Football for the World Foundation

What Football for the World Foundation does

Football for the World Foundation (FFTW) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 in Canada that leverages association football (soccer) to drive social impact for marginalized communities. The organization is structured as three legally separate entities: FFTW Canada (registered nonprofit without charity status, headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario), FFTW USA (registered 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska at 3535 Harney Street), and FFTW Jamaica, with operational programming extending to Kanungu, Uganda. Its mission centers on removing barriers that exclude individuals from play, specifically lack of access to equipment, lack of safe green space, and systemic exclusion driven by sexism, racism, homophobia, stereotypes, and financial constraints.

FFTW delivers impact through three core service pillars: Gear Collection & Distribution (extending the lifecycle of new and lightly used boots, balls, and equipment by collecting in donor countries and redistributing to underserved communities), Community Projects (mini-pitch initiatives that create or improve safe places for play, addressing the cited statistic that 70 percent of low-income American communities lack access to green space), and Equality & Inclusivity Programs (leagues, pickup games, tournaments, after-school programming in North and South Omaha, and coaching education). Direct service delivery in Jamaica is anchored by a partnership with Neo Oxfordreinas Academy in Kingston, which receives equipment and training gear for youth participants. In 2024, FFTW added a Hurricane Melissa Relief Response program following the storm's impact on Jamaican communities.

The organization's revenue model relies on tax-deductible charitable donations (US filers, via PayPal), merchandise sales through an online storefront ($25 bootbags, $30 collaborative jerseys with Girls Inc., Design FC, and NorthStar), and program registrations ($100 individual, $1,000 team/sponsor). A small core operational team (founder Alikhan Popat, Executive Director Joe Marinkovich, Director of Programming Mayme Conroy, Inventory & Merchandise Manager Mallory Conneally) and a six-member board (including Monica Bosiljevac and Vance Rookwood) oversee activities supported by nearly 100 volunteers, primarily in Jamaica. Technology infrastructure is minimal, consisting of a Squarespace-hosted website, Google Forms for donation intake, and PayPal for donation processing; there is no proprietary technology, API, or AI capability.

Name

Football for the World Foundation

Legal name

Football for the World Foundation

Website

https://footballfortheworld.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Football for the World Foundation is a nonprofit founded in 2014 that operates across Canada, the USA, Uganda, and Jamaica, using football (soccer) to remove participation barriers for marginalized youth. It collects and redistributes equipment, builds mini-pitches, and runs leagues and after-school programs, funded by donations and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Nonprofit / Community Sports Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs) (MPAKALAJ), Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Youth soccer nonprofit
• Sports equipment redistribution
• Community sports programs
• Inclusive football programs
• Safe play space initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Kitchener

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: FFTW operates primarily through charitable donations. Donations to FFTW-USA are tax-deductible as it is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization. The organization accepts donations designated for specific projects or initiatives.
2. Merchandise Sales: FFTW sells branded merchandise including bootbags ($25), jersey collaborations ($30), and team/sponsor registrations ($100-$1,000) through their online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Football for the World Foundation is a nonprofit organization that leverages football (soccer) to drive positive social change by removing barriers that prevent marginalized individuals or communities from gaining the benefits of play. The organization operates three core service pillars: Gear Collection & Distribution (extending the lifecycle of football equipment through a collection and redistribution network), Community Projects (creating and improving safe places for play through mini-pitch initiatives), and Equality & Inclusivity programs (leagues, pickup games, tournaments, after-school programs, and coaching education).

