Shelter For Life International

What Shelter For Life International does

Shelter For Life International is a 501(c)(3) faith-based humanitarian relief and development organization founded in 1982 (originally as Shelter Now International, rebranded in 2002) and headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The organization implements programs directly in the field across eight currently active countries — Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Liberia, Senegal, Tajikistan, The Gambia, and Ukraine — and has historically served in more than fifteen countries including Angola, Burundi, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kosovo, Macedonia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Western Sahara.

Its work is organized into three core service lines: Population Movement and Settlement (shelter, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian relief), Public Infrastructure Reconstruction (rural roads, WASH systems, irrigation, storage and post-harvest facilities), and Social and Economic Development (SME development, vocational training, microfinance, community organizations). Specialized programs include the USDA-funded LIFFT-Cashew value chain initiative in the Senegal-Gambia-Guinea-Bissau zone, the WFP-funded Maternal Child Benefits Program in Afghanistan, and a Climate-Smart Agriculture initiative. Technical methods include the organization's original geodesic dome shelter design — 1,800 domes were produced for Afghan refugees via factories in Pakistan and Afghanistan — and the introduction of high-yield cashew varieties yielding approximately 2 tons per hectare.

The organization is funded almost entirely through grants and institutional donations from a concentrated set of governmental and UN donors (USAID, USDA, WFP, BPRM/PRM, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, OFDA, DIPECHO) and a network of faith-based and international NGO partners (World Vision, Save the Children, Plan International, Samaritan's Purse, Habitat for Humanity). Individual donations, corporate donations, and a vehicle donation program serve as supplementary funding channels. No commercial revenue, software product, or AI capability is present in the data; the organization's outputs are physical infrastructure, training, and beneficiary services delivered through field offices, with 81.5% of funds reportedly directed to projects.

Name

Shelter For Life International

Legal name

Shelter For Life International, Inc.

Website

https://shelter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shelter For Life International is a faith-based 501(c)(3) humanitarian and development organization implementing shelter, infrastructure, and economic programs directly in field locations across eight active countries (Afghanistan, West Africa, Iraq, Tajikistan, Ukraine), funded primarily by USAID, USDA, WFP, and BPRM grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Relief and International Development Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Humanitarian relief services
• International development programs
• Disaster risk reduction
• Shelter construction services
• WASH infrastructure programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Minnetonka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute through the organization's website donation portal. Tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) organization support general operations and specific programs. The organization also accepts vehicle donations through a global online auctioning partnership.
2. Government Grants and Institutional Funding: Primary funding from government agencies including USAID, USDA, WFP, U.S. Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration (BPRM/PRM), DIPECHO, OFDA, and various international development agencies. These grants fund specific humanitarian and development projects.
3. NGO and Foundation Partnerships: Funding and in-kind support from non-governmental organizations including UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOCHA, World Vision, Save the Children, Plan International, and various faith-based organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shelter For Life International is a faith-based international humanitarian relief and development organization that delivers free humanitarian services to displaced populations, conflict-affected communities, and vulnerable populations across multiple countries. The organization implements three integrated program areas—Population Movement and Settlement Services, Public Infrastructure Reconstruction Services, and Social and Economic Development Services—directly in field locations through country offices, with programs including shelter construction (notably geodesic domes), WASH infrastructure, irrigation systems, rural roads, vocational training, microfinance, and agricultural value chain development (e.g., LIFFT-Cashew). All services are funded through donations, government grants, and institutional partnerships; no fees are charged to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Shelter For Life International operates as a humanitarian relief and development organization offering three interconnected program areas: Population Movement and Settlement Services (providing shelter, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian relief), Public Infrastructure Reconstruction Services (building rural roads, WASH systems, irrigation, and storage facilities), and Social and Economic Development Services (supporting SME development, vocational training, financial access, and community organizations). The organization also delivers specialized programs including the LIFFT-Cashew value chain initiative in West Africa and the Maternal Child Benefits Program in Afghanistan. These programs are delivered directly in the field across multiple countries rather than through a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Population Movement and Settlement Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 81.5% of funds go directly to projects
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Relief International: Relief International delivers humanitarian aid and resilience programs in fragile and conflict-affected countries, with overlapping USAID, UNHCR and BPRM funding sources. Comparable to SFL in integrated emergency-to-recovery service delivery.
• Islamic Relief USA: Faith-rooted humanitarian organization operating in many of the same geographies (Afghanistan, West Africa, Middle East) with similar shelter, WASH and livelihoods programs. Comparable in delivery model and donor mix.
• World Vision: World Vision is a faith-based Christian humanitarian organization operating in similar conflict and disaster-affected geographies with overlapping program areas (WASH, food security, livelihoods, child welfare). It shares SFL's faith-rooted identity and global field footprint.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps operates humanitarian and development programs in fragile states with similar service mix — shelter, food security, market development, and youth/women's economic empowerment — and shares SFL's USAID and WFP funding profile.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC is a leading humanitarian NGO delivering emergency relief, shelter, WASH and economic recovery programs in conflict-affected countries. It is directly comparable to SFL in operating model, donor base (USAID, BPRM, UNHCR) and integrated relief-to-development approach.
• Concern Worldwide: Concern delivers humanitarian and development programs in fragile contexts with overlapping livelihood, WASH and food security offerings. Comparable in integrated emergency-and-recovery delivery model.
• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC): NRC operates shelter, WASH, education and livelihoods programs for refugees and IDPs across many of the same theaters as SFL. Directly comparable in shelter and displacement focus, with similar grant-funded project model.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): CRS is a large US-headquartered faith-based humanitarian agency delivering integrated relief and development programs in fragile states. It is comparable to SFL in service breadth, faith-based identity and major-institution funding mix.
• ShelterBox: ShelterBox is a disaster relief organization specializing in emergency shelter and household kits for displaced families. It is a direct functional peer in SFL's core shelter-delivery capability, though narrower in scope (no infrastructure or agriculture programs).

Broad incumbents

• UNHCR: UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency that both funds and coordinates shelter/delivery work SFL performs. It is the most important counterpart institution for SFL's core refugee mandate and a natural upstream partner/incumbent in the same field.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShelterForLife
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj41GWf_QJtcHWYGEAUrk7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/shelterforlifeint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shelterforlifeint

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Shelter For Life International