Spanda

What Spanda does

Spanda Foundation (Stichting Spanda) is an international civil society organization incorporated in the Netherlands in 2005 and headquartered in Rijswijk, with an administrative office in The Hague. The foundation is structured as a non-profit sustained entirely by volunteer efforts, donations, and earned income, and it holds Dutch ANBI charitable status (granted September 20, 2007) and Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its mission is to catalyse long-term systemic change in culture, education, health and environment, economics, and research, framed around the philosophical goal of advancing individual and collective consciousness; it serves NGOs, academic institutions, governments, and individual activists globally.

The foundation operates a content-publishing ecosystem consisting of the peer-reviewed semi-annual Spanda Journal (ISSN 2210-2175), the monthly Spanda Monitor (ISSN 2352-7757), SpandaNews e-newsletter, and Spanda Papers — distributed via its website, RSS feeds, Lulu.com, and the Search4Dev academic library under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) licence. Alongside publications, it runs three thematic programmes: the Jubilo Project (interfaith dialogue across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions), the Musiké Project (international ethnomusicological research and concerts), and the Mantra Project (green microfinance focused on women's empowerment and renewable energy in Sierra Leone). Its underlying technology stack is a lightweight web-publishing platform with no proprietary software or AI components disclosed.

Spanda's go-to-market is community-led, relying on volunteer networks, UN and OECD affiliations, academic collaborations, and WANGO/Trustlaw memberships to reach stakeholders. Revenue is derived from online donations via PayPal and Ammado (with planned-giving instruments including bequests, charitable gift annuities, IRA designations, and life insurance), plus modest commercial sales of printed publications. Pricing follows a freemium model: open-access digital content is free to individuals and non-profits serving the common good, while selected print volumes are sold on a per-unit basis through Lulu.com.

Name

Spanda

Legal name

Stichting Spanda

Website

https://spanda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spanda Foundation is a Dutch volunteer-sustained non-profit civil society organization that publishes the Spanda Journal and related open-access journals, and runs the Jubilo (interfaith), Musiké (ethnomusicology), and Mantra (green microfinance in Sierra Leone) programmes for NGOs, academia, and international institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Civil Society Organization

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

Keywords

• Civil society organization
• Interfaith dialogue programs
• Ethnomusicological research
• Green microfinance initiatives
• Academic journal publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Rijswijk

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Foundation is sustained by volunteer efforts and supported solely by contributions and earned income. Donors can make online donations via PayPal, wire transfers, stock gifts, or by mail. They accept various planned giving instruments including bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, and life insurance.
2. Publications and Educational Materials: Spanda publishes journals (Spanda Journal, SpandaNews, Spanda Monitor), occasional papers under 'Spanda Papers', and multimedia/printed series for projects like Jubilo and Musiké. Some commercially published books are co-published with international publishing houses. Publications are available for purchase through Lulu.com.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Spanda Foundation is an international civil society organization that publishes peer-reviewed open-access journals (Spanda Journal, Spanda Monitor) and technical reports (Spanda Papers) under its Spanda Publishing imprint, supported by a monthly e-newsletter and RSS feeds. It runs three thematic programmes: the Jubilo Project (interfaith dialogue), the Musiké Project (ethnomusicological research and concerts), and the Mantra Project (green microfinance and renewable energy in Sierra Leone). The foundation also operates the Spanda Educational Initiative for open-access learning materials and a Resources database cataloguing over 2,000 organizations and journals.

Product overview

Spanda Foundation operates as a non-profit civil society organization offering a portfolio of publications, research programmes, and online content platforms. The core offerings include the semi-annual Spanda Journal (peer-reviewed, ISSN 2210-2175) and monthly Spanda Monitor (ISSN 2352-7757), both published under the Spanda Publishing imprint. These are complemented by Spanda Papers for project-specific technical reports, and the Spanda Educational Initiative providing open-access materials. The foundation runs three thematic programmes: the Musiké Project (ethnomusicology journal and concerts), the Jubilo Project (interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding), and the Mantra Project (green microfinance and renewable energy in Sierra Leone). Content distribution is facilitated through the monthly SpandaNews e-newsletter and Spanda NewsFeeds (RSS). The portfolio represents an integrated publishing and programme ecosystem designed to advance peace, knowledge, and understanding across culture, education, health, environment, economics, and research domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spanda Journal: International peer-reviewed semi-annual journal (ISSN 2210-2175) covering consciousness, systemic change, collective intelligence, and related topics.
• Spanda Monitor
• Spanda Papers
• Jubilo Project
• Musiké Project
• Mantra Project

