Ankarstiftelsen
Ankarstiftelsen is a Swedish charitable foundation founded in 1996 that delivers long-term humanitarian programs — school construction, water access, health brigades, football-for-peace, and prison rehabilitation — in Colombia and Sweden, funded primarily through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and institutional grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersTibro, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ankarstiftelsen does
Ankarstiftelsen is a Swedish charitable foundation (stiftelse) founded in 1996 by Börje Erdtman and Sven Bergholm, headquartered in Tibro, Sweden, with a Colombian subsidiary (Fundación Ancla Colombia) formed in December 2024 in Bogotá. The organization runs long-term humanitarian programs in Colombia, parts of the broader region (Brazil, Venezuela, Peru) and Sweden, structured around four pillars: education (300+ schools built over ~30 years, scholarships, microloans, foster child sponsorship, after-school programs), health and water (water purification systems reaching 14,682+ people, mobile health brigades, cleft-palate surgeries), peace and reconciliation (football-for-peace programs in former FARC ETCR areas, restorative justice, the ENPAZ peace-education pilot), and prison rehabilitation (17,557 program completions in Colombia, plus PFS Prison Fellowship Sverige launched in 2020 working inside Swedish correctional facilities in cooperation with Kriminalvården).
The foundation operates no proprietary technology platform; program delivery is human-intensive and field-based, executed through in-country staff and a network of local partners including Fundación Kunna, Entropika, JUCUM, ACICDIT, and PFC. The only operational technology surfaces are a donation e-commerce portal (betalning.ankarstiftelsen.se) supporting one-time, recurring, commemorative, and testamentary gifts, and a social-enterprise construction secondhand store (Byggsecondhand) in Sollentuna whose proceeds fund Colombian projects.
Revenue comes entirely from philanthropic sources: individual donations (one-time, monthly, commemorative, testamentary), three-tier corporate sponsorship (Bronze 25K SEK, Silver 50K SEK, Gold 100K SEK annually), institutional grants (notably 1.1M SEK from UEFA Foundation for Children in 2024 and 2.3M SEK from Postkodstiftelsen for 2024-2025), and proceeds from the secondhand store and volunteer travel programs. No financial figures are publicly disclosed. The foundation is a member of Giva Sverige (January 2026), holds Swedish 90-account certification, and in December 2024 received Colombia's Orden de la Democracia Simón Bolívar en el Grado Cruz Comendador from the national Congress.
Ankarstiftelsen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ankarstiftelsen
- Legal name
- Ankarstiftelsen
- Website
- https://ankarstiftelsen.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ankarstiftelsen is a Swedish charitable foundation founded in 1996 that delivers long-term humanitarian programs — school construction, water access, health brigades, football-for-peace, and prison rehabilitation — in Colombia and Sweden, funded primarily through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and institutional grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ankarstiftelsen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Aid Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)
Keywords
Where Ankarstiftelsen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tibro
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ankarstiftelsen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual givers, including monthly giving subscriptions, one-time gifts, commemorative donations, and testamentary bequests. This is the primary revenue stream for funding all project activities.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Three-tiered corporate sponsorship program (Bronze 25,000 SEK, Silver 50,000 SEK, Gold 100,000 SEK per year) providing logo placement, event tickets, and concert access in return for企业的支持。
- Build-Secondhand Retail: Construction secondhand store in Sollentuna, Sweden that sells donated surplus building materials. Net revenues go directly to charity projects in Colombia.
- Foundation and Institutional Grants: Funding from institutional donors such as UEFA Foundation for Children (1.1 million SEK), Postkodstiftelsen (2.3 million SEK over two years), and other grant-making organizations supporting specific projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Bronze corporate sponsor — 25,000 SEK per year |
| Other | Annual | Silver corporate sponsor — 50,000 SEK per year |
| Other | Annual | Gold corporate sponsor — 100,000 SEK per year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Ankarstiftelsen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ankarstiftelsen runs long-term, rights-based humanitarian programs in Colombia, neighboring countries, and Sweden, including school construction (300+ schools built), water access installations (42 systems in 26 communities), health brigades, child sponsorship, microloans, scholarships, peacebuilding through football, and prison rehabilitation through its PFS program. Operations are funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorship tiers, foundation grants, and proceeds from a construction secondhand store.
Product overview
Ankarstiftelsen is a Swedish charitable foundation (Insamlingsstiftelsen Ankarit) conducting long-term sustainable aid operations with a strong rights perspective for people in need in Colombia, neighboring countries, and Sweden. The organization operates multiple interconnected humanitarian programs including school construction, water access projects, health brigades, microfinance, foster child sponsorship, and peacebuilding initiatives. In Colombia, major programs include the 300+ schools built nationwide, water installations serving over 14,600 people, and football-for-peace programs. In Sweden, the PFS (Prison Fellowship Sverige) program provides motivation and reintegration support to prisoners. The foundation also operates Fundación Ancla Colombia as a legally recognized Colombian subsidiary, and maintains a construction secondhand store (Byggsecondhand) in Sollentuna with proceeds supporting Colombia operations. The portfolio is funded through individual donors, corporate sponsors (Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers), foundation grants (UEFA Foundation for Children, Postkodstiftelsen), and volunteer travel programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Skolor (Schools) Construction and maintenance of schools in remote areas of Colombia, providing education access to children in underserved communities. Schools serve as community gathering points.
