alola foundation

What alola foundation does

Alola Foundation (Fundasaun Alola) is a Timor-Leste-based non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 2001 by Kirsty Sword Gusmão. It operates four core program verticals—Maternal and Child Health, Education, Economic Empowerment, and Advocacy—plus the HALIKU cancer awareness initiative, serving women, children, students, and rural women across multiple municipalities including Dili, Manufahi, Aileu, Bobonaro, and Ainaro. The foundation delivers services through a hybrid facility- and community-based model anchored by the SHIO (Suku Hadomi Inan no Oan) village-level volunteer network, the Women's Resource Center (WRC-Alola, operating since 2003), and partnerships with government health facilities (national hospitals, SISCa health posts, CHCs) and international bodies including the EPICC consortium led by the University of Sydney.

Its technology footprint is limited and mission-specific rather than platform-based: the HALIKU program deploys one-hour HPV testing equipment and self-collection (Autokolesaun) screening methods supplied through the EPICC partnership. The foundation also operates the Alola Mobile Library, a scholarships management workflow supporting 39 students (including beneficiaries at UNTL and UNPAZ), and a teacher training / alternative preschool initiative. There is no proprietary software platform, no API, and no mobile application.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, gift certificates, and government grants rather than commercial sales. Donations flow through PayPal, direct bank deposit to Alola Australia Ltd. (Bank Australia), and the GiveNow platform under Australian Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, making contributions above AU$2 tax-deductible. Gift certificates are sold in tiered denominations (AU$10, AU$25, AU$50, AU$75, AU$100) earmarked for specific programs such as Readers, Economic Empowerment, Education Scholarship, Women's Rights, and Maternity. Government funding comes from institutions including the Secretary of State for Equality (SEI), GASC, and the IX Constitutional Government. The organization also receives programmatic support from international partners such as Save the Children and from Australian fundraising partner organizations Blue Mountains Timor-Leste Sisters (BMETS) and Blue Mountains Together for Timor (BMTT), the latter having cumulatively raised over AU$1 million for Timorese women's programs.

Name

alola foundation

Legal name

Fundasaun Alola Timor-Leste

Website

https://alolafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alola Foundation is a Timor-Leste non-profit founded in 2001 by Kirsty Sword Gusmão, delivering maternal and child health, education, economic empowerment, and advocacy programs to women, children, and rural communities via government and community partnerships, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Women's health programs
• Education scholarships
• Economic empowerment
• Gender advocacy
• Community health volunteers

Headquarters

HQ city

Dili

HQ country

Timor-Leste

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through PayPal, direct bank deposit to Alola Australia Ltd (Bank Australia BSB: 313140, Account: 12184403), and GiveNow online platform. DGR status means donations above $2 are tax-deductible.
2. Gift Certificates: Sale of themed gift certificates (Readers, Economic Empowerment, Education Scholarship, Women's Rights, Maternity) at $10-$100 price points supporting specific programs.
3. Government Grants: Funding support from government bodies including Secretary of State for Equality (SEI) and IX Constitutional Government for specific program implementation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fundasaun Alola is a Timorese non-profit foundation that operates four integrated program pillars — Maternal and Child Health, Education, Economic Empowerment, and Advocacy — targeting women, children, and youth in Timor-Leste. It delivers services through community-based volunteer networks (SHIO), government health facilities, scholarships, mobile libraries, handicraft development, and the Women's Resource Center, and supports fundraising through Alola Australia and tax-deductible gift certificates.

