Stepping Stones International

What Stepping Stones International does

Stepping Stones International (SSI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana, with additional registrations in the United States (EIN 20-2900537) and Malawi (COYG-4KUEJPP). It serves vulnerable children, youth aged 12-25, and their families in Botswana and Malawi through three programmatic pillars: Child and Youth Empowerment (after-school education with adapted University of Utah Reading Clinic literacy interventions, the 'Finding the Leader Within' leadership program, and life-skills curricula), Family Nurturing (Pinagare, Young Mothers, Grannies Tea Group with SASA! violence-prevention training), and Child Advocacy and Protection (Coaching Boys Into Men, EU-funded Tsexg'ae 'Working Together' project in the Ghanzi District). The organization operates a community-led, socio-ecological service delivery model in which programs are co-created with local communities and delivered via center-based after-school activities, Community Service Provider home visits, and the Phantsa Hoo youth-led weekly radio program on Yarona FM.

The organization's technology footprint is a multi-channel engagement stack comprising community-based outreach, radio broadcasting (Phantsa Hoo on Yarona FM, Saturdays 10:00-11:00 AM), and social/digital platforms (Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram) used for awareness, behavior-change communication, and donor engagement. Proprietary programmatic features are rooted in adapted evidence-based curricula rather than software platforms; named sub-brands (Phantsa Hoo, Pinagare, Coaching Boys Into Men, Grannies Tea Group) constitute the differentiated program IP. Donations are processed through GlobalGiving and JustGiving, with the organization holding 2024 GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Nonprofit and Top-Ranked GlobalGiving Project status.

SSI's business model is donation- and grant-funded, with no fees charged to beneficiaries. Revenue streams comprise individual charitable contributions through GlobalGiving and JustGiving, plus foundation and institutional grant funding, most notably the European Union (Tsexg'ae project) and the FACET Foundation ('Finding the Leader Within'). The organization employs 101-250 staff and reports cumulative impact of 17,000+ children and youth, 300+ youth placed in employment/entrepreneurship/education, 500+ families strengthened, and 800+ caregivers trained, with 63% of participants achieving positive employment, education, or entrepreneurship outcomes.

Name

Stepping Stones International

Legal name

Stepping Stones International

Website

https://steppingstonesintl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stepping Stones International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that empowers vulnerable children, youth aged 12-25, and families in Botswana and Malawi through education, life-skills, leadership, family-nurturing, and child-protection programs funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Child Protection Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Dropout Prevention, Re-Engagement & Truancy Intervention Programs (EDAJAEAD)

Keywords

• Youth empowerment programs
• Child protection services
• Family nurturing programs
• Adolescent life skills
• Nonprofit community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: SSI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies primarily on donations from individuals and organizations. The organization accepts contributions through platforms like GlobalGiving and JustGiving.
2. Foundation and Grant Funding: SSI receives funding from foundations and institutional donors. Notably, the FACET Foundation funds the 'Finding the Leader Within' leadership program, and the European Union funds the Tsexg'ae ('Working Together') project in the Ghanzi District.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stepping Stones International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers integrated youth development, family nurturing, and child advocacy/protection programs for adolescents and young adults (ages 12–25) in Botswana and Malawi. Services include group-based life skills and leadership curricula (e.g., Finding the Leader Within, Coaching Boys Into Men, Young Mothers program), caregiver and family strengthening activities (Pinagare, Grannies Tea Group), child safeguarding case work, and a community radio program (Phantsa Hoo) for behavior change communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Phantsa Hoo: A dynamic, youth-led radio programme airing on Yarona FM every Saturday, addressing issues such as mental health, gender-based violence, and reproductive health.
• Pinagare
• Young Mothers
• Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM)
• Grannies Tea Group

