base.
• EchoFlagcoreTechnology or IntegrationEchoFlag is PeacePlayers' independent third-party reporting pathway for concerns involving abuse, misconduct, or violations of organizational safety policy. It serves as a trusted partner in athlete safety, incident response, resolution, and organizational risk mitigation across all PeacePlayers programs.
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNHCR partnered with PeacePlayers Cyprus, particularly for the 2019 Summer Camp where 11 refugee youth from countries including Congo, Egypt, Lebanon, Cameroon, and Jordan participated in the program.
• Nesodden IF Basketball Academy (Norway)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian basketball academy that has partnered with PeacePlayers for exchange programs and global initiatives, including the Lead4Peace Erasmus-sponsored program.
• Visual VoicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual Voices collaborated with PeacePlayers Cyprus and YEU Cyprus on the ART Mural project at Ledra Palace Hotel in the UN Buffer Zone, creating a collaborative art project symbolizing unity and peace.
• Stevens InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Stevens Initiative is listed as a contributor to the Virtual Learning Hub, supporting PeacePlayers' digital programming for sport for social change and youth development.
• Cyprus Youth CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCyprus Youth Council is a partner organization supporting PeacePlayers Cyprus' youth programming initiatives.
• Hope for Children (UNCRCPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHope for Children (UNCRCPC) is listed as a partner organization supporting PeacePlayers Cyprus' work with children and youth on the island.
• Caritas CyprusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Cyprus is listed as a partner supporting PeacePlayers Cyprus initiatives on the island.
• Grow Civic / YEU CyprusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrow Civic and YEU Cyprus partnered with PeacePlayers Cyprus on the ART Mural project at Ledra Palace Hotel, a bicommunal youth peace initiative.
• Nicosia Turkish Municipality and Nicosia MunicipalityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth Nicosia Turkish Municipality and Nicosia Municipality are listed as partners supporting PeacePlayers Cyprus' bicommunal programming across the divided capital city.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Right To Play: Global nonprofit using sport and play to educate and empower children in disadvantaged communities. Closest comparable in mission, scope, and sport-for-development methodology, though Right To Play operates across more countries and uses multiple sports rather than basketball-only.
• Soccer Without Borders: Nonprofit using soccer for refugee and newcomer youth integration in the US. Shares the sport-as-vehicle-for-social-impact thesis and youth-development curriculum model, though focused on a single sport (soccer) and US-only.
• America SCORES: Nonprofit combining soccer, poetry, and service-learning for youth in underserved US communities. Closely aligned in target demographic (urban US youth), nonprofit model, and integration of sport with educational/leadership programming.
• Coaches Across Continents: Nonprofit partnering with local organizations to deliver sport-for-social-impact coaching curricula globally. Comparable methodology (coach-led curriculum delivery in low-resource communities) and global footprint.
• Women Win: International nonprofit advancing girls and women through sport, with a strong evidence and rights-based approach. Comparable focus on girls in sport, RCT-informed programming, and global nonprofit operating model.
• Play Soccer (International Play Soccer): Nonprofit using soccer to promote health, education, and leadership for under-served youth in developing countries. Comparable sport-for-development model and youth-led community programming approach.

Broad incumbents

• Laureus Sport for Good: Global foundation funding sport-for-development programs worldwide. Functions both as a direct funder of PeacePlayers and a peer in the broader category, with a much larger portfolio and global brand footprint.
• Beyond Sport: Global organization supporting and convening sport-for-development initiatives. Listed as a PeacePlayers partner; comparable as a category peer with broader portfolio and network-building role.

Emerging players

• Free to Run: Nonprofit using running and outdoor sports to empower women and girls in conflict-affected regions. Comparable target demographic (girls in conflict zones) and sport-for-empowerment methodology, though smaller in scale and using endurance rather than team sports.

Others

• Maccabi World Union / Maccabiah: Jewish sports organization running international sports events and community programs. While not a direct mission peer, operates in adjacent Jewish-community youth sport infrastructure space and shares geographic overlap with PeacePlayers' Middle East operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/peaceplayers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PeacePlayersIntl
• Facebookfacebook.com/peaceplayersintl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peaceplayers-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/peaceplayersintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PeacePlayers International