Distribute Aid
Distribute Aid is a Sweden-registered nonprofit founded in 2017 that operates humanitarian logistics coordination, connecting donors with 175+ grassroots partner organizations across 18 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. It builds open-source technology tools and runs programs including the ASSORT standards and HRT harm reduction kits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNot specified, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Distribute Aid does
Distribute Aid is a Sweden-registered nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2017 that operates as a humanitarian logistics intermediary connecting donors with frontline grassroots aid organizations. The organization coordinates the movement of food, medicine, clothing, shelter supplies, and specialized items to populations affected by war, displacement, and natural disasters across 18 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Its active programs include European Refugee Support, Levant Response (Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza, West Bank), US Disaster Preparedness, and the recently launched HRT Harm Reduction Toolkit serving transgender individuals in the US. The organization has delivered $29M+ in cumulative aid value, 248 truckloads, and 9M+ items between July 2020 and June 2025, working with a network of 175+ partner organizations.
The organization has built a proprietary open-source technology stack to support its logistics operations, including a public website (TypeScript, Next.js, React, Radix UI, Tailwind), a Needs Assessment Platform built on Postgres and Strapi for low-code field surveys, a Shipment Data Reporting Pipeline with a public API for impact statistics, and a Documentation Platform using Astro. It co-developed ASSORT (Aid Standards for Sorting) with Boxtribute, HERMINE, and InterEuropean Human Aid Association — interoperability standards for humanitarian aid designed to reduce sorting time and costs. The technology team operates on volunteer labor supplemented by the Open Source Explorers program (launched January 2024), a 12-week structured introduction to open-source contribution.
Distribute Aid operates entirely on donations and volunteer work, with no pricing for products or services. Revenue streams include monetary donations via PayPal, debit/credit card, and bank transfer, plus in-kind donations of large surplus stock (4+ pallets) from businesses. The organization reports that 97 cents of every dollar goes directly to aid delivery for its Levant response, with only 3% of European operations funds spent on staff salaries. It is governed by a board including Nicole Tingle, Rudayna Abdo, and Stephanie Fairbank, and is led by co-founders Sara Lönegård (Executive Director) and Taylor Fairbank (Director of Development). Notable recognition includes the UN Technology and Innovation Lab "Most Direct Human Impact" award (2020) and the Olof Palme Grant (2023).
Distribute Aid firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Distribute Aid
- Legal name
- Distribute Aid
- Website
- https://distributeaid.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Distribute Aid is a Sweden-registered nonprofit founded in 2017 that operates humanitarian logistics coordination, connecting donors with 175+ grassroots partner organizations across 18 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. It builds open-source technology tools and runs programs including the ASSORT standards and HRT harm reduction kits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Distribute Aid industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Aid Logistics
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
- SIC
- Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Humanitarian Logistics, Supply Chain & Air/Sea/Land Relief Transport (BPAGAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Donor Coordination & Aid Effectiveness (BPADAOAA), Logistics, Supply Chain & Humanitarian Air/Sea/Land Transport (BPADADAF)
Keywords
Where Distribute Aid is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Not specified
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Distribute Aid business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Monetary Donations: Distribute Aid accepts donations via PayPal, debit/credit card, and bank transfer. Funds are used directly for logistics operations, with only 3% spent on staff salaries (European operations) and 97 cents of every dollar going directly to aid delivery (Levant response).
- In-Kind Donations: Accepts large surplus donations of food, clothing, medical equipment and other supplies (4 pallets or more). Coordinates logistics to turn surplus stock into social good by connecting donors with local hubs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Distribute Aid product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Distribute Aid is a mutual aid logistics organization that connects donors with frontline aid organizations to deliver humanitarian supplies. It coordinates bulk donations, freight, warehousing, customs, and local distribution across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, while also developing open-source technology tools and the ASSORT sorting standards for the humanitarian sector.