Product overview

Football for the World Foundation is a nonprofit organization operating across four countries (Canada, USA, Uganda, Jamaica) that leverages football (soccer) to drive positive social change. The organization offers three interconnected core service areas: Gear Collection & Distribution (equipment collection and redistribution network), Community Projects (mini-pitch initiatives and community-driven development), and Equality & Inclusivity Programs (leagues, tournaments, after-school programs, coaching education). Supporting these programs, the organization also operates a merchandise shop selling bootbags and collaborative jerseys, offers team/player registration programs, and has launched humanitarian relief initiatives such as the Hurricane Melissa Response in Jamaica. FFTW-USA is registered as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gear Collection & Distribution Equipment collection and redistribution network that extends the lifecycle of new or lightly used boots, balls, and other football/soccer equipment for recipients who cannot afford or source proper gear.
• Community Projects (Mini-Pitch Initiative) Management of community-driven projects that create, improve, and promote safe places for play, including mini-pitch initiatives to address the 70 percent of low-income communities lacking access to green space.
• Equality & Inclusivity Programs Advocacy and programming for marginalized individuals including creation of leagues, pickup games, tournaments, after-school programs, coaching education, and additional training to remove barriers such as sexism, racism, homophobia, and financial constraints.
• The World's Game Bootbag A bootbag product sold for $25.00 as part of the Gear for Good collection, designed to carry football equipment.
• NorthStar x Design FC Jersey Collaboration A collaborative jersey product priced at $30.00, part of the Design FC jersey series.
• Girls Inc. x Design FC Jersey Collaboration A collaborative jersey product with Girls Inc. priced at $30.00, part of the Design FC jersey series promoting equality and inclusivity.
• Team & Sponsor Registration Registration option for teams and sponsors to participate in FFTW programs, priced at $1,000.00.
• Individual Player Registration Registration for individual players to participate in FFTW programs, priced at $100.00.
• Hurricane Melissa Relief Response Emergency relief and rebuild initiative in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa, providing support to affected communities where opportunity for play had been eliminated.

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Neo Oxfordreinas Academy, Kingston, JamaicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFTW partners with Neo Oxfordreinas Academy to provide sports equipment and training gear to youth in Kingston, Jamaica. The academy represents FFTW's direct service delivery model in Jamaica.
• Girls Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFFTW collaborated with Girls Inc. on a jersey collaboration (Design FC Jersey Collaboration) to support girls' participation in football and raise awareness for equality initiatives.
• Design FCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFTW partnered with Design FC for jersey collaborations including NorthStar x Design FC Jersey and Girls Inc. x Design FC Jersey to generate merchandise revenue and promote FFTW's brand.
• NorthStarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFFTW collaborated with NorthStar on a jersey collaboration (NorthStar x Design FC Jersey) as part of their merchandise program.
• Noddle CompaniesminorOthersVance Rookwood, Board Member, serves as Property Manager at Noddle Companies, providing real estate/property support for FFTW operations.
• Kiewit Building GroupminorOthersSteve Gustwiller, Board Member, serves as Pre-construction Manager at Kiewit Building Group, providing construction expertise for community projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Street Football World: Global network supporting football-based social impact organizations across multiple continents. Directly comparable multi-country model focused on using football to drive social change in underserved communities.
• Coaches Across Continents: Nonprofit that partners with local organizations to deliver soccer-based education in Africa and Latin America. Comparable in using football as a vehicle for social outcomes via coaching and after-school-style programming.
• America SCORES: U.S. nonprofit combining soccer with poetry and service-learning for urban youth, including in Omaha-adjacent communities. Comparable mission of using soccer to address equity barriers faced by marginalized youth.
• Soccer Without Borders: Nonprofit that uses soccer to engage refugee, immigrant, and underserved youth in the U.S. and abroad. Highly comparable as a soccer-for-social-impact charity with after-school programming, league play, and equipment access—mirroring FFTW's youth-equity model.
• Grassroots Soccer: International nonprofit using soccer to deliver health and life-skills education to adolescents in Africa and the Americas. Comparable in combining sport-based programming with international geographic scope.
• Kick4Life: Football-for-social-change NGO operating in Lesotho and beyond. Closest analog to FFTW in combining football programming, health/education outcomes, and international grassroots operations funded by donations and merchandise.
• One World Futbol Project: Nonprofit distributing virtually indestructible soccer balls to communities in need globally. Comparable equipment-redistribution model and multi-country donor-driven model, though narrower product focus than FFTW.

Broad incumbents

• Common Goal: Global football-for-good movement and foundation linking professional players, brands, and nonprofits. Adjacent enabling organization in the football-for-impact space that channels industry resources to charities like FFTW.
• Right To Play: Established global sport-for-development organization operating programming across many countries. Comparable in mission (sport for marginalized youth) but far larger in scale and geographic reach than FFTW.

Emerging players

• The Equal Playing Field: Nonprofit leveraging sport to promote gender equity and women's empowerment, including football-led initiatives for girls. Comparable to FFTW's Girls Inc. jersey collaboration and broader equality-and-inclusivity pillar.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/football4tw
• Facebookfacebook.com/FootballForTheWorld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/football-for-the-world-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Football for the World Foundation