Fundasaun Alola

What Fundasaun Alola does

Fundasaun Alola is a Timor-Leste-based, non-government, not-for-profit civil society organization founded in 2001 by Kirsty Sword Gusmão, the former First Lady of Timor-Leste. The organization delivers a portfolio of community programs targeting women and children, structured around four core pillars: Maternal and Child Health (including facility-based care, community-based interventions, breastfeeding promotion, and the HALIKU cancer awareness and screening initiative); Education (scholarships, a mobile library, teacher training, and alternative preschool); Economic Empowerment (handicraft development, the Alola Craft Fair, and rural women's livelihood programs); and Advocacy (the Women's Resource Center / SRF-Alola and district support projects under a government-mandated role on gender-based violence prevention since 2013). Operations reach across multiple municipalities including Dili, Manufahi, Bobonaro, Aileu, Atauro, and Ainaro, with grassroots delivery anchored by the SHIO (Suku Hadomi Inan no Oan) village volunteer network.

The organization has no proprietary technology product; its technical footprint consists of digital donation infrastructure (website, PayPal, GiveNow, bank deposit) and clinical screening technology introduced through its EPICC partnership, which provides one-hour HPV test results and self-collection methods at the Vera Cruz Clinic. Documented operational scale includes 1,762 women screened for HPV with 266 positive cases identified and 164 receiving treatment, 39 students supported in the 2026 scholarship cohort, 60 SHIO members reactivated in Manufahi, and over $1 million USD cumulatively raised by Australian diaspora partners.

Fundasaun Alola's revenue model is donation-driven rather than commercial. It receives tax-deductible contributions via Alola Australia Ltd. (a sister organization with DGR status enabling AUD $2+ donations to be tax-deductible), direct government grants (notably from GASC and the Secretary of State for Equality), international institutional funding (UNICEF, EPICC/Australian Government), and grassroots giving including $10–$100 AUD gift certificates and proceeds from annual fundraising events such as the HALIKU Gala Dinner. No audited revenue figure is publicly disclosed.

Name

Fundasaun Alola

Legal name

Fundasaun Alola

Website

https://alolafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundasaun Alola is a Timor-Leste non-profit founded in 2001 by former First Lady Kirsty Sword Gusmão, delivering maternal health, education, economic empowerment, advocacy, and cancer screening programs to women and children across multiple municipalities via SHIO village volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Social Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG), International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Maternal health programs
• Women's empowerment services
• Education scholarships
• Community development
• Cancer awareness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mercado Lama, Dili

HQ country

Timor-Leste

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Fundasaun Alola operates as a not-for-profit, non-government organization funded primarily through donations. The organization has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, making donations above $2 tax-deductible for Australian donors. Regular giving programs allow monthly donations via PayPal, GiveNow, or bank transfer. Donations are also raised through Alola Australia Ltd. with funds channeled to programs in Timor-Leste.
2. Gift Certificates: Alola Australia in partnership with Fundasaun Alola offers gift certificates that support development programs. Certificates are available at various price points ($10, $25, $50, $75, $100) in categories including Education Scholarship, Economic Empowerment, Maternity, Women's Rights, and General. These are sold as e-cards via email and serve as both donations and tangible gift options.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including the HALIKU Gala Dinner (breast cancer awareness) and general fundraising activities organized by Fundasaun Alola and Alola Australia. Past events include gala dinners held in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fundasaun Alola is a not-for-profit, non-government foundation established in 2001 that delivers social programs for women and children in Timor-Leste. Its core offerings span maternal and child health, education scholarships and teacher training, economic empowerment through handicraft development, women's rights advocacy, and breast and cervical cancer awareness (HALIKU). The organization funds these programs through donations, gift certificates, and grants raised in Timor-Leste and via its sister entity Alola Australia.

Product overview

Fundasaun Alola is a not-for-profit, non-government organization established in 2001 by Kirsty Sword Gusmão, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on improving the lives of women and children in Timor-Leste. The core programs include the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program addressing health at national and municipal levels, the Education Program providing scholarships and teacher training, the Economic Empowerment Program supporting handicraft development and livelihoods, the Advocacy Program through the Women's Resource Center (WRC-Alola), and the HALIKU cancer awareness initiative. The organization also offers gift certificates as donation products and maintains a sister organization in Australia (Alola Australia) for fundraising support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HALIKU: Women's cancer awareness and support program focusing on breast and cervical cancer prevention, early detection, and survivor support
• Alola Esperansa (AE)
• Women's Resource Center (WRC/SRF-Alola)
• Grupu Suku Hadomi Inan no Oan (SHIO)
• Alola Australia