Product overview
Distribute Aid operates as a humanitarian aid logistics organization offering multiple interconnected programs and tools. Their portfolio includes technology products (Needs Assessment Tool, Shipment Data Reporting Pipeline, Documentation Platform), humanitarian programs (HRT Harm Reduction Toolkit, European Refugee Support, Levant Response, US Disaster Preparedness Network), and standards frameworks (ASSORT). These offerings work together to deliver aid efficiently: technology tools power data collection and reporting, programs enable direct aid delivery across regions, and ASSORT provides interoperability standards for the broader humanitarian sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Open Source Explorers: A structured, hands-on 12-week introduction to contributing to open-source projects for developers, designers, and technical writers who are experienced in their fields but new to open source.
- ASSORT (Aid Standards for Sorting)
- HRT Harm Reduction Toolkit
Products and services
- ASSORT (Aid Standards for Sorting) A set of interoperability standards for humanitarian aid including quality control guidelines, sorting categories, sizing charts, and box/label standards, designed to save grassroots organisations time, effort, and money by providing a common language for aid donations. Available to partner organizations and the broader humanitarian sector.
- Levant Response Emergency relief program providing aid to refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza, and the West Bank, sourcing bulk quantities of food, medical equipment, and hygiene products and packaging them into shipping containers for transport. Delivered through on-the-ground partner organizations like Anera.
- European Refugee Support Program delivering supplies to refugee camps, community centers, and grassroots groups serving people on the move across Europe, working with a network of organizations to help them be more sustainable and effective.
- US Disaster Preparedness Network Network developing relationships with mutual aid groups across the US, creating disaster response plans together, and pre-positioning emergency supplies in centralized hubs in California, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast for rapid deployment when disasters strike.
- HRT Harm Reduction Toolkit Harm reduction kits containing medical equipment necessary to safely administer injection-based gender-affirming hormone therapy. Each kit provides a 1-year supply worth approximately $65 at retail value, sourced at $10 per kit through mutual aid networks, distributed to frontline organizations serving trans people.
- Needs Assessment Tool Form-based system that enables the organization to run needs assessments using forms that can be modified using a low-code or zero-code approach, used to capture what frontline partners actually need before shipments are sent.
- Shipment Data Reporting Pipeline Data pipeline that ingests shipment data, processes it into impact statistics, and presents it through a public API consumed by the landing site and shared with researchers and third parties, enabling transparency reporting.
- Open Source Explorers Program A 12-week structured, hands-on introduction to contributing to open-source projects for developers, designers, and technical writers who are experienced in their fields but new to open source.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of donations go directly to delivering aid for refugees displaced by conflict in the Levant
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Distribute Aid
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Distribute Aid technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Distribute Aid partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- AneracorePrimary partner for Levant Response operations. Anera has on-the-ground teams in Lebanon, Gaza, West Bank, and Jordan who ensure aid is distributed directly to people in need. Distribute Aid ships containers of food, medical equipment, and hygiene products, while Anera handles local distribution.
- Lifting Hands InternationalmajorPartnered during 2025 LA wildfires response. Collaborated with Distribute Aid and other organizations to supply seven semi-trucks worth of supplies to Los Angeles disaster relief efforts.
- Afya FoundationmajorPartnered during 2025 LA wildfires response. Contributed to the coordinated effort supplying disaster relief aid to affected communities.
- Gulf Disaster NetworkmajorMulti-state network of disaster groups across the Gulf Coast. Formed in 2024 in preparation for hurricane season, Distribute Aid connected members with free warehouse space, shipping, aid donations, infrastructure, and guidance during Hurricane Helene response.
- BoxtributecoreJoint partnership establishing Aid Standards for Sorting (ASSORT) - interoperability standards for humanitarian aid designed to save grassroots organisations time, effort, and money.
- HERMINEcoreJoint partnership establishing Aid Standards for Sorting (ASSORT) - interoperability standards for humanitarian aid designed to save grassroots organisations time, effort, and money.
