Elämäni Sankari Ry

What Elämäni Sankari Ry does

Elämäni Sankari Ry is a Finnish non-profit association (yhdistys) founded in 1998 and headquartered in Hyvinkää, Uusimaa, specializing in preventive substance abuse work for children and youth. The organization delivers substance prevention lessons, wellness surveys, and community events directly in schools — spanning basic education (peruskoulu) through upper secondary education (lukio and vocational institutions) — and also serves sports clubs, families, and municipalities. Core intellectual property includes the proprietary 'Neljä tarinaa päihteistä' short documentary series produced with Koju Film Company, the 'Pidä Päätäsi' school tour materials, 'Päihdekortit' educational cards, and the 'Selvästi hyvä valmentaja' online coach course hosted on the Priima learning platform. Its methodology centers on 'Kohtaamistyö' (face-to-face encounter work) — direct in-person engagement to influence attitudes and share information — supplemented by large-format events such as the annual SankariSporttileiri sports camp (operating since 2005), Sankarisäly floorball tournament, SankariGolf corporate fundraiser, and Päihdekupla multi-professional events for 6th graders.

The business model is a hybrid grant-and-fee non-profit structure. Primary revenue flows from STEA (Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations) government grants and annual municipal cooperation agreements, notably with Hyvinkää city (since 2009) and the KEUSOTEn welfare area across six municipalities. Corporate sponsorships — including a three-year agreement with Erlatek Oy starting 2026 and donations from local businesses — provide supplementary funding, while sports camp participation fees (€125–€150 per child, with sibling discounts) generate modest transaction revenue. All core school-based services are provided free of charge to educational institutions. Operations are run by a small core team of approximately 6 employees (including Encounter Work Coordinators, an Event Coordinator, and a Communications Developer) supplemented by contract workers and youth counselors, governed by a board chaired by Pinja Perholehto and led by Managing Director Henrik Norrena. Scale indicators include 530+ substance abuse lessons delivered in 2024 reaching approximately 11,000 people, ~200 school sessions in 2025, and a wellness survey dataset of 4,312 youth respondents. The organization reports measurable outcomes — 76% of students gained new knowledge, 89% found lessons engaging, and non-smoking youth in the KEUSOTEn area increased from 88.5% to 91.7%.

Name

Elämäni Sankari Ry

Legal name

Elämäni Sankari ry

Website

https://elamanisankari.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Elämäni Sankari Ry is a Finnish non-profit association founded in 1998 that delivers face-to-face substance abuse prevention lessons, wellness surveys, and youth programs in schools, sports clubs, and municipalities across the Hyvinkää, KEUSOTEn, Helsinki, and Forssa regions of Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Services (EDALAFAE), Health Promotion, Prevention & Wellness Education (EDALAFAF), Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Substance abuse prevention
• Youth wellness education
• School-based prevention programs
• Encounter-based methodology
• Preventive social work

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyvinkää

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Government Grants (STEA): Primary funding from Finnish government through STEAn avustuskeskus (Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment) for preventive substance abuse work
2. Municipal Cooperation Agreements: Ongoing partnerships with municipalities including Hyvinkää city and KEUSOTEn welfare area for school-based programs
3. Corporate Sponsorships and Donations: Three-year sponsorship agreement with Erlatek Oy; donations from local businesses like Tieluiska Oy; Jarno Saarinen memorial fund for scholarships
4. Sports Camp Fees: SankariSporttileiri summer camps charge participation fees (125€ early bird, 150€ regular, with sibling discounts)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Elämäni Sankari Ry provides preventive substance abuse education and youth wellness programs primarily through direct in-person school lessons from primary through upper secondary education, complemented by wellness surveys, parent and teacher information sessions, community events (Päihdekupla), and proprietary educational materials including a documentary series and substance prevention cards. The organization also runs multi-day sports camps (SankariSporttileiri), floorball and golf tournaments, and a free online coach training course.

Product overview

Elämäni Sankari Ry operates as a preventive substance work organization offering a portfolio of educational programs, events, and materials. The core offerings include substance prevention lessons delivered in schools, well-being surveys, and experiential expertise materials (documentary series, cards, books). The organization also runs youth-focused events including sports camps (SankariSporttileiri), golf tournaments (SankariGolf), and floorball tournaments (Sankarisähly). Digital offerings include a free online course for sports coaches on the Priima learning platform. All services are tailored for schools, educational institutions, sports clubs, and other communities, with the primary goal of preventing substance harm among youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pidä Pääsi: A school tour program focused on substance abuse prevention and youth wellness, implemented in cooperation with Keusote welfare area.
• SankariSporttileiri
• Sankarisähly
• SankariGolf
• Päihdekupla
• Neljä tarinaa päihteistä
• Jarno Saarisen muistorahasto

