MIRAL Welfare Foundation

What MIRAL Welfare Foundation does

MIRAL Welfare Foundation (밀알복지재단) is a South Korean social welfare corporation founded in 1995 that delivers disability-inclusive welfare services, special education, social enterprise operations, and international development cooperation. Domestically, it operates 40+ welfare facilities including Miral School (special education for developmental disabilities, est. 1997), the Helen Keller Center for deaf-blind individuals, activity support centers, and 46 Goodwill Store retail locations that employ approximately 500 people with disabilities. Its business model rests on four revenue streams: individual donations and child sponsorships (KRW 50,000/month for domestic and overseas children across 11 countries), social enterprise income from Goodwill Stores and the Hisbeans franchise, government grants and KOICA subsidies, and corporate/ESG partnerships (KB Kookmin Card, Korean Reinsurance, Hyundai E&C, Woori Bank).

Internationally, MIRAL runs 14 field offices across 11 developing countries (Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal, Liberia, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, and others), delivering disability-inclusive community development, vocational rehabilitation, and humanitarian programs funded largely through KOICA Civil Partnership Programs. The organization operates the Hisbeans social franchise (2 cafe/restaurant locations in Quezon City, Philippines) as a replicable disability-employment model, and the Lighting Children campaign has delivered approximately 78,000 solar lanterns to energy-poor countries since 2013.

Go-to-market combines digital fundraising via website and webzine ('The Miral'), celebrity ambassador engagement (Oh My Girl's Hyojung, Andante, Jung Young-joo, Han Ji-hye, Kim Mi-kyung), annual flagship events (MIRAL Concert in its 23rd year, Storytelling Contest, Energy Sharing Festival), and the Choeaedol celebrity fan donation platform (KRW 1.041 billion cumulative since 2015). The foundation reports 8 consecutive years of perfect Korea Guide Star transparency scores and multiple Samil Transparency Management awards, positioning transparency as a core donor-acquisition asset.

Name

MIRAL Welfare Foundation

Legal name

사회복지법인 밀알복지재단

Website

https://miral.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MIRAL Welfare Foundation is a Korean social welfare nonprofit founded in 1995 that provides disability-inclusive services domestically (40+ facilities, 46 Goodwill Stores, Miral School) and internationally (14 offices in 11 countries), funded via donations, government grants, social enterprise income, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Disability welfare services
• Social enterprises
• Child sponsorship programs
• International development cooperation
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Sponsorships: Regular monthly donors contribute fixed amounts (e.g., KRW 50,000/month for child sponsorship) providing recurring revenue. One-time and campaign-based donations are also collected from individuals. Total 2024 domestic/international sponsorship and donation revenue was approximately KRW 10.3 billion.
2. Social Enterprise Operations: Goodwill Stores sell donated goods, employing people with disabilities. The foundation operates social franchises such as Hisbeans Kitchen in the Philippines, providing employment to disabled individuals. Revenue from these operations supports disability employment programs.
3. Government Grants and Subsidies: The foundation receives government subsidies and grants for operating welfare facilities and programs, including disability activity support services and senior welfare housing.
4. Corporate and ESG Partnerships: Corporate sponsors provide funding for specific campaigns, CSR programs, and ESG partnership initiatives. Companies sponsor events, donate goods, or fund specific projects (e.g., KB Kookmin Card sponsors music education programs).
5. Disability Activity Support Services: Fee-for-service programs providing daily living assistance to people with disabilities, generating program service revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MIRAL Welfare Foundation is a South Korean nonprofit social welfare corporation that delivers disability-inclusive welfare services domestically and internationally. Its offerings span direct welfare facility services, social enterprise operations (Goodwill Stores and Hisbeans social franchise), domestic and overseas child sponsorship programs, special education through Miral School, deaf-blind support via the Helen Keller Center, and disability-inclusive international development cooperation across 11 countries including Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Myanmar, Philippines, and Nepal.

Product overview

MIRAL Welfare Foundation operates as a comprehensive social welfare organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The foundation provides disability support services including the Goodwill Store social enterprise, special education through Miral School, and activity support centers. Its international programs include child sponsorship, disability-inclusive development projects, and the Lighting Children solar lantern campaign. The organization runs employment programs like Hisbeans Kitchen social franchise and advocacy initiatives such as Sign Language TalkTok. All programs emphasize disability-inclusive development, transparency in fund management, and social integration across domestic and international operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 굿윌스토어 (Goodwill Store): Social enterprise retail stores selling donated goods to create jobs for disabled and senior workers.
• 히즈빈스 (Hisbeans)
• 브릿지온 앙상블 (Bridge On Ensemble)
• 브릿지온 아르떼 (Bridge On Arte)
• 밀알첼로앙상블 '날개'
• 헬렌켈러센터
• 라이팅칠드런 (Lighting Children)
• 기빙플러스

Products and services

• Goodwill Store (굿윌스토어)
• Domestic Child Sponsorship Program (국내아동결연후원)
• Overseas Child Sponsorship Program (해외아동결연후원)
• Miral School (밀알학교)
• Helen Keller Center (헬렌켈러센터)
• Miral Disability Activity Support Center (밀알장애인활동지원센터)
• Hisbeans Kitchen (히즈빈스 키친)
• Lighting Children (라이팅칠드런)
• Disability-Inclusive International Development Cooperation (장애포괄적 국제개발협력사업)
• Sign Language TalkTok (수어톡톡)

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ people with disabilities employed through Goodwill Stores
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and major.