- Fadderbarn (Foster Child Sponsorship) Child sponsorship program providing children in vulnerable areas with school support, healthy leisure activities, and pathways to develop their talents.
- Mikrolån (Microloans) Financial support program providing microloans to individuals to start or expand small businesses, enabling families to improve their livelihoods sustainably.
- Stipendier (Scholarships) Educational scholarships enabling children from vulnerable backgrounds to attend private schools and pursue higher education opportunities.
- Vatten (Water Projects) Water access programs including installation of water purification systems, water tanks, and membrane filters providing clean drinking water to rural and peri-urban communities in Colombia.
- Hälsobrigader (Health Brigades) Mobile health units bringing medical care including doctors, dentists, nurses, and volunteers to remote Colombian communities where healthcare is inaccessible.
- Fotboll (Football Programs) Football schools and programs using sport as a tool for peace, social integration, and crime prevention, including Football for Peace and The Green Side – Football Against Crime initiatives.
- PFS - Prison Fellowship Sverige (PFS - Prison Work Sweden) Swedish prison work program (Prison Fellowship Sverige) targeting 10-20 correctional facilities weekly with motivation programs, individual coaching, and post-release support for 200-400 clients annually, focusing on employment, housing, and healthy relationships.
- Fängelsearbete (Prison Work) Rehabilitation programs in Colombian prisons offering motivation groups, individual support, and reintegration assistance for prisoners and former combatants.
- Trädplantering (Tree Planting) Environmental program planting trees including moringa trees to promote reconciliation and environmental sustainability in Colombian communities.
- Reparativ rättvisa (Restorative Justice) Restorative justice program bringing victims and offenders together through structured dialogue to facilitate genuine reconciliation.
- Barn som lever i utsatthet (Children Living in Vulnerability) After-school and community center programs, including Pa' Mi Barrio and Ankla Center, providing safe spaces, homework help, and music, dance, and sports activities for vulnerable children.
- LKG-spalt (Cleft Lip/Palate) Medical support program for children born with cleft lip and palate, providing necessary medical interventions in Colombia.
- Biologisk mångfald (Biodiversity) Environmental conservation work in collaboration with Entropika, focusing on protecting biodiversity in the Colombian-Peruvian Amazon region through education and alternative livelihoods.
- ENPAZ Project Peace education pilot project teaching students in northern Colombia about peace and reconciliation, with plans to potentially make peace education mandatory in all grades.
- Halvvägshus (Halfway Houses) Transition housing support for individuals completing prison sentences, helping them reintegrate into society with focus on employment and stable housing.
- Byggsecondhand (Construction Secondhand) Recycled building materials store in Sollentuna, Sweden (Bergkällavägen 30) accepting surplus new and used construction materials, with proceeds funding charity work in Colombia.
- Resor (Volunteer Travel Programs) Voluntourism trips to Colombia allowing participants to combine volunteer work with cultural experiences, including school construction, health brigades, and immersion in local communities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300 schools built in Colombia over ~30 years
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Ankarstiftelsen
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ankarstiftelsen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ankarstiftelsen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- JUCUM (Youth for Christ Colombia)coreLong-term partnership with JUCUM providing education, psychosocial support, and healthy leisure activities to vulnerable children and youth in Colombia. JUCUM runs an boarding program for 23 children, achieves 86% school pass rates, and conducts health brigades reaching 600 people. Ankarstiftelsen provides funding and support.
- Entropika (Fundación Entropika)corePartnership for water projects, biodiversity conservation, and indigenous community support in the Colombia-Peru Amazon region. Entropika conducts anti-corruption citizen oversight, anti-poaching workshops, water filter installation, and participated in COP16 with Ankarstiftelsen's support. Ingridd serves as water project contact person.
- Fundación KunnacoreLocal Colombian partner implementing football schools and local leagues in four ETCR areas in northern Antioquia. Goal is to integrate children of former FARC combatants with local children through shared football activities, reaching 413 children in 2022 with 35% girls. Also implements psychosocial diagnostic and support services.
- ACICDIT (Agencia de Cooperación Internacional Colombo-Canadiense para el Desarrollo Integral Territorial)minorPartner in the ENPAZ peace education pilot project in northern Colombia, led by Maria Gyllensvärd. ACICDIT provides operational support through its board member Cesar Gomez for the 10-week peace education program reaching 80 students at Laureano Martínez school.
- Bajen Fans ColombiaminorPartner organization in the 'The Green Side – Football Against Crime' project in Medellín, contributing to community outreach and youth engagement in gang-affected areas.
- Prison Fellowship International (PFI)minorInternational network that PFS (Ankarstiftelsen's Swedish prison program) collaborates with to support clients who, after release, are returning to their home countries. Provides cross-border reintegration coordination.
