Global Brigades, Inc.
Global Brigades is a US-based international non-profit that delivers integrated health, economic empowerment, and sustainable infrastructure programs to rural communities in Central America and West Africa, powered by a network of 2,275+ university chapters and 94,000+ student volunteers who fundraise and participate in service brigades.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Global Brigades, Inc. does
Global Brigades, Inc. is a US-headquartered international non-profit organization founded in 2005 (with one source citing 2004) that empowers rural communities in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Ghana, and Liberia to meet their health and economic goals through an integrated, multi-program service delivery model. The organization operates Student-Led Brigades (Medical, Dental, Public Health, Business Consulting, Engineering, Legal Empowerment, and Water), Faculty-Led Programs (Squads for high schools and Kambia for university courses), and Community-Led Sustainable Development Initiatives (Financial Inclusion via Eskala, Housing via Montemar, Community Health Workers, and Reforestation/Carbon Offsetting) delivered alongside full-time local teams in partner communities.
The organization's platform is powered by a network of 2,275+ university and high school chapters that have mobilized 94,126 cumulative volunteers and $148,797,145 in raised funds over 20 years. Its technology layer consists of digital volunteer management and fundraising platforms, including dashboard.globalbrigades.org and fundraise.globalbrigades.org, with no disclosed AI/ML or API capabilities. The organization is structured as a network of affiliated but separate legal entities across the US, Canada, UK, Honduras, Panama, and Ghana.
Global Brigades does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through a combination of student volunteer fundraising, individual donations, and institutional grants. Its go-to-market is community-led: university chapters serve as the primary recruitment and fundraising channel, while full-time local teams execute programs year-round in partner communities. Partnerships with multilateral institutions (UNDP, World Bank, IDB/FOMIN), humanitarian organizations (Red Cross, Rotary, Lions Clubs, United Way), and pharmaceutical/medical supply partners (MAP International, Blessings International, Vitamin Angels) provide both programmatic support and credibility.
Global Brigades, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Global Brigades, Inc.
- Legal name
- Global Brigades, Inc.
- Website
- https://globalbrigades.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Global Brigades is a US-based international non-profit that delivers integrated health, economic empowerment, and sustainable infrastructure programs to rural communities in Central America and West Africa, powered by a network of 2,275+ university chapters and 94,000+ student volunteers who fundraise and participate in service brigades.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Global Brigades, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Development and Humanitarian Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE), Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)
Keywords
Where Global Brigades, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Global Brigades, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Volunteer fundraising: Student volunteers raise funds through chapters to support brigade programs and community development initiatives
- Donations: Individual donors contribute to support holistic development programs in partner communities
- Grants: Foundation and institutional grantors provide funding for specific programs and initiatives
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Global Brigades, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Global Brigades delivers integrated health, economic empowerment, and sustainable infrastructure programs to rural communities in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Ghana, and Liberia. Programs are staffed by university and high school student volunteers organized through 2,275+ chapters, supported by full-time local teams, and funded through volunteer-led fundraising, individual donations, and institutional grants.
Product overview
Global Brigades, Inc. operates a multi-program volunteer and development platform organized into three main categories: Student-Led Brigades (Medical, Dental, Public Health, Business Consulting, Engineering Consulting, Legal Empowerment, Water), Faculty-Led Programs (Squads for high schools and Kambia for universities offering experiential learning across disciplines), and Community-Led Sustainable Development Initiatives (Financial Inclusion through Eskala, Housing through Montemar, Community Health Workers, and Reforestation/Carbon Offsetting). The organization also provides a Holistic Model framework integrating Health & Well-being, Economic Empowerment, and Sustainable Infrastructure programs. The platform is powered by a network of 2,275+ university chapters and 94,126 volunteers who raise funds and execute programs alongside full-time local teams in partner countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Medical Brigades: Student-led medical volunteer programs providing healthcare services in partner communities
- Dental Brigades
- Public Health Brigades
- Business Consulting
- Engineering Consulting
- Legal Empowerment
- KAMBIA
- Squads
- Eskala
- Montemar
Products and services
- Medical Brigades Student-led medical volunteer program providing patient consultations and healthcare services to underserved communities in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, and Ghana. Targets university student volunteers who fundraise and travel to partner communities.
- Dental Brigades Student-led dental care volunteer program providing oral health services and education to partner communities. Recruits dental student volunteers who raise funds and deliver care during brigade trips.
- Public Health Brigades Public health volunteer initiative focused on community health education, disease prevention, and health worker training in partner communities.
- Business Consulting Student consulting program in which business student volunteers provide advisory services to local enterprises and entrepreneurs in partner communities.
- Engineering Consulting Engineering student volunteer program providing infrastructure assessment and sustainable engineering solutions for partner communities.
- Legal Empowerment Legal education and empowerment program in which law student volunteers help partner communities understand and exercise their legal rights.
- Water Brigades Water access program focused on clean water infrastructure, testing, and sustainable water solutions for partner communities.
- Squads (High School Programs) Service learning programs for high school students covering STEM, Health, Medical, Spanish Language, Business, and Impact tracks, delivered through faculty-led cohorts.
- Kambia (University Programs) Experiential learning programs for university courses spanning Business, Nursing, Honors, Engineering, Pharmacy, and Public Health, embedding service into academic curricula.
