Activistas Constructivos

What Activistas Constructivos does

Activistas Constructivos is a non-profit foundation (Fundación) headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, founded in 2015 by Karen Manrique. It operates as an incubator for foundations, associations, Community Action Boards (JACs), and non-profit entities (ESALES) across Spanish-speaking Latin America, with a stated reach of 13 countries and a cumulative beneficiary base of 683 advised organizations plus 970 foundations participating in courses by end of 2024. The organization's core product is the Escuela en Gestión de Fundaciones (School of Foundation Management), a two-week, 20-hour live online program structured across five levels, anchored by its registered proprietary methodology Rueda Activistas®, which measures institutional growth across 20 dimensions and 6 levels and is academically endorsed by Universidad CESA.

The product stack extends from the Escuela into a multi-tier service ecosystem: Diagnóstico 360 (organizational diagnosis and personalized strengthening route), Asesorías Personalizadas (semi-annual advisory packages of ~$360,000 COP including 8 direction and 15 expert sessions), certification ceremonies, and an exclusive WhatsApp-based community for peer networking. Pricing is highly subsidized — the full program value of $5,135,000 COP is reduced to approximately $675,000 COP after volunteer and donor scholarships, with 94% of the current cohort on full scholarships. The organization supplements program revenue with a diversified funding mix: individual and corporate donations (channeled through Colombia's Special Tax Regime), international cooperation grants, and a solidarity e-commerce store selling consumer goods where 100% of proceeds fund programs.

The go-to-market is community-led, relying on weekly Noches de Activistas sessions with the founder, free symbolic-fee advisory touchpoints, a YouTube library of 80+ testimonial videos, and referrals from institutional partners including Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá, Fundación Bolívar Davivienda (Aflora Program), Mastercard corporate volunteering, CESA, Gabrica, Liga Sida Alep, and Makaia. The 17-person staff operates with a lean structure, and the organization's operating model is 100% non-profit with all surplus reinvested into mission delivery.

Name

Activistas Constructivos

Legal name

Fundación Activistas Constructivos

Website

https://activistasconstructivos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Activistas Constructivos is a Bogotá-based non-profit foundation incubator founded in 2015 that uses its proprietary Rueda Activistas® methodology to train, advise, and certify Latin American foundations, associations, JACs, and ESALES through the Escuela en Gestión de Fundaciones and solidarity commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Foundation Incubation and Advisory Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADABAO

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Bilateral Development Agencies & Aid Programs

SECONDARYFSAAABAH

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Private Banking & HNW/UHNW Wealth Management

Keywords

• Foundation incubation services
• Nonprofit advisory services
• Institutional capacity building
• Social sector consulting
• Solidarity commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

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. Program fees and symbolic contributions: Revenue from the Escuela en Gestión de Fundaciones program where beneficiaries pay symbolic co-responsibility fees (approximately $675,000 COP after scholarships). The full program value is $5,135,000 COP, with volunteer advisors and donor support subsidizing costs.
2. Donations from individuals and entities: Individual and corporate donations collected via the website (credit card, Nequi, Daviplata, PSE) and bank transfer to Bancolombia. The organization is registered in Colombia's Régimen Tributario Especial, enabling donors to receive tax benefits.
3. Product sales (solidarity commerce): Sale of solidarity products including Samsung phones, mugs, candles, utensil sets, and LED candles. All proceeds are reinvested without profit motive into programs strengthening foundations and social organizations.
4. Mixed fundraising model: Diversified revenue model including natural donors, legal entity donors, international cooperation, government funding, product sales, service sales, and co-responsibility contributions from beneficiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Activistas Constructivos is a non-profit foundation incubator that delivers the Escuela en Gestión de Fundaciones (a multi-level online school), personalized organizational advisories, the Diagnóstico 360 institutional assessment, certification programs in alliance with Universidad CESA, and a solidarity e-commerce store whose proceeds fund beneficiary scholarships. Programs are anchored by the proprietary Rueda Activistas® methodology that measures institutional growth across 20 dimensions and 6 levels, targeting foundations, associations, JACs, ESALES, and emerging social leaders across 13 Spanish-speaking Latin American countries.

