What Face Equality International does

Face Equality International (FEI) is a UK registered charity (No. 1198641) that operates as an alliance of more than 30 non-governmental organizations, charities, and support groups working to promote "face equality" for people with facial differences. The organization was formally established in 2021, though the underlying face equality campaign was launched in May 2008 by the UK charity Changing Faces. FEI is governed by Phyllida Swift (CEO) and a staff of 9, and its stated mission is to mobilize fragmented advocacy groups into a coalition with enough critical mass to influence global policy, media, and workplace practice for people with disfigurements from any cause.

The organization's core technology is an advocacy and coalition-building platform: an online resource hub, membership portal, and content distribution network spanning social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn), a blog, newsletter, podcast/video, and annual International Face Equality Week events. Its product and service portfolio includes three published books sold through an online shop (Changing Faces: The Challenge of Facial Disfigurement at £10, FACE IT at £20, and Faces of Equality at £15), a Workplace "Lunch and Learn" training programme priced at up to £500 plus VAT per in-person session, and free resources such as the Facial Equality in the Workplace Guide and a Position Paper on Inclusion in Entertainment. Active campaigns include Visibly Invisible (focused on policy, AI, and workplace invisibility), Exposing Human Rights Violations in LMICs, and IFEW.

FEI's revenue model is multi-stream and small-scale: recurring monthly donations from individual supporters, one-time book sales with UK and international shipping, and fee-for-service workplace training delivered by self-employed consultant trainers. Customer segments include people with facial differences (primary beneficiaries), member NGOs and charities, employers seeking inclusive workplace training, and policy makers. The organization is funded entirely through charitable revenue streams — there is no disclosed venture capital, parent company, or government funding — and operates globally with members on five continents, though it is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Name

Face Equality International

Legal name

Face Equality International

Website

https://faceequalityinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Face Equality International is a UK-registered charity and alliance of 30+ NGOs that mobilizes global advocacy for people with facial differences, delivering campaigns, workplace training, publications, and policy research on appearance-based discrimination and AI accountability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Monthly giving programs and membership contributions from individuals supporting the face equality mission. UK registered charity accepting donations.
2. Book Sales: Sale of books through online shop including Changing Faces: The Challenge of Facial Disfigurement (£10), FACE IT (£20), and Faces of Equality (£15). Physical books with UK and international shipping.
3. Workplace Training Services: Fee-for-service workplace lunch and learn training program on face equality, delivered by self-employed consultant trainers, with maximum fee of £500 plus VAT per in-person session.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Face Equality International is an international alliance of more than 30 NGOs, charities, and support groups that campaigns for face equality and social inclusion of people with facial differences. It sells and distributes published books, a Facial Equality in the Workplace Guide, and provides workplace and schools training, alongside speaker and ambassador programs that amplify the voices of people with visible differences.

Product overview

Face Equality International operates as an alliance of NGOs, charities, and support groups focused on advocacy for the facial difference community. Their offerings include published books (Changing Faces, FACE IT, Faces of Equality) sold through their online shop, a workplace training programme ('lunch and learn' sessions on face equality), and resources such as the Facial Equality in the Workplace Guide. The organization also conducts campaigns including Visibly Invisible, International Face Equality Week, and various advocacy initiatives. They maintain a blog/news section with community stories and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Facial Equality in the Workplace Guide A guide produced by Face Equality International to help employers create inclusive workplaces for people with facial differences, intended for HR teams, managers, and diversity and inclusion leads.
• Face Equality International Books (3 published titles) A set of three published books on face equality and living with a facial difference, intended for individuals with facial differences, families, advocates, educators, and general readers.
• Workplace and Schools Training Training services delivered to employers and schools to build awareness, inclusion practices, and confidence around facial differences, intended for HR, diversity leads, teachers, and student cohorts.
• Speakers and Ambassadors Programme A programme providing speakers and ambassadors with lived experience of facial differences for events, conferences, and awareness activities, intended for event organizers, media, and educators.
• Member NGO Alliance Membership Membership program for NGOs, charities, and support groups working on face equality and facial difference issues, providing alliance coordination and collective campaigning reach.