Product overview

Alola Foundation (Fundasaun Alola) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 2001 by Kirsty Sword Gusmão. The organization operates a portfolio of social development programs including Maternal and Child Health, Education (scholarships, mobile library, teacher training, alternative preschool), Economic Empowerment (handicraft development, craft fair), and Advocacy (Women's Resource Center, district support). The foundation also runs HALIKU, a women's cancer awareness initiative, and offers gift certificates as donation products supporting these programs. The organization partners with Alola Australia for international fundraising support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program A comprehensive health program focusing on maternal and child welfare through facility-based and community-based approaches, including breastfeeding promotion, nutrition support, and cancer awareness for women and children in Timor-Leste.
• Education Program Program improving access to and quality of education for children and youth in Timor-Leste through scholarships, mobile library services, teacher training, and alternative preschool initiatives.
• Economic Empowerment Program Program supporting women's economic independence through handicraft development, small enterprise support, and the Alola Craft Fair initiative for rural women in Timor-Leste.
• Advocacy Program Program promoting human rights of women and children through the Women's Resource Center (WRC-Alola), district support projects, citizen forum activities, and civil registration advocacy.
• HALIKU - Women's Cancer Awareness Program Cancer prevention and awareness initiative focused on breast and cervical cancer, providing screening services (including one-hour HPV testing and self-collection) and support for women diagnosed with cancer in Timor-Leste.
• Gift Certificates Charitable gift certificates available in AU$10, AU$25, AU$50, AU$75, and AU$100 denominations supporting specific programs including education scholarships, economic empowerment, maternity services, and women's rights advocacy.
• Alola Esperansa (AE) Hope program providing support services for women and children in Timor-Leste under the Alola Foundation umbrella.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,762 women screened for cervical cancer with 266 positive cases identified and 164 receiving treatment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EPICC (Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2026Large-scale partnership led by University of Sydney (Australia) and funded by Australian Government alongside Minderoo Foundation. Assists Timor-Leste Ministry of Health in establishing modern cervical cancer detection and treatment systems. Provides advanced HPV testing technology with one-hour results and self-collection methods.
• Secretary of State for Equality (SEI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting advocacy programs and GBV prevention initiatives. Provides funding and institutional support for the Prevention Pillar of the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence.
• Save the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational NGO partner implementing Maternal and Child Health programs in Manufahi municipality through Programa Hamutuk.
• Ministry of Justice (Timor-Leste)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry working with Advocacy Working Group on Civil Registration Code reforms to protect children victims of incest and sexual violence.
• Alola AustraliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian-based organization (Alola Australia Ltd.) facilitating international donations, managing DGR status for tax-deductible giving, and coordinating fundraising activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marie Stopes International (now MSI Reproductive Choices): Focused on women's reproductive health, cervical cancer screening, and family planning in low-resource settings; closely aligned with Alola's HALIKU cancer awareness and MCH programs.
• Women for Women International: Specializes in social and economic empowerment of women survivors of conflict in low-income countries; directly comparable to Alola's handicraft/economic empowerment and GBV advocacy work.

Broad incumbents

• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): Global health access organization working on HPV/cervical cancer screening scale-up in low- and middle-income countries; adjacent to Alola's HALIKU work via shared methodology and donor ecosystems.
• CARE International: Global humanitarian organization with deep focus on women and girls' empowerment, maternal health, and economic empowerment in low-income countries; closely mirrors Alola's integrated four-pillar approach.
• Plan International: Global NGO focused on children's rights, girls' education, and women's empowerment; highly comparable to Alola's education, advocacy, and youth programs, though operating at much larger global scale.
• Save the Children: International NGO delivering maternal and child health, education, and child protection programs; directly comparable to Alola's MCH and education pillars, and already an active Alola program partner in Manufahi.
• UNICEF Timor-Leste: UN agency focused on child survival, education, and protection; already co-advocates with Alola on breastfeeding legislation in Timor-Leste and runs overlapping MCH and education programs.
• World Vision Timor-Leste: Large faith-based INGO operating community development, child sponsorship, health, and education programs in Timor-Leste; directly competes for municipal-level partnerships and donor funding.

Others

• Minderoo Foundation: Australian philanthropic foundation co-funding the EPICC cervical cancer program in which Alola is an implementing partner; relevant as a comparable Indo-Pacific grantmaker and potential co-funder.

Regional players

• Baucau Diocese Social Commission (Caritas Timor-Leste): Local Timor-Leste NGO delivering community-based health, education, and livelihoods programs; directly comparable in scale, geography, and program mix to Alola Foundation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/alolafoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB0nT8Zs5FutSdf2Sz_GhPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/fundasaun.alola
• Instagraminstagram.com/alola_foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alola-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about alola foundation