World Humanitarian Forum

What World Humanitarian Forum does

World Humanitarian Forum (WHF) is a London-headquartered, nonpartisan non-profit forum founded in 2016 that convenes heads of state, ministers, multilateral organizations, NGOs and private-sector leaders to address humanitarian aid and international development. It organizes a calendar of annual convenings (including the World Humanitarian Summit), regional meetings in Latin America, Africa and EMEA, six themed summits (Finance 4 Development, FutureMakers, Health Equity, HumAIn: AI4Good, Supply Chain Management, Women Peace Security), exclusive WHFprovocations under Chatham House rule, and side exhibitions including Aid&Trade (described as the largest humanitarian aid exhibition globally) and IDME. The platform also runs always-on digital programming through WHF Dialogues (WHFtalks on YouTube, WHFpodcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, WHFwebinars) and publishes reports and white papers documenting convening outcomes.

WHF structures its mission around three pillars — End Poverty, Educate, and Unite — and operationalizes them through a portfolio of programs: 5th Revolution Centers, the V.entures impact investment fund, WHFlearning, Educate a Girl, FutureMakers, the Changemakers initiative (including Changemaker Awards), and Sports4Good, alongside action mechanisms such as the 5th Revolution Pledge, the Before You Share Pledge, and the Alliance on Advancing Education for Girls launched with UNICEF and UNESCO. Its Global Advisory Board includes representation from UNICEF, UNESCO, Mastercard, Sesame Workshop, the British Asian Trust, IFRC, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, BCG, PwC, TGELF, Afghan Red Crescent and the Wellbeing Africa Foundation.

WHF's revenue model is that of a diversified non-profit convening platform, drawing on membership fees, corporate sponsorships, partnership contributions for specific initiatives, programmes and convenings, and donations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; all membership, sponsorship and partnership engagement routes through direct contact via the WHF website. Technology is a digital-first convening stack built on standard web, podcast, and webinar infrastructure (YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, webinar platform) rather than proprietary AI or data products, with no public APIs. Cumulative outcome metrics cited by the organization include £2.1B in total value of initiatives started, £9B in value of partnerships initiated, 100+ heads of state hosted, 37,000 in-person delegates, 1,500 hosted speakers and 3M+ outreach from convenings.

Name

World Humanitarian Forum

Legal name

World Humanitarian Forum UK

Website

https://whforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World Humanitarian Forum (WHF) is a London-based non-profit, founded in 2016, that convenes heads of state, multilateral bodies, NGOs and private-sector leaders through annual summits, regional meetings, themed summits, exhibitions and digital dialogues to advance humanitarian aid and international development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Development Forum Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid forum
• International development convening
• Humanitarian policy dialogue
• Development partnership platform
• Global summit services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: WHF operates a membership model where individuals and organizations join the community to access unique environments, connect with global leaders, and participate in partnership developments.
2. Sponsorship: Organizations that are thought leaders in positive change and creating impact can become sponsors to increase their reach and impact through WHF's global platform, playing an active role in shaping the future.
3. Partnership Contributions: Organizations partner with WHF for its initiatives, programmes or convenings, contributing to cross-sector dialogue and partnerships.
4. Donations and Support: WHF accepts donations to support general operations, described as funds for 'the cause' to support WHF's mission.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

World Humanitarian Forum is a nonpartisan forum that convenes political, business, and civil society leaders to shape global, regional, and industry agendas on humanitarian aid and international development. It functions as a "DO-TANK" — transforming dialogue into action — through annual convenings, regional meetings, themed summits, exclusive WHFprovocations, exhibitions (Aid&Trade, IDME), digital dialogues (WHFtalks, WHFpodcast, WHFwebinars), publications, and thematic programmes (V.entures, WHFlearning, Educate a Girl, Changemakers, Sports4Good, 5th Revolution Centers) under three pillars: End Poverty, Educate, and Unite.

Product overview

World Humanitarian Forum (WHF) operates as a nonpartisan convening platform for humanitarian aid and international development, structured around three interconnected pillars: END POVERTY, EDUCATE, and UNITE. The platform functions through four main sections (The Platform, The Community, The Action, The People) and delivers its mission via multiple programmatic offerings. The core products include: convenings and summits (annual WHF events, World Humanitarian Summit, Regional Meetings in Latin America/Africa/EMEA, and Themed Summits including HumAIn on AI4Good); exhibitions (Aid&Trade and IDME); digital content (WHF Dialogues comprising WHFtalks, WHFpodcast, WHFwebinars); and publications (outcome reports and white papers). WHF's initiatives include V.entures (impact investment fund), WHFlearning, Educate a Girl, Changemakers (with Changemaker Awards), Sports4Good, and 5th Revolution Centers. The Forum also drives action through pledges (5th Revolution Pledge, Before You Share Pledge) and the Alliance on Advancing Education for Girls (with UNICEF/UNESCO).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 5th Revolution Centers: Initiative implementing the 5th Revolution manifesto, part of WHF's programme of action for its mission.
• V.entures
• WHFlearning
• EDUCATE A GIRL
• FUTUREMAKERS
• CHANGEMAKERS
• SPORTS4GOOD
• WHF Dialogues
• Changemaker Awards
• 5th Revolution