- Kriminalvården (Swedish Prison and Probation Service)coreOfficial cooperation with the Swedish correctional system for the PFS prison motivation and reintegration program. PFS operates inside Swedish prisons and detention facilities, delivering group motivation programs and individual coaching to inmates.
- Batallón de Acción Integral y Apoyo No. 1 (Colombian National Army)minorColombian army battalion that works alongside Ankarstiftelsen volunteers in building schools at ETCR sites. Soldiers contributed labor and logistics to construction projects such as the Dogge and Rigo school in Tierra Grata.
- Fe en Colombia (Presidential Program)minorColombian presidential social program collaborating on school construction projects in rural communities, particularly in the Cesar department.
- Colombia's Presidential Spouse's OfficeminorOffice of Colombia's First Lady collaborated on trips and project visits in 2024, supporting Ankarstiftelsen's work and participating in school inauguration events.
- Fundación Ancla ColombiacoreOfficially formed on December 10, 2024 as the legally recognized Colombian affiliate of Ankarstiftelsen. This new structure strengthens the organization's ability to expand humanitarian programs and provide education, basic services, and social development to vulnerable communities under Colombian law.
- Giva SverigeminorJoined as official member in January 2026. Giva Sverige is Sweden's industry body for non-profit organizations, providing quality assurance, network access, professional development, and events for member organizations.
- Svenska Missionsrådet (Swedish Mission Council)minorSupported Entropika's participation at COP16, providing backing for the presentation on wildlife protection strategies at the Colombia-Peru border.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ankarstiftelsen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MyRight: Swedish disability-rights development NGO. Comparable Swedish donor-funded international development organization, broader portfolio but similar Swedish non-profit funding model.
Direct peers
- KRIS (Kriminellas Revansch i Samhället): Swedish ex-prisoner peer-support organization. Direct peer to Ankarstiftelsen's PFS (Prison Fellowship Sverige) reintegration and halfway-house work in Swedish correctional facilities.
- Läkarmissionen (LM International): Swedish faith-rooted aid organization funding health, water, and education projects in developing countries — closely comparable to Ankarstiftelsen's health brigades, water, and school programs.
- Erikshjälpen: Swedish nonprofit running second-hand retail (including construction reuse) and international aid projects. Highly comparable to Ankarstiftelsen's Byggsecondhand store and Colombia footprint.
- We Effect: Swedish cooperative development organization working on housing, land rights, and rural development in Latin America. Comparable grantmaking and rural infrastructure focus.
- Diakonia: Swedish development NGO funding long-term rights-based programs in Latin America, including Colombia. Direct peer in grantmaking-driven international development with rights-based framing.
- Svenska Missionsrådet (Swedish Mission Council): Umbrella body for Swedish mission organizations; Ankarstiftelsen already partners with it. Comparable Swedish-rooted development/mission funder ecosystem.
- Stiftelsen Barnfonden: Swedish child-focused development foundation running sponsorship and education programs in multiple countries. Direct peer to Ankarstiftelsen's fadderbarn, scholarships, and school construction work.
- WaterAid Sweden: Swedish affiliate of global water-access NGO. Directly comparable to Ankarstiftelsen's Vatten (water) program serving 14,600+ people in rural Colombia.
Regional players
- Fundación Avina: Latin American grantmaking foundation focused on sustainable development and peacebuilding. Regional peer for Ankarstiftelsen's Colombia-based peace, water, and biodiversity work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ankarstiftelsen social profiles
Digital presenceAnkarstiftelsen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ankarstiftelsen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Ankarstiftelsen subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ankarstiftelsen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ankarstiftelsen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ankarstiftelsen
What does Ankarstiftelsen do?
Ankarstiftelsen runs long-term, rights-based humanitarian programs in Colombia, neighboring countries, and Sweden, including school construction (300+ schools built), water access installations (42 systems in 26 communities), health brigades, child sponsorship, microloans, scholarships, peacebuilding through football, and prison rehabilitation through its PFS program. Operations are funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorship tiers, foundation grants, and proceeds from a construction secondhand store.
Is Ankarstiftelsen a public or private company?
Ankarstiftelsen is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ankarstiftelsen founded?
Ankarstiftelsen was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ankarstiftelsen based?
Ankarstiftelsen is headquartered in Tibro, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Ankarstiftelsen make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship, build-Secondhand Retail and foundation and Institutional Grants.
Who are Ankarstiftelsen's main competitors?
MyRight is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are KRIS (Kriminellas Revansch i Samhället), Läkarmissionen (LM International), Erikshjälpen, We Effect, Diakonia, Svenska Missionsrådet (Swedish Mission Council), Stiftelsen Barnfonden and WaterAid Sweden. Fundación Avina is listed as a regional player.
Does Ankarstiftelsen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ankarstiftelsen.
What industry is Ankarstiftelsen in?
Ankarstiftelsen's product category is Humanitarian Aid Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations, with a secondary code of EDADALAB, International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.