Products and services

• Spanda Journal International open-access semi-annual peer-reviewed journal (ISSN 2210-2175) covering consciousness, systemic change, collective intelligence, creativity, and development with contributions from scholars and thought leaders worldwide; available free of charge to individuals and non-profit organizations.
• Spanda Monitor Monthly publication (ISSN 2352-7757 print / 2352-7765 online) providing commentary on contemporary issues including human rights, climate, finance, gender, and artificial consciousness; available free of charge.
• Spanda Papers Collection of essays and technical reports serving as reference works for Spanda projects, including conference proceedings and working papers published under the Spanda Publishing imprint.
• Musiké Project International ethnomusicological research initiative that publishes the Musiké journal and documents / disseminates the world's ethnomusicological heritage through concerts and multimedia while fostering cultural diversity and tolerance.
• Jubilo Project Interfaith dialogue project comparing Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions to foster conflict prevention, ethnic integration, and peacebuilding actions through cultural diversity and shared values; endorsed by the Council of 100 Leaders of the World Economic Forum.
• Mantra Project Green microfinance initiative focused on women's empowerment, education, and renewable energy in Sierra Leone, aiming to alleviate poverty through sustainable solar power implementation in villages in the Pujehun and Bo districts.
• SpandaNews E-Newsletter Free monthly e-newsletter providing updates on Spanda projects, campaigns, events, policy papers, interviews, and perspectives from around the world; subscribers can receive content in HTML or plain text format.
• Spanda Educational Initiative (SEI) Open-access publications initiative providing free educational materials to individuals and non-profit organizations serving the common good, supported by donor contributions under the Spanda Publishing imprint.
• Spanda Publishing The foundation's publishing imprint that produces Spanda Papers, occasional papers, working papers, project reports, and conference proceedings, and co-publishes commercially with international publishing houses for projects like Jubilo and Musiké.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 organizations and resources catalogued in their database

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanda Foundation maintains Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), providing a formal relationship with the UN system and opportunities to contribute to international policy discussions on culture, education, health, environment, and development.
• OECD LEED ProgrammemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme for cross-border knowledge sharing and best practices in local economic development.
• UN Global CompactmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanda promotes the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact relating to human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.
• UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanda fosters the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, supporting educational initiatives for sustainability.
• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanda fully supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of its commitment to global development objectives.
• Earth Charter InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanda endorses the Earth Charter Initiative and its principles for sustainable development and ethical responsibility.
• UNV Online Volunteering ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanda is registered with the UN Volunteers Online Volunteering service, enabling global volunteer engagement with the foundation.
• Leiden UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution collaborating on research and educational initiatives.
• University of SienamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution listed among Spanda's university collaborations.
• University of BolognamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution participating in Spanda's global network of educational institutions.
• World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in WANGO provides networking opportunities within the global NGO community.
• TrustlawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrustlaw membership connects Spanda with legal resources and expertise for non-profit operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Earth Charter Initiative: Earth Charter Initiative is a documented strategic partner of Spanda and shares an identical values-based, sustainability-anchored civil society mission. Both organizations operate internationally with similar ethical frameworks around culture, environment, and sustainable development, making them directly comparable in scope and positioning.
• Baha'i International Community: BIC is a spiritual/philosophically-rooted international civil society organization with UN ECOSOC consultative status, comparable to Spanda's structural combination of values-based foundation, UN affiliation, and international development focus. Both bridge cultural-spiritual traditions with international policy engagement.
• Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS): IONS is a research-focused foundation that advances consciousness studies and peer-reviewed scholarship, directly mirroring Spanda's Journal-based dissemination of consciousness and systemic change research. Both occupy the niche intersection of consciousness studies and societal transformation.
• World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO): WANGO is a documented Spanda partner and a comparable international NGO association focused on connecting and supporting civil society organizations worldwide. It is the most directly comparable peer in terms of NGO network and capacity-building role.
• Search for Common Ground: Search for Common Ground is an international NGO that uses cultural and interfaith approaches to peacebuilding — closely aligned with Spanda's Jubilo interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding mandate, with similar tools (cultural exchange, dialogue, conferences).

Broad incumbents

• Club of Rome: Club of Rome is a much larger but structurally similar international civil society think tank focused on systemic change and long-term global futures. It serves as a broader incumbent peer operating in the same international, multi-issue systemic-change space Spanda occupies.
• World Future Council: World Future Council is a Hamburg-based foundation with UN consultative status that works on sustainability, peace, and cultural preservation — closely matching Spanda's mandate around culture, education, environment, and intergenerational equity.
• International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD): IISD is a larger policy research institute working at the intersection of international development and sustainability. Spanda's environment, economics, and research programs are directly comparable in thematic scope, with IISD representing the larger incumbent peer in that space.
• Templeton World Charity Foundation: Templeton World Charity Foundation funds research at the intersection of science, consciousness, and human flourishing — a funder category that targets the same consciousness-studies space Spanda's Journal occupies, and represents the natural philanthropic peer for Spanda's positioning.

Regional players

• Hague Institute for Global Justice: Based in The Hague like Spanda, this institute works at the intersection of international law, peacebuilding, and global development. It shares Spanda's Hague-rooted institutional positioning and comparable international civil society focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SpandaFoundatio
• Facebookfacebook.com/spandafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spanda-foundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Spanda