- Eskala Financial Inclusion Micro-equity startup subsidiary that provides financial services to underserved communities, reimagining microfinance through an equity-based model.
- Montemar Affordable Housing Affordable housing initiative providing sustainable housing solutions for partner communities in Honduras.
- Community Health Workers Program Training program that prepares local community members to serve as health workers providing accessible healthcare in rural partner communities.
- Reforestation and Carbon Offsetting Reforestation and climate resilience initiative that enables partner communities to participate in carbon offsetting and sustainable land management.
Quantifiable outcome
- $148,797,145 raised and invested in community banks, businesses, and development programs
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Global Brigades, Inc.
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Global Brigades, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Global Brigades, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreFeatured partner demonstrating international development organization collaboration for global health and development initiatives
- The World BankcoreInternational financial institution partner supporting development programs in operating countries
- PATHcoreGlobal health organization partner for health programs and initiatives
- KivacoreMicrofinance partner supporting financial inclusion programs through micro-loans
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiescoreHumanitarian organization collaboration for health and relief programs
- Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)coreRegional development bank partner for Latin American programs
- FOMIN (Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund)coreMIF partner supporting microfinance and small enterprise development
- Rotary InternationalcoreService organization partner for volunteer and community programs
- Lions Clubs InternationalcoreService organization partnership for humanitarian initiatives
- United WaycoreCommunity services organization partnership
- Building Bridges CoalitionminorCoalition membership for volunteer international programs
- Google GrantsminorIn-kind advertising support through Google for Nonprofits program
- MAP InternationalcoreMedical supply partner providing medicines for brigades
- Blessings InternationalcorePharmaceutical partner supplying medications for medical programs
- International Health PartnerscoreHealthcare product donations for humanitarian missions
- International Relief TeamscoreMedical relief organization partnership
- HPIC (Health Partners International of Canada)coreCanadian humanitarian health product partner
- Vitamin AngelscoreNutrition supplement partner for health programs
- Republic of HondurascoreGovernment collaboration for program sustainability and community development
- Republic of PanamacoreGovernment partnership for national development programs
- Republic of NicaraguacoreGovernment partnership for community health initiatives
- Republic of GhanacoreWest African government partnership for health and development
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Global Brigades, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AIESEC: AIESEC is a global youth-led network organizing volunteer and professional exchange experiences through university chapters. Comparable chapter-based, student volunteer GTM and scale.
- MEDLIFE: MEDLIFE operates student-led medical brigades in Latin America and Africa with a similar volunteer mobilization, fundraising, and chapter model. Closest direct peer in target market, program mix, and GTM motion.
- Child Family Health International (CFHI): CFHI offers health-focused experiential learning and service programs for students and professionals in low-resource settings. Comparable in the experiential learning / global health education niche.
- Global Volunteers: Global Volunteers runs fee-supported short-term service programs in international communities with an emphasis on sustainable development. Comparable short-term volunteer mission model.
- Engineers Without Borders: Engineers Without Borders mobilizes student and professional volunteers to deliver infrastructure and water projects in developing communities. Comparable on engineering/water program mix and chapter-based volunteer model.
- Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC): FIMRC runs volunteer-driven global health programs with university chapters and short-term medical missions in low- and middle-income countries. Highly comparable in volunteer mobilization and medical mission focus.
- Unite For Sight: Unite For Sight partners student volunteers with local eye clinics to deliver care in developing countries. Directly comparable volunteer-driven global health delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a major international development NGO with programs in health, economic empowerment, and infrastructure in many of the same countries. Broad incumbent in the same funding and partner ecosystem.
- Partners In Health: Partners In Health is a leading global health NGO operating long-term health systems in low-resource settings. Reputational benchmark and adjacent competitor for institutional global health funding.
- Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity operates a much larger global volunteer-driven housing program with country affiliates. Overlaps in volunteer mobilization, community-led sustainability framing, and country presence.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Global Brigades, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceGlobal Brigades, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Global Brigades, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Global Brigades, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Global Brigades, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Global Brigades, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Global Brigades, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Global Brigades, Inc.
What does Global Brigades, Inc. do?
Global Brigades delivers integrated health, economic empowerment, and sustainable infrastructure programs to rural communities in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Ghana, and Liberia. Programs are staffed by university and high school student volunteers organized through 2,275+ chapters, supported by full-time local teams, and funded through volunteer-led fundraising, individual donations, and institutional grants.
Is Global Brigades, Inc. a public or private company?
Global Brigades, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Global Brigades, Inc. founded?
Global Brigades, Inc. was founded in 2005. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Global Brigades, Inc. based?
Global Brigades, Inc. is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Global Brigades, Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Volunteer fundraising is the primary driver. The others are donations and grants.
Who are Global Brigades, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AIESEC, MEDLIFE, Child Family Health International (CFHI), Global Volunteers, Engineers Without Borders, Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) and Unite For Sight. Broad incumbents are Mercy Corps, Partners In Health and Habitat for Humanity International.
Does Global Brigades, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Global Brigades, Inc..
What industry is Global Brigades, Inc. in?
Global Brigades, Inc.'s product category is International Development and Humanitarian Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAI, Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs, with a secondary code of HLAJAKAD, International & Local Implementing NGOs. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8300.