United People Global

What United People Global does

United People Global (UPG) is a Geneva-registered non-profit foundation (CHE-407.035.390) founded in 2018, operating a global community platform whose mission is to encourage and enable people from all walks of life to contribute to making the world a better place. The organisation is structured around four pillars (Awareness, Belief, Collaboration, Community) and delivers programming through a portfolio of sub-brands: UPG Biashara (entrepreneurship Learning and Action Journeys), UPG Sustainability Leadership (citizen sustainability training in partnership with the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership), Goodwill Vows (conditional donation platform), UPG Learning Lab and UPG Learning Lab Plus (online and premium skills education), the Empowered People Index (EPI, a country-level ranking of citizen empowerment), the Youth Skills Gap Initiative, Wazee (a living library of elder wisdom), and UPG Beautiful (annual publication). UPG has trained over 106,000 citizens on the UN SDGs in local community sessions since 2019.

The technology surface is a non-proprietary digital community stack: the unitedpeople.global web platform, the community forum (forum.unitedpeople.global), a learning management system powering UPG Learning Lab and Learning Lab Plus, and the EPI ranking site. No APIs, SDKs, or proprietary technology products are disclosed. Distribution is community-led and event-driven, with a recurring calendar of Townhalls, United Voices sessions, pilgrimages to Hurricane Island (Maine) and Brazil, and the annual UPG Thanksgiving.

UPG monetises through a diversified non-profit revenue mix: tiered Champion contributions (individuals CHF 50 to CHF 10,000/year; organisations CHF 250 to CHF 5,000/year), unrestricted donations (with a stated 99% pass-through to activities), programme-specific grants (including the USD 20,000 Diamonds Do Good Entrepreneurship Grant for Angola entrepreneurs), UPG Shop transactions (raffle tickets from CHF 2, Biashara application fees, partnership contributions), and Goodwill Vows conditional donations. Membership is free, with fee waivers available. Customers are primarily individual sustainability advocates, entrepreneurs (notably in developing markets), youth/young professionals, and organisational Champions across Switzerland, Brazil, Angola, the USA, and additional countries worldwide.

Name

United People Global

Legal name

Fondation United People Global

Website

https://unitedpeople.global

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United People Global is a Geneva-registered non-profit foundation that operates a global community platform running entrepreneurship, sustainability, and citizen-empowerment programmes through sub-brands including UPG Biashara, UPG Sustainability Leadership, Goodwill Vows, and the UPG Learning Lab.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community engagement and citizen sustainability programs

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Community engagement platform
• Sustainability leadership training
• Entrepreneurship support programs
• Online learning community
• Nonprofit foundation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Champion Contributions: Champions are individuals and organisations who make a financial commitment to support UPG's mission. Individual contributions start at CHF 50 per year (approx. USD 50), with higher tiers including Advocate (CHF 100), Defender (CHF 250), Warrior (CHF 500), Knight (CHF 1,000), and Supporter (CHF 10,000). Organisation contributions range from CHF 250 to CHF 5,000 per year depending on type and size.
2. Donations: UPG accepts donations from individuals and organisations. Donations are not tied to any demands; UPG commits 99% of donation amounts to go directly to supporting UPG activities, with only 1% supporting administrative costs.
3. Grants: Grants provide financial support for UPG to conduct specific activities or to have an impact on specific thematic issues. Funds are used only for the specified purpose.
4. Application Fees and Shop Sales: UPG charges application fees for UPG Biashara programme participation. The UPG Shop sells raffle tickets for UPG Thanksgiving (from CHF 2), handles champion contribution payments, and accepts partnership contributions to support specific activities.
5. Programme-Specific Funding: UPG receives specific funding for programmes, such as the Diamonds Do Good Entrepreneurship Grant offering up to USD 20,000 to Angola entrepreneurs via UPG Biashara, with priority access provided to the programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

United People Global is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation that runs a global community platform and a portfolio of programs to help individuals and organisations contribute to making the world a better place and supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its core offerings are citizenship and sustainability programs (UPG Sustainability Leadership, UPG Sustainability Pilgrimage), entrepreneurship support (UPG Biashara), online learning (UPG Learning Lab and UPG Learning Lab Plus), conditional philanthropy (Goodwill Vows), the Empowered People Index, plus a community forum and events. Membership is free; the organization is funded by Champion contributions, donations, and grants.

