What Statistics Without Borders does

Statistics Without Borders (SWB) is a non-profit volunteer outreach group of the American Statistical Association, founded in late 2008 and headquartered virtually in the United States. The organization provides pro bono statistical, data science, and analytical services — including survey and experimental design, dashboard creation, data visualization, forecasting, and statistical analysis — at no cost to client organizations, with a stated priority on non-profits and communities in developing countries where access to statistical resources is limited. SWB pairs experienced professionals with junior analysts to deliver project-based engagements and emphasizes capacity building within client organizations.

SWB operates entirely on volunteer labor, with a roster of 1,600+ volunteers located throughout the world, and runs on a zero-dollar annual budget with no revenue-generating activities, no pricing tiers, and no traditional commercial distribution model. Client acquisition occurs through a project request form on the SWB website and through referrals, while volunteer recruitment is driven by email newsletters, webinars, and the organization's affiliation with the American Statistical Association. Named clients include UNICEF, The Immunization Partnership, Center for Genomic Interpretation, India Excellence Forum, Bridge to Health USA, Faunalytics, and Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, spanning international health, vaccine policy, genomics, education, animal protection, and wildlife conservation.

The organization's strategic posture has evolved from a 2008 founding focused on international health (with co-founders Gary Shapiro, Jim Cochran, and Fritz Scheuren) to a broader, multi-vertical, multi-geographic operation. In 2024, SWB adopted a new organizational Charter, recorded a 29%+ increase in new projects year-over-year affecting change in 27 countries, and hired a dedicated Director of Marketing & Communications (Betty Su, formerly CMO of the National Audubon Society). SWB maintains active partnerships with ASA's Committee on International Relations in Statistics (CIRS), AAAS, the American Evaluation Association, and the Washington Statistical Society, and presents projects annually at the Joint Statistical Meetings.

Name

Statistics Without Borders

Legal name

Statistics Without Borders

Website

https://statisticswithoutborders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Statistics Without Borders is a non-profit volunteer outreach group of the American Statistical Association that provides free pro bono statistical, data science, and analytical services to NGOs and organizations serving developing countries, delivered by 1,600+ volunteer statisticians worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pro Bono Services: Statistics Without Borders provides entirely free (pro bono) statistical, data science, and analytical services to non-profit organizations, with a focus on organizations serving developing countries. The organization operates with a zero-dollar annual budget and is entirely volunteer-driven.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Statistics Without Borders (SWB) provides pro bono statistical, data science, and analytical services to nonprofit organizations and projects in developing countries. Its offerings span survey design, experimental design, dashboard creation, data visualization, forecasting, statistical analysis, and data cleaning. SWB operates as the official outreach arm of the American Statistical Association, mobilizing volunteer statisticians and data scientists to support humanitarian, public health, conservation, and development initiatives worldwide.

Product overview

Statistics Without Borders (SWB) is a volunteer outreach organization of the American Statistical Association that provides pro bono statistical, data science, and analytical services. SWB is not a software product company; it is a service organization that pairs experienced statistics and data science professionals with junior analysts to work on projects for clients, primarily in developing countries. The organization offers statistical consulting, survey design and analysis, dashboard creation, data visualization, forecasting, and statistical training. Projects have included survey planning, experimental design, dashboard creation, visual presentations, forecasts, statistical and data analysis, and database design. SWB operates entirely through volunteer contributions and does not have a commercial software product or platform offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 29% increase in new projects in 2024, affecting change in 27 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ASA Committee on International Relations in Statistics (CIRS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint webinar series sponsored by both CIRS and SWB, providing introductory lectures by experts on important topics of current interest aimed at an international audience.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017SWB co-organized a presentation at AAAS on statistical methods for investigating human trafficking, alongside the Washington Statistical Society.
• American Evaluation Association (AEA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012SWB announced collaboration with the American Evaluation Association to explore potential collaborative efforts and introduce SWB to AEA members.
• American Statistical Association (ASA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008SWB is an official volunteer outreach group of the American Statistical Association, formed in late 2008. This partnership provides organizational oversight, credibility, and access to ASA's network of professional statisticians. ASA membership is required for certain leadership positions within SWB.
• Washington Statistical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized presentation on statistical methods for investigating human trafficking alongside SWB and AAAS.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• American Statistical Association: SWB's parent organization, the ASA, is the professional society for statisticians that provides institutional support, credibility, and network access. Included as context for SWB's positioning rather than as a competitor.
• Apolitical: A network/platform connecting government and public sector professionals globally. Adjacent to SWB in building skilled volunteer networks for social impact, though focused on governance rather than statistical services.

Direct peers

• DataKind: DataKind mobilizes volunteer data scientists to work on social impact projects for humanitarian and development organizations. It is the closest direct peer to SWB, sharing the pro bono data-for-good model, though DataKind focuses more on data science/ML while SWB emphasizes statistical methodology.
• Pyxera Global: Pyxera Global runs pro bono consulting engagements that deploy corporate professionals into international development and social impact projects. Comparable to SWB in serving NGOs with skilled volunteer consulting, though broader in functional scope beyond statistics.
• Catchafire: Catchafire is a technology-enabled platform that matches skilled professionals (including data analysts) with non-profits for pro bono projects. Like SWB, it provides free professional services to NGOs, but operates as a marketplace/platform rather than a curated volunteer community.

Broad incumbents

• Taproot Foundation: Taproot Foundation is a larger, established pro bono consulting organization that connects corporate professionals with non-profits. It serves a broader consulting scope than SWB but shares the skills-based volunteer model serving non-profit clients.

Emerging players

• NetHope: NetHope is a consortium of international non-profits that uses technology and data to support humanitarian work. It overlaps with SWB in serving humanitarian NGOs, but focuses on ICT capacity rather than statistical methodology.
• Humanity Action Trust: Specialized volunteer-driven organizations supporting humanitarian data work. Listed as a potential adjacent comparator in the pro bono statistics-for-good space, though smaller and less established than SWB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SWBProBono
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/statistics-without-borders-swb
• Instagraminstagram.com/statisticswithoutborders
• Facebookfacebook.com/statisticswithoutborders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Statistics Without Borders