Fundación de Waal / De Waal Foundation /Stichting de Waal

What Fundación de Waal / De Waal Foundation /Stichting de Waal does

Fundación de Waal is a Quito-headquartered nonprofit organization founded in 1985 by Dutch philanthropist Kees De Waal to address preventable childhood diseases and disabilities in Latin America. Its core product, the Programa PreNatal, delivers tiered training (Basic, Medium, Diploma) to a network of more than 67,000 community mediators and promoters across 11 countries, with active country offices in Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, and El Salvador. Programmatic content is organized around four flagship campaigns — ABCD Prenatal, #YoDecido, 3+9=12, and Buen Comienzo Mejor Futuro — and is delivered through in-person workshops, home visits, community fairs, and a virtual classroom (Aula Virtual Prenatal at avp.prenatal.tv). The foundation's newer products include the Red Activa community project platform and AIDA, a 2026-launched AI-powered chatbot for adolescents built on emotional regulation principles.

The foundation operates on a grant-funded, nonprofit revenue model with no commercial product sales. Funding flows from multilateral organizations (UNICEF, PAHO/WHO), donor-funded INGOs (Plan International via DGD 22-26, World Vision, Ayuda en Acción, AVSI), Ecuadorian line ministries (Ministry of Public Health, MIES), decentralized governments (Prefectures of Guayas and Los Ríos, Municipalities of Quito and Mizque), and corporate CSR (Petroamazonas EP). It serves three primary beneficiary segments: women and men of reproductive age and their families, adolescents aged 10-19, and pregnant women, with secondary reach to children in early childhood and the trained mediator cadre itself. In 2024, the foundation reported 66,685 people impacted through 4,799 mediating processes.

The foundation's distribution architecture is network-mediated rather than commercial: trained mediators, partner NGOs, and government counterpart agencies are the primary delivery vehicles. Operational technology is non-proprietary at the core stack level — the foundation's IP sits in curricula, campaign IP, content libraries, and brand assets rather than in software. University endorsements (Tilburg, UCA/USAL, UNAH) underwrite training credibility. The 2026 Kumbre de Sostenibilidad recognition signals an explicit ESG/sustainability positioning push that may broaden the future funding mix.

Name

Fundación de Waal / De Waal Foundation /Stichting de Waal

Legal name

Fundación de Waal

Website

https://fundaciondewaal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Education Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Breastfeeding, Lactation & Infant Feeding Support (EDACAMAB), Maternal, Infant & Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Programs (BPADAJAC), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Prenatal health education
• Community health programs
• Nonprofit foundation services
• Early childhood development
• Sexual reproductive health

Headquarters

HQ city

Quito, Pichincha

HQ country

Ecuador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and institutional funding: Fundación de Waal is a nonprofit organization (Stichting/foundation) that funds its operations primarily through grants, institutional funding, and strategic partnerships with organizations such as UNICEF, PAHO/WHO, Plan International, World Vision, and bilateral donors. Revenue is not generated from commercial product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fundación de Waal is a nonprofit foundation that delivers community-based prenatal and postnatal health education, training of community mediators, and awareness campaigns to prevent diseases, disabilities, teenage pregnancy, and to promote the first 1,000 days of life across Latin America. Its core offering is the Programa PreNatal, delivered through a network of more than 67,000 trained community mediators and promoters in Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Product overview

Fundación de Waal operates as a non-profit organization focused on prenatal and postnatal prevention of diseases and disabilities in Latin America. The organization's portfolio centers on the Programa PreNatal as its core product, supported by a network of over 67,000 trained mediators (Red de Mediadores). Key campaigns include #YoDecido (adolescent empowerment), ABCD PreNatal (four prevention keys), 3+9=12 (12-month pregnancy preparation), and Buen Comienzo Mejor Futuro (first 1000 days). The organization also offers Red Activa for community project development, AIDA as an AI-powered virtual assistant for adolescents, and maintains a virtual classroom (Aula Virtual Prenatal) and institutional library. Programs operate across four countries: Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Programa PreNatal (PreNatal Program) Comprehensive prenatal and postnatal prevention program that trains community mediators and promoters at Basic, Medium, and Diploma levels to prevent diseases, deficiencies, and disabilities in unborn and newborn children, focusing on the prenatal period and early childhood. Available free to families, pregnant women, and communities across Latin America.
• Red de Mediadores (Mediators Network) Network of more than 67,000 trained mediators and promoters across 11 Latin American countries who act as agents of change in their communities, delivering preventive education on prenatal health, sexual and reproductive health, and early childhood development.
• AIDA (Asistente Virtual) AI-powered chatbot and virtual assistant developed with neuroscience, neuromarketing and emotional regulation principles to provide information and conversational support to adolescents on sexual and reproductive health topics.
• Aula Virtual Prenatal (Virtual Classroom) Online learning platform for delivering PreNatal mediator training courses at Basic, Medium, and Advanced/Diploma levels, allowing participants to complete courses and obtain university-endorsed certificates.
• Red Activa (Community Projects Platform) Platform that motivates and supports the creation of community projects developed by mediators and promoters in different territories of Latin America, featuring initiatives such as sanArte and Pulso Joven.