Product overview

United People Global (UPG) operates as a community platform with multiple interconnected programs focused on empowering people to make the world better. The core offerings include UPG Biashara (entrepreneurship support with Learning and Action Journeys), UPG Sustainability Leadership (citizen sustainability training), Goodwill Vows (philanthropy platform), UPG Learning Lab (free online skills lessons), and UPG Learning Lab Plus (premium paid learning experiences). Supporting programs include the Empowered People Index (country empowerment ranking), Youth Skills Gap Initiative, Wazee (elders wisdom library), COVID-19 Action Hub, and UPG Beautiful (annual positive stories publication). Additional initiatives cover Peace For Palestine and United For Ukraine. The organization is structured around four pillars: Awareness, Belief, Collaboration, and Community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UPG Biashara: An initiative supporting entrepreneurs in their journey to turn ideas into businesses, comprising a Learning Journey and an Action Journey with life-long support.
• UPG Sustainability Leadership
• Goodwill Vows
• UPG Learning Lab
• UPG Learning Lab Plus
• Empowered People Index (EPI)
• COVID-19 Action Hub
• Youth Skills Gap
• Wazee

Quantifiable outcome

• 106,000+ citizens trained on SDGs since 2019

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and notable.

• Hurricane Island Center for Science and LeadershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPG Sustainability Leadership flagship training takes place in partnership with the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. Training sessions are conducted in separate cohorts and on Hurricane Island in Maine, where participants spend 5 days learning and preparing for their mandate. This partnership is central to UPG's sustainability mission and was initiated following a 2018 conversation between Rosamund Zander and UPG President Yemi Babington-Ashaye, who arranged for UPG and the Hurricane Island Center to work together.
• Diamonds Do GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiamonds Do Good provides the Entrepreneurship Grant of up to USD 20,000 for Angola entrepreneurs, with priority access to UPG Biashara programme. The grant aims to enhance entrepreneurial skills, expand networks, and provide capital to foster sustainable business growth. Applications are open until December 31, 2025.
• Rosamund ZanderflagshipOthersRosamund Zander (Stone Zander), celebrated landscape painter, best-selling author, and philanthropist, served as Founding and Flagship Partner of the UPG Sustainability Leadership movement. She funded activities resulting from the partnership between UPG and Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. She is recognised as a Patron Saint of the #UPGSustainability movement and passed away in 2023.
• The EldersnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraça Machel, Chair of UPG's Board of Trustees, is a founding member of The Elders alongside her late husband Nelson Mandela. The Elders is an independent group of global leaders working for peace, justice, and human rights.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Volunteers (UNV): UN entity that mobilises volunteers for peace and development. Operates at much larger scale but overlaps directly with UPG Sustainability Leadership's citizen-training mandate around the SDGs.
• Skoll Foundation: Major foundation funding social entrepreneurs and systemic change. Comparable in the broader civic-impact / social-entrepreneurship space that UPG Biashara targets, though at far larger scale and grantmaking focus.

Direct peers

• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Comparable to UPG Biashara in supporting entrepreneurs as a vehicle for positive social impact.
• Idealist: Online community connecting people to volunteer opportunities, jobs, and action in the social-impact space. Comparable to UPG as a digital hub for socially minded individuals seeking ways to contribute.
• VolunteerMatch: Largest US volunteer-matching network connecting people to local nonprofit opportunities. Overlaps with UPG's community-driven mobilisation model for citizen participation in causes.
• Global Citizen: Global civic-action platform mobilising individuals around the UN SDGs through campaigns, events, and high-profile advocacy. Most directly comparable to UPG on global citizen engagement around sustainability and development goals.
• Points of Light: Global volunteer and civic-engagement nonprofit running a large network of community-based volunteer leaders. Comparable to UPG Sustainability Leadership in activating trained volunteers for local impact.
• GlobalGiving: Global crowdfunding marketplace connecting donors with grassroots social-impact projects worldwide. Comparable to UPG's grantmaking-style programmes (e.g., Diamonds Do Good Entrepreneurship Grant) and community-of-champions giving model.
• DoSomething: Youth-focused nonprofit mobilising young people around social causes via digital campaigns. Closely comparable to UPG's youth-skills, sustainability, and citizen-leadership pillars targeting under-35 audiences.

Emerging players

• Peace Direct: NGO supporting local peacebuilders globally. Comparable as a community-driven platform for grassroots peace and citizen action — partially overlapping with UPG's United For Ukraine and Peace For Palestine initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unitedpeople36
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UnitedPeopleGlobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedpeopleglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unitedpeopleglobal
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedpeopleglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 United People Global