Products and services

• Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program A comprehensive health program for women and children in Timor-Leste covering breastfeeding promotion, facility-based maternal care, community-based interventions, and nutrition support at national and municipal levels.
• Education Program Program improving quality and access to education in Timor-Leste through scholarships for disadvantaged students, mobile library services, teacher training, and alternative preschool education.
• Economic Empowerment Program Program focused on improving rural women's livelihoods through handicraft development, preservation of traditional Timorese crafts, small-scale enterprise support, and the Alola Craft Fair marketplace.
• Advocacy Program Program promoting human rights of women and children in Timor-Leste through the Women's Resource Center (WRC-Alola) and district support projects addressing gender-based violence.
• HALIKU Women's Cancer Awareness Program Cancer prevention and awareness initiative providing early detection services, HPV testing with one-hour results, self-collection screening methods, and survivor support for breast and cervical cancer.
• Alola Gift Certificates Donation gift certificates available in fixed denominations ($10, $25, $50, $75, $100 AUD) supporting specific program areas including Readers Certificate for schools, Education Scholarship, Economic Empowerment, Maternity, Women's Rights, and General support, delivered as e-cards via email.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39 students supported in scholarship program (2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EPICC (Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Large-scale partnership led by University of Sydney (Australia) and funded by Australian Government alongside Minderoo Foundation. EPICC assists Timor-Leste Ministry of Health in establishing modern cervical cancer detection and treatment systems. Through this initiative, Timor-Leste now uses advanced HPV testing technology providing results within one hour, and has introduced Self-Collection methods.
• Save the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization previously partnered with Fundasaun Alola in Manufahi municipality through the Hamutuk Program for maternal and child health implementation.
• PHD (Partnership for Human Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting maternal and child health programs in Manufahi municipality alongside Fundasaun Alola through the Hamutuk Program.
• Alola Australia Ltd.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAustralian sister organization of Fundasaun Alola that raises funds, sells gift certificates, organizes fundraising events, and coordinates international donor support. Alola Australia has DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status enabling tax-deductible donations. The organization has held annual gala fundraising dinners and coordinates with Australian supporters.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fundasaun Haforsa Dezenvolvementu ba Ema Feto (FATO): Timor-Leste-based women's rights and empowerment NGO. Operates in the same geography with comparable focus on gender advocacy, women's empowerment, and donor-supported program delivery.
• Women for Women International: Global NGO focused on women's economic empowerment, health, and rights in conflict-affected and low-income settings. Comparable through women's rights advocacy, economic empowerment (Tais handicraft parallel to skill training), and survivor support programming.
• Alola Australia Ltd. Australian sister organization that channels donations and gift certificate sales to Fundasaun Alola programs. Operates the same mission, brand, and beneficiary base from the donor side; effectively a fundraising peer rather than a competitor.
• Bairo Pite Clinic: Dili-based community health clinic providing maternal and primary care to Timorese populations. Operates in the same geography, similar grassroots health delivery model, and overlapping beneficiary base as Fundasaun Alola's MCH program.

Broad incumbents

• World Vision Timor-Leste: Large international NGO running child sponsorship, health, and education programs across Timor-Leste. Comparable through multi-sector program portfolio, community-based delivery, and Australian donor base overlap.
• Save the Children Timor-Leste: International NGO previously partnered with Fundasaun Alola in Manufahi through the Hamutuk Program for maternal and child health. Comparable across MCH delivery, education support, and community volunteer mobilization in Timor-Leste.
• Marie Stopes International (Timor-Leste): Reproductive and maternal health NGO operating across the Indo-Pacific. Comparable through women's health focus, clinical service delivery, and donor-supported program model in low-income country contexts.
• CARE International (Timor-Leste): Major international humanitarian organization with programs spanning women's empowerment, maternal health, and education in low-income countries including Timor-Leste. Comparable through donor-funded integrated program model and gender-focused programming.
• UNICEF Timor-Leste: UN agency actively partnering with Fundasaun Alola on breastfeeding legislation and MCH programs in Timor-Leste. Comparable as a larger institution operating across maternal/child health, education, and advocacy in the same country context.

Regional players

• Health Alliance International: NGO focused on strengthening health systems in low-income settings, including Timor-Leste. Comparable through maternal health programming, government partnership model, and grant-dependent funding structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 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/fundasaun-alola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundasaun Alola