Quantifiable outcome

• £2.1b in Total Value of Initiatives Started
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHF partnered with UNICEF to launch the Alliance on Advancing Education for Girls, bringing together a platform of partners and ministers on girl's education. The alliance addresses the fact that about two-thirds of the 759 million adults worldwide who lack basic literacy skills are women.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHF partnered with UNESCO to launch the Alliance on Advancing Education for Girls, working together to address barriers to education for girls around the world.
• MastercardcoreOthersMastercard is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Tara Nathan, Executive Vice President for Humanitarian & Development. The partnership contributes to strategic guidance and governance of the Forum.
• Sesame WorkshopcoreOthersSesame Workshop is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Sherrie Westin, President. The partnership brings expertise in education and child development to the Forum's governance.
• British Asian TrustcoreOthersBritish Asian Trust is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive Officer. The partnership provides strategic guidance on development and humanitarian initiatives.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)coreOthersIFRC is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Nena Stoiljkovic, Under Secretary General for Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization. The partnership provides expertise in humanitarian aid and disaster management.
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)coreOthersEBRD is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Jurgen Rigterink, First Vice-President. The partnership contributes expertise in development finance and investment.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG)coreOthersBCG is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through David Young, Managing Director & Senior Partner. The partnership provides strategic consulting expertise to the Forum.
• Wellbeing Africa FoundationcoreOthersWellbeing Africa Foundation is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through H.E. Toyin Ojora Saraki, Founder. The partnership brings African development and health expertise to the Forum.
• Afghan Red CrescentcoreOthersAfghan Red Crescent is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Fatima Gailani, Member of the Board. The partnership provides humanitarian expertise from the region.
• PwCcoreOthersPwC is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Blair Sheppard, Global Leader for Strategy & Leadership. The partnership provides strategic and leadership expertise to the Forum.
• TGELF (The Global Education & Leadership Foundation)coreOthersTGELF is represented on the WHF Global Advisory Board through Shiv Khemka, President. The partnership contributes expertise in education and leadership development.
• Aid&TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAid&Trade is the largest humanitarian aid exhibition in the world, taking place in London and New York alongside the World Humanitarian Forum. It offers opportunities to see innovations, meet suppliers, share experiences, and build partnerships.
• IDME (International Disaster Management Exhibition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDME is a major-scale exhibition showcasing equipment, technologies and services for disaster prevention, response and recovery. The exhibition supports responders in managing the aftermath of crises and natural disasters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Global Citizen Festival: A multi-stakeholder advocacy platform combining mass mobilization, celebrity engagement, and corporate sponsorship to drive commitments on poverty and development. Comparable in mobilizing cross-sector commitments and amplifying humanitarian/SDG causes, though execution model is event/entertainment-led.

Direct peers

• Skoll World Forum: Annual convening organized by the Skoll Foundation focused on social entrepreneurship and large-scale social change. Comparable in targeting partnership builders and changemakers, with thematic alignment around SDGs.
• Clinton Global Initiative: A multi-stakeholder convening initiative that convenes leaders to drive commitments on global challenges. Closely comparable as a nonpartisan forum converting high-level convening into action-oriented commitments and partnerships.
• Aspen Ideas Festival: A flagship convening of leaders across sectors to explore big ideas and global challenges. Comparable in convening format (large-scale festival with speakers, panels, networking) and elite-leader audience targeting.
• Concordia Summit: A nonpartisan convener that brings together public, private, and nonprofit leaders to build partnerships for social impact. Directly comparable in mission, multi-stakeholder model, and partnership-creation GTM.
• Devex World: A global development-focused event and media platform convening aid, development, and humanitarian professionals. Directly comparable as a development-sector convening and content platform with sponsorship/partnership monetization.

Broad incumbents

• World Economic Forum: The premier global multi-stakeholder convening platform engaging heads of state, business leaders, and civil society. Directly comparable to WHF's convening model but operating at vastly larger scale and broader thematic scope, including humanitarian and development tracks.
• UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development: The UN's central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. Comparable as the official SDG-progress convening mechanism that WHF positions its programming around.
• Reuters Events: Responsible Business: Operates large-scale convenings and content series targeting corporate sustainability, purpose, and social impact leaders. Comparable in serving the corporate purpose/sustainability sponsorship market that underwrites WHF.
• United Nations General Assembly: The primary multilateral deliberative forum where heads of state convene on global issues including humanitarian aid and development. WHF complements UNGA by providing a more action-oriented, multi-stakeholder venue outside the intergovernmental process.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/WorldHumanitarianForum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-humanitarian-forum
• Xx.com/WHForum_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Humanitarian Forum