Products and services

• Neljä tarinaa päihteistä (Four Stories About Substances) A four-part short documentary series featuring real-life personal stories about substances, distributed free of charge to schools, educational institutions, and community organizations as experiential expertise material for preventive substance abuse education.
• Päihdekortit (Substance Prevention Cards) Physical substance prevention cards used as educational tools in school programs and awareness campaigns, distributed through the organization's school-visit program and digital materials bank.
• Elämäni Sankari -kirja (Elämäni Sankari Book) A book publication related to the organization's substance prevention and youth wellness mission, available for purchase through the website's product catalog.
• Päihdeoppitunnit (Substance Prevention Lessons) In-person and remote substance prevention lessons delivered in Finnish schools and educational institutions from primary through upper secondary level, free of charge to schools and funded through STEA grants and municipal cooperation agreements.
• Selvästi hyvä valmentaja (Online Coach Course) A free online course for sports coaches on preventive substance work, hosted on the Priima learning platform in collaboration with Suomen Valmentajat ry and A-Klinikkasäätiön Dopinglinkki.
• Hyvinvointikyselyt (Well-being Surveys) Well-being surveys conducted for schools and educational institutions to assess student wellness and inform prevention work, including the 2025 Pidä Pääsi survey of 4,312 youth respondents.
• SankariSporttileiri (Sports Camp) Multi-day sports-focused day camps for children held annually in Hyvinkää since 2005, organized in cooperation with Etelä-Suomen Liikunta ja Urheilu ry and the City of Hyvinkää. Each week hosts approximately 150 children with 32 youth staff members. Participation fees: €125 early bird, €150 regular, with sibling discounts.
• SankariGolf Annual golf competition event for companies and communities that raises funds for the organization's preventive substance abuse work.
• Sankarisäähly Annual floorball tournament for upper secondary school students organized in Hyvinkää as part of the organization's youth wellness event portfolio.
• Päihdekupla-tapahtumat (Substance Bubble Events) Multi-professional substance prevention events for 5th and 6th graders implemented in cooperation with municipalities such as Hyvinkää.

Quantifiable outcome

• 76% of students gained new knowledge from lessons
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hyvinkään kaupunkicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Main cooperation partner since 2009; annual agreement for comprehensive substance abuse prevention work in city schools; includes sports camp collaboration
• Hyria Koulutus OycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202615+ year partnership with vocational school; life management coaching programs; pilot of 'Irti nikotiinistä' group activities in 2026
• Etelä-Suomen Liikunta ja Urheilu ry (ESLU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Long-standing cooperation for SankariSporttileiri sports camps; organizes children's and youth sports activities in Southern Finland
• KEUSOTEn hyvinvointialuecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Keski-Uudenmaan hyvinvointialue; Pidä Pääsi school tour across six municipalities; major cooperation partner for preventive work
• Forssan ammatti-instituuttiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Life management coach training program for youth workers; cooperation started 2024 with ongoing collaboration
• Suomen Valmentajat ryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Online training platform Priima cooperation; joint development of coach training materials for preventive substance work
• Nuorten AkatemiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Cooperation for developing activities in free-time environments; new partnership planned for coming years
• A-Klinikkasäätiön DopinglinkkiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Cooperation in developing online training materials for coaches regarding anti-doping and substance prevention
• Koju Film CompanyminorOthers · 1 January 2020Film production company for documentary series 'Neljä tarinaa päihteistä' and campaign videos including 'Koti on tärkein' campaign

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• A-Klinikkasäätiö: Largest Finnish substance-abuse nonprofit, running prevention, treatment, and recovery services, including Dopinglinkki (anti-doping) — a current Elämäni Sankari partner. Direct peer in school and youth substance prevention with broader clinical scope.
• EHYT ry (Finnish Association for Substance Use Prevention): National Finnish NGO focused on substance use prevention and health promotion, delivering school-based programs and campaigns. Direct peer: same substance-prevention-in-schools mission, similar STEA funding model, and overlapping school and municipality customer base.
• Irti Huumeista ry: Finnish nonprofit focused on drug prevention and family support, with school and community programs. Direct peer in substance prevention targeting youth and families in Finland.
• Tukikohta ry: Finnish youth substance prevention and early intervention organization operating in schools and municipalities. Comparable mission, funding model (STEA), and target segments (children, youth, families).
• Nuorten Akatemia (Youth Academy): Finnish NGO providing youth life-skills and substance prevention programs in schools and free-time environments; existing cooperation partner of Elämäni Sankari. Direct peer delivering school-based preventive youth work with shared methods and target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Sininauhaliitto (Blue Ribbon Society): Federation of Finnish substance abuse and mental health service NGOs with broader adult and youth coverage. Larger umbrella organization with overlapping prevention themes and STEA funding relationships.

Regional players

• Etelä-Suomen Liikunta ja Urheilu ry (ESLU): Regional sports association in Southern Finland, current cooperation partner for SankariSporttileiri. Comparable in running youth sports camps; peer in the sports-event service line rather than prevention content.
• Klaari Helsinki: City of Helsinki's youth substance prevention coordination program; overlaps with Elämäni Sankari's new Helsinki upper secondary school work. Regional peer in school-based youth prevention services.

Others

• Mentor Foundation: International NGO focused on preventing substance abuse among youth through schools and communities. Thematically comparable in school-based youth substance prevention but operates internationally rather than competing locally.

Emerging players

• Suomen Valmentajat ry: Finnish coaches' association that hosts the Priima online learning platform where Elämäni Sankari's coach course lives. Comparable in coach-training content and audience; cooperates rather than competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elamanisankari

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elämäni Sankari Ry