Products and services

• Child & Youth Empowerment Program Integrated pillar of group-based life-skills, leadership development, and mentorship programming for adolescents and young adults (ages 12–25) in Botswana and Malawi, delivered through community centers and outreach.
• Family Nurturing Program Program pillar that engages caregivers and families (including the Pinagare model and Grannies Tea Group) to strengthen protective family environments for adolescents and youth.
• Child Advocacy & Protection Program Program pillar delivering child safeguarding, case management, and advocacy services for vulnerable children and adolescents in Botswana and Malawi.
• Phantsa Hoo (Community Radio Program) Community radio program aired on Yarona FM that delivers behavior-change communication on youth health, protection, and empowerment topics to broad audiences in Botswana and Malawi.
• Finding the Leader Within Group-based leadership development curriculum for adolescents and youth, designed to build self-efficacy, positive identity, and leadership skills.
• Coaching Boys Into Men (adaptation) Adapted evidence-based group curriculum engaging adolescent boys and young men to reflect on masculine norms, prevent gender-based violence, and promote healthy relationships.
• Young Mothers Program Targeted program supporting adolescent and young mothers with life skills, parenting support, health information, and pathways back to education or livelihoods.
• Pinagare (Family Nurturing Program Model) Family-focused nurturing program model engaging caregivers and family members to strengthen communication, support, and protection for adolescents in the household.
• Grannies Tea Group Community-based engagement group that mobilizes grandmothers as protective caregivers and peer supporters for children and adolescents in their families and communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 63% of participants achieve positive outcomes (employment, education, or entrepreneurship)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yarona FMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYarona FM is a leading youth radio station in Botswana where the Phantsa Hoo ('Speak Out') program airs weekly. The partnership enables youth-led programming addressing mental health, GBV, and reproductive health topics.
• GlobalGivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobalGiving platform hosts SSI's fundraising projects, enabling global donors to support lifesaving services for Botswana youth. SSI has been recognized with Top-Ranked status on the platform.
• University of Utah Reading ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSI uses adapted literacy interventions from the University of Utah Reading Clinic in its after-school education program, helping participants improve reading levels by up to two grades.
• Company Partners (Job Shadowing)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious company partners provide three- to six-week job-shadowing placements for graduates of the Finding the Leader Within program, offering real-world work experience.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Young Africa: Young Africa operates youth skills development and entrepreneurship programs across Southern and Eastern Africa, including Botswana. Directly comparable to SSI's economic opportunity and self-sufficiency mission for vulnerable youth aged 12-25.
• Grassroot Soccer: Grassroot Soccer uses sport-based programming to deliver health and life-skills education to adolescents in Southern Africa, including Botswana and neighboring countries. Highly comparable to SSI's life skills, GBV prevention, and youth-health outreach model.
• Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: EGPAF operates adolescent health and HIV prevention programs for young women in Malawi and other Southern African countries. Strong overlap with SSI's AGYW focus, GBV/reproductive health content, and geographic footprint.
• Restless Development: Restless Development places young people as peer educators and change agents across Africa on issues including SRHR, GBV, and livelihoods. Comparable youth-led, community-based delivery model and beneficiary age band.
• Worldreader: Worldreader delivers literacy and reading programs for children and youth in Sub-Saharan Africa, including partnerships aligned with reading-level improvement outcomes. Directly comparable to SSI's adapted University of Utah Reading Clinic literacy intervention.
• Raising Voices: Raising Voices is the originator of the SASA! community mobilization methodology for violence prevention that SSI has adopted. They serve as both a content partner and as a peer organization working on gender-based violence prevention in Uganda and East/Southern Africa.

Broad incumbents

• Plan International: Plan International is a major global NGO focused on children's rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment across Africa, including programs in Botswana and Malawi. Comparable mission, broader geographic and programmatic scope.
• Save the Children: Save the Children operates education, child protection, and youth livelihoods programs in Malawi and Botswana. Overlapping population (vulnerable children/youth), with substantially larger scale and resources.
• SOS Children's Villages: SOS Children's Villages provides alternative care, family strengthening, and youth empowerment in Malawi and other African countries. Comparable wraparound support model for vulnerable children and young people transitioning to independence.
• UNFPA Botswana: UNFPA's Botswana country office runs adolescent sexual and reproductive health, GBV prevention, and youth empowerment programming aligned with SSI's Phantsa Hoo radio topics. Comparable population and thematic overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ssiintl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@steppingstonesinternationa3097
• Facebookfacebook.com/SteppingStonesInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stepping-stones-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/ssiintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stepping Stones International