• OH My Girl (오마이걸)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Member Hyojung (효정) serves as the new face of MIRAL's 'Sign Language Talk (수어톡톡)' campaign to promote deaf and hard-of-hearing awareness. Her involvement as a K-pop idol brings significant social media visibility and youth engagement to MIRAL's awareness initiatives.
• Korean Government / Korean Ministry of Foreign AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Korean Ambassador to Kenya (Kang Hyung-sik) visited Kisumu County and emphasized MIRAL as a key partner NGO for disability welfare under the Korean government's international development cooperation framework. Discussions expanded cooperation into TVET, early childhood education, infrastructure, and green energy sectors.
• Kisumu County Government (케냐 키수무 주정부)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MIRAL has partnered with Kisumu County Government since 2018 to implement disability-inclusive development programs. For 2026, they are collaborating to publish a 'Disability Awareness Handbook' for public services, and supporting the county's efforts to draft disability-inclusive ordinances covering public facility accessibility, employment quotas, tax exemptions, and anti-discrimination provisions.
• KB Kookmin Card (KB국민카드)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025KB Kookmin Card co-sponsors the 'allegRO (alleGROW)' music education program for adolescents with developmental disabilities. The program provides systematic music education including violin, viola, and cello ensemble activities plus 1:1 lessons, with the first regular concert held in November 2024. KB's sustained funding enables long-term music education and professional development for disabled youth.
• Korean Reinsurance (코리안리재보험)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Korean Reinsurance sponsors the MIRAL Cello Ensemble 'Wings' (밀알첼로앙상블 '날개'), a group of musicians with developmental disabilities. Sponsorship enabled the establishment of the wind ensemble program in 2024 and ongoing support for the 13th regular concert held at Gwangrim Art Center. The partnership provides disabled musicians with professional music education and performance opportunities.
• KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency / 한국국제협력단)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020MIRAL is a major KOICA partner implementing disability-inclusive international development cooperation projects. Through KOICA's Civil Partnership Program (CPP), MIRAL operates projects in the Philippines (Manila), Kenya (Kisumu), Malawi (Lilongwe), and Nepal. Projects include vocational rehabilitation, income generation, education, health, and disability-inclusive community development. KOICA also supports MIRAL's humanitarian aid programs and has recognized MIRAL as an excellent partner organization in 2020.
• Korea Energy Foundation (한국에너지공단)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Korea Energy Foundation partners with MIRAL on the annual 'Energy Sharing Education' program held on Energy Day. The program educates children about energy conservation and environmental protection, and has facilitated the production of approximately 78,000 solar lanterns for donation to energy-poor countries since 2013.
• WFP Malawi (World Food Programme 말라위 사무소)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012MIRAL collaborates with WFP Malawi Office on community-based rehabilitation and food security programs in Lilongwe, Malawi. WFP provides food assistance and supply chain support while MIRAL implements disability-inclusive community development activities including the communal farm initiative.
• Hisbeans Coffee (히즈빈스)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHisbeans is a social franchise coffee brand operated as a partnership between MIRAL and local partners in the Philippines. Employing people with disabilities (deaf, developmental disabilities) as baristas and kitchen staff, Hisbeans operates 2 locations (cafe + restaurant) in Quezon City. MIRAL provides employment ecosystem design, training methodology, and KOICA funding support while local partners manage day-to-day operations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries International: Global nonprofit operating thrift retail stores that employ people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. MIRAL's Goodwill Stores mirror this exact model at smaller scale in Korea, including the social franchise licensing and disabled worker employment focus.
• CBM (Christian Blind Mission): International disability-focused development organization with Christian roots, similar to MIRAL's foundational ethos. Both organizations focus exclusively on disability-inclusive development across developing countries and operate programs in overlapping geographies like East Africa and Southeast Asia.
• World Vision Korea: Korea office of one of the largest child sponsorship NGOs, operating in similar developing countries (Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal). Both organizations compete for the same Korean child-sponsorship donor pool and rely on KOICA-aligned international development cooperation.
• Combined Goodwill (한국좋은일운동): Korean domestic Goodwill affiliate movement. While MIRAL operates its own Goodwill Store chain, Combined Goodwill runs a parallel donation/reuse retail network in Korea, competing for donated goods, retail real estate, and corporate partnerships.
• Save the Children Korea: Major Korean child sponsorship and international development NGO operating in overlapping countries. Both organizations run monthly sponsorship programs and education/health initiatives for vulnerable children, making them direct competitors for Korean household-level recurring donors.

Broad incumbents

• Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperation (KCOC): Umbrella coalition of Korean international development NGOs. MIRAL is a member of this larger ecosystem, and KCOC coordinates collective advocacy, funding applications, and partnerships with KOICA that ultimately benefit member organizations like MIRAL.
• Lions Clubs International Foundation: Global service organization with focus on vision, disability, and community welfare. Lions operates disability-focused programs in similar international geographies and competes for Korean donor attention, though at much broader scope than MIRAL's specialized disability-inclusive development approach.
• UNICEF Korea: UN agency operating globally on child welfare, education, and health in developing countries. UNICEF Korea shares donor pools with MIRAL and operates in many of the same 11 countries, but at vastly larger scale and with broader (non-disability-focused) mandate.

Emerging players

• Korea Disability Rights Forum & Welfare Foundation Network: Network of Korean disability-focused welfare nonprofits and advocacy organizations. MIRAL is one of the larger players in this domestic cluster, alongside the Korea Blind Union, Korea Deaf Association, and similar disability-specific welfare corporations that compete for government grants and corporate partnerships.

Others

• Hanyang University Medical Center Rehabilitation Programs: Adjacent rehabilitation services provider in Korea. While not a nonprofit competitor, Hanyang's rehabilitation programs serve overlapping beneficiaries with developmental and physical disabilities, and partnerships with such institutions could expand MIRAL's service delivery capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/%EC%95%8CTV/featured
• Instagraminstagram.com/miral_official_
• Xx.com/miral1993
• Facebookfacebook.com/miral4664

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

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 MIRAL Welfare Foundation