Product overview

Activistas Constructivos operates as a foundation incubator offering a multi-tiered service ecosystem centered on the "Escuela en Gestión de Fundaciones" (School of Foundation Management) as its core educational product, supplemented by diagnostic, advisory, and certification services. The School is structured across 5 levels and uses the proprietary "Rueda Activistas®" methodology measuring 20 institutional dimensions. Supporting services include personalized semi-annual advisories, courses and events, and community networking. The organization also operates a social solidarity store selling consumer products (candles, mugs, kitchen utensils, technology devices) where 100% of proceeds fund the non-profit mission of strengthening foundations and social organizations across Latin America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Escuela en Gestión de Fundaciones

Quantifiable outcome

• 683 foundations strengthened with personalized advisories and measurable institutional growth through the Rueda Activistas methodology.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cámara de Comercio de BogotácoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivistas operates as a partner in programs to strengthen ESALES and competitiveness, supporting the sustainability of local foundations. The partnership enables reach into the Bogotá business community and formal sector organizations.
• Fundación Bolívar DaviviendacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the incubation of foundations for the Aflora Program, uniting forces between the ecosystem of foundations and corporate social responsibility. Activistas provides the programmatic methodology and execution.
• CESA (Centro de Estudios de Sostenibilidad Aplicada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCESA provides academic endorsement to the Escuela en Gestión de Fundaciones program. Graduates receive certification in alliance with CESA. The partnership adds credibility and institutional weight to the organization's educational programs.
• MastercardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivistas develops top-level corporate volunteering programs connecting global talent with local foundations and strengthening their social impact. The partnership channels corporate resources into foundation strengthening.
• GabricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivistas operates the Academy of Shelters (Academia de Albergues) to strengthen animal welfare foundations and their community impact. Specialized vertical program for animal rights organizations.
• Liga Sida Alep + PCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivistas conducts diagnostics for organizations working with key populations, promoting health, inclusion, and sustainability. Specialized in organizations addressing HIV/AIDS and related health issues.
• MakaiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakaia and Activistas Constructivos partnered to provide technology (Samsung Galaxy A21s smartphones) to social organizations in Colombia. Makaia supplies refurbished phones; Activistas distributes them to organizations in need, supporting digital inclusion.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• FUNDES Latin America: Latin American NGO that develops sustainable business capacity for SMEs and social organizations. Comparable as a regional capacity-building intermediary operating across multiple LATAM countries with similar advisory/training offerings.
• CEMEFI (Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía): Mexican nonprofit promoter that strengthens civil society organizations through training, certification, and networking. Comparable as a regional foundation-promotion organization with overlapping methodology, certification, and capacity-building offerings for nonprofits.

Direct peers

• NESsT: Nonprofit that incubates social enterprises in emerging markets across Latin America. Comparable as it similarly combines advisory, training, and an investment/funding pathway for mission-driven organizations in the region.
• Ashoka: Global network supporting social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Highly comparable because both organizations incubate/strengthen mission-driven leaders and organizations, with strong LATAM presence and methodology-driven programming.
• WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support): Global network of organizations supporting philanthropy and grantmakers. Comparable because it convenes and strengthens the foundation ecosystem through peer learning and capacity building, similar to Activistas’s community-led model.
• AVINA Foundation: Latin American philanthropic foundation that supports civil society leaders and social organizations across the region. Directly comparable as a regional foundation operating in the same LATAM nonprofit-strengthening space.

Broad incumbents

• Candid (formerly Foundation Center): Global nonprofit data and research organization serving the philanthropic sector. Comparable as it provides knowledge, training, and resources that strengthen foundations and nonprofits, though it operates as a broader information/research incumbent rather than a regional incubator.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): Global charity that helps donors, companies, and nonprofits distribute funds effectively. Comparable as it sits at the intersection of philanthropy advisory and charitable giving services, operating across multiple regions with a similar multi-stream approach.
• BoardSource: U.S. nonprofit focused on strengthening nonprofit leadership and governance through training, certification, and resources. Comparable as a long-established capacity-building incumbent for nonprofit boards, though U.S.-centric rather than LATAM-focused.

Emerging players

• Socialab: Latin American social innovation platform that supports impact ventures. Comparable as an emerging ecosystem player in the LATAM social-organization space, though more focused on ventures than nonprofit formalization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=SjEsK9vg_Kc&list=PLOSUSaYc39CCFL52-mbaZfm0zDQ4ugYvx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/activistas-constructivos

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Activistas Constructivos