- InterEuropean Human Aid AssociationcoreJoint partnership establishing Aid Standards for Sorting (ASSORT) - interoperability standards for humanitarian aid designed to save grassroots organisations time, effort, and money.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Distribute Aid competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Anera: Anera is a humanitarian aid organization with on-the-ground teams in Lebanon, Gaza, West Bank, and Jordan distributing medical and food aid. It is a broad incumbent serving overlapping populations as Distribute Aid's primary Levant Response distribution partner.
- Direct Relief: Direct Relief is a large humanitarian aid organization distributing medical resources globally. It is a broad incumbent serving overlapping populations (disaster victims, refugees) but with a much larger institutional funding base and pharmaceutical supply chain focus.
- International Rescue Committee: IRC is a major humanitarian aid organization serving refugees and displaced people across crisis regions. It is a broad incumbent operating at significantly larger scale with institutional donor funding, comparable to Distribute Aid's refugee response mission but with established governmental partnerships.
- Sphere Association: Sphere Association sets the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in disaster response. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Distribute Aid's ASSORT initiative as an interoperability and standards-setting organization for the humanitarian sector.
Direct peers
- Afya Foundation: Afya Foundation is a humanitarian medical surplus recovery organization redistributing medical supplies and equipment globally. It is directly comparable as a Distribute Aid partner in the LA Fires response and shares medical supply in-kind donation distribution focus.
- HERMINE: HERMINE is a humanitarian logistics initiative co-developing ASSORT standards with Distribute Aid. It operates in an overlapping aid coordination niche targeting European grassroots organizations and shares interoperability objectives.
- Boxtribute: Boxtribute is a humanitarian logistics technology organization that builds open-source software for sorting, tracking, and distributing aid. It is directly comparable as the joint co-developer of ASSORT standards with Distribute Aid and serves an overlapping grassroots humanitarian partner base.
- Mutual Aid Disaster Relief: Mutual Aid Disaster Relief is a grassroots mutual aid network providing disaster response across the US. It is directly comparable as a Distribute Aid partner in the Hurricane Helene response and shares the grassroots-to-grassroots mutual aid model serving disaster-affected communities.
- Lifting Hands International: Lifting Hands International is a Utah-based humanitarian aid organization providing disaster relief supplies. It is directly comparable as a Distribute Aid partner in the 2025 LA Fires response, sharing in-kind donation distribution and disaster preparedness focus.
Emerging players
- Flexport.org: Flexport.org is the philanthropic arm of Flexport focused on humanitarian logistics and supply chain aid. It is comparable as an early-stage funder of Distribute Aid ($50K grant, 2020) and operates in adjacent humanitarian freight coordination.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Distribute Aid social profiles
Digital presenceDistribute Aid financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Distribute Aid leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Distribute Aid funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Distribute Aid 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 Distribute Aid
What does Distribute Aid do?
Distribute Aid is a mutual aid logistics organization that connects donors with frontline aid organizations to deliver humanitarian supplies. It coordinates bulk donations, freight, warehousing, customs, and local distribution across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, while also developing open-source technology tools and the ASSORT sorting standards for the humanitarian sector.
Is Distribute Aid a public or private company?
Distribute Aid is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Distribute Aid founded?
Distribute Aid was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Distribute Aid based?
Distribute Aid is headquartered in Not specified, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Distribute Aid make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Monetary Donations are the primary driver. The others are in-Kind Donations.
Who are Distribute Aid's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Anera, Direct Relief, International Rescue Committee and Sphere Association. Direct peers are Afya Foundation, HERMINE, Boxtribute, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief and Lifting Hands International. Flexport.org is listed as an emerging player.
Does Distribute Aid have an API?
Yes. Distribute Aid operates a public API through their Shipment Data Reporting Pipeline. This API ingests shipment data recorded for each shipment, processes it into impact statistics, and presents it through a public API consumed by their landing site and shared with researchers and third parties.
What industry is Distribute Aid in?
Distribute Aid's product category is Humanitarian Aid Logistics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAAAI, Humanitarian Logistics, Supply Chain & Air/Sea/Land Relief Transport, with a secondary code of BPAGAAAH, Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance. Its NAICS code is 48851 and its SIC code is 7363.