Named customers3 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

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Changing FacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity that launched the face equality campaign in May 2008. Founding organization that created the campaign with worldwide attention and parallels to anti-racism and anti-sexism movements.
• Facial Palsy UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization supporting people with facial palsy
• CARDDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization for craniofacial differences
• The Scar Free FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member focused on scar-free healing research
• Future FacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• CIRMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• VAGAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• Canadian Burns Survivors CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization for burn survivors
• CMNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization for congenital melanocytic nevi
• CCA KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization for children with craniofacial anomalies
• HautstigmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization (Germany)
• The Hemifacial Microsomia AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• Birthmark Support GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• MicrotiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization for microtia
• Be-TCScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• Project HararcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization (Ethiopia) focusing on facial and cleft conditions
• Moebius Syndrome FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• Facing ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization
• Sunshine Social Welfare FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder member of FEI and one of the first countries to hold face equality event. Provides services to burn survivors and people with facial disfigurements in Taiwan since 1981. Led ground-breaking campaigns including Facial Equality in the Workplace Guide.
• Phoenix Society for Burn SurvivorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization. Created Burn Community Bookshelf resource.
• CleftEucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member organization for cleft lip and palate
• Sunshine Welfare Foundation TaiwancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder member of Face Equality International and one of the first countries in the world to put on their own face equality event. Provided pro bono research with Reed Smith and Amazon UK on legal protections in Taiwan.
• Zero ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference platform for presenting on facial recognition technology challenges and FEI's approach to engaging with tech companies ethically.
• Reed Smith LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational law firm that conducted pro bono research on legal protections available to people with facial differences in Taiwan.
• Amazon UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Reed Smith on investigating legal protections for facial difference community in Taiwan.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Watch: Major international human rights organization that monitors discrimination and advocates for legal protections. Comparable in framing and methodology for FEI's 'Exposing Human Rights Violations in LMICs' campaign, though at vastly greater scale.
• Disability Rights International: International disability rights advocacy organization with a human rights framing. Comparable as a broader human rights advocacy organization addressing discrimination, similar to FEI's framing of facial difference as a human rights issue.

Direct peers

• Moebius Syndrome Foundation: Alliance member organization dedicated to individuals with Moebius syndrome, a congenital facial difference condition. Comparable as a condition-specific NGO within FEI's alliance serving a defined facial difference community.
• Changing Faces: UK charity that launched the face equality campaign in 2008 and remains a core founding member of FEI's alliance. Directly comparable as a condition-specific advocacy organization serving the facial difference community in the UK.
• Cleft Lip & Palate Association: UK-wide charity for people affected by cleft lip and palate, a major facial difference condition. Comparable as a condition-specific advocacy and support organization serving a population that overlaps significantly with FEI's community.
• Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation: Taiwan-based founder member of FEI that has served burn survivors and people with facial disfigurements since 1981. Comparable as a long-standing condition-specific NGO providing services and advocacy in the same facial difference space.
• Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors: Alliance member FEI organization that created the Burn Community Bookshelf. Comparable as a major burn survivor advocacy and peer support organization operating in the facial difference advocacy space.
• Birthmark Support Group: UK-based alliance member organization supporting people with birthmarks and visible differences. Comparable as a smaller condition-specific NGO operating within FEI's alliance and the same facial difference community.
• Facial Palsy UK: UK-based alliance member organization supporting people with facial palsy. Comparable as a condition-specific charity in the facial difference space and a direct member of the FEI alliance.

Emerging players

• Special Effect: UK charity helping people with physical disabilities access video games. Comparable as a UK disability-focused charity of similar scale (small team, donation-funded) that combines direct service with advocacy, though in a different functional domain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FaceEqualityInt
• Facebookfacebook.com/faceequalityint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/face-equality-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/faceequalityint

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Face Equality International