Quantifiable outcome

• 49,990 people directly reached by foundation programs
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• PAHO/WHO (Pan American Health Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner supporting the foundation's health programs and maternal-neonatal care training initiatives across Latin America.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey international partner collaborating on projects such as financing SDGs and tackling chronic child malnutrition in Ecuador (Cantón Taisha) and broader child health initiatives.
• World VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner working with the foundation on child welfare and community development programs in Latin America.
• Plan InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the DGD 22-26 Program for economic and social empowerment of adolescents and young people (10-24 years) in rural communities of Bolívar and Los Ríos, Ecuador.
• Alianza PrenatalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner alliance focused on prenatal health promotion and prevention of birth defects across Latin America.
• Ayuda en AcciónsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on community development and health education projects in Latin America.
• AVSIsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in training community health promoters for populations in human mobility (migrants and refugees) across five cities in Ecuador: Quito, Santo Domingo, Guayaquil, Manabí, and Cuenca.
• Prefecture of GuayassecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in an inter-institutional cooperation agreement to train 200 rights promoters to reduce teenage pregnancy and gender violence in Guayas province, Ecuador.
• Prefecture of Los RíossecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner in the DGD 22-26 Program supporting economic empowerment of adolescents in rural communities.
• Municipality of QuitosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting community health programs and adolescent services in Quito, Ecuador.
• Ministry of Public Health of EcuadorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey government partner for maternal and neonatal care training, prenatal program execution, and intercultural health initiatives across 24 provinces of Ecuador.
• MIES (Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion, Ecuador)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partner in child development and social inclusion programs, including projects addressing chronic child malnutrition in Cantón Taisha.
• Centro del Muchacho Trabajador - A Family of Families (CMT)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild welfare organization partner for training professionals, adolescents, and families as health promoters to prevent teenage pregnancies and prenatal disabilities in Quito.
• Petroamazonas EPsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerState oil company partner for executing the PreNatal Program in Amazonian communities surrounding Petroamazonas operational zones in Ecuador.
• PROCOSI (Bolivia)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian consortium partner for adolescent sexual and reproductive health projects, including the 'I decide, act and exercise my rights' initiative in Mizque.
• CSRA (Bolivia)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the prevention, detection, and care of adolescent pregnancy project in El Alto, Bolivia.
• CONDESANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization listed among the foundation's allies.
• Tilburg UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing university endorsement for PreNatal training programs.
• Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) / USALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution providing university endorsement for mediator training courses in El Salvador.
• UNAH (National Autonomous University of Honduras)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing university endorsement for prenatal training programs in Honduras.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Plan International: Plan International is a global NGO focused on children's rights and gender equality, with strong adolescent sexual and reproductive health programming. It is a direct DGD 22-26 co-implementation partner with Fundación de Waal in rural Ecuador, making it a near-perfect operational peer.
• Save the Children: Save the Children is a global NGO operating major maternal, newborn, and child health programs across Latin America. Comparable in mission (child wellbeing, MNCH, adolescent health) and in relying on community health workers and government partnerships, though it operates at far larger scale and across a broader portfolio.
• World Vision International: World Vision is a global humanitarian organization with extensive child-focused community health and sponsorship programs across Latin America. It overlaps directly with Fundación de Waal on child welfare, prenatal education, and adolescent programming, and is explicitly a current partner of the foundation.
• FHI 360: FHI 360 is a global development organization delivering maternal, newborn, and adolescent health programs across Latin America. Comparable on community-based health education and government partnerships, though it operates at significantly greater scale and scope.

Direct peers

• Promundo-US: Promundo works globally on gender equality, engaging men and boys in maternal/child health and caregiving. Its Latin America programs (including in Ecuador) overlap directly with Fundación de Waal's ABCD model and adolescent SRH work.
• Children International: Children International runs community-based child and youth development programs in Latin America, including Ecuador and Colombia, with comparable outreach to children, adolescents, and families on health and wellbeing topics.
• Population Council: Population Council conducts research and programs on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, including in Latin America. Comparable as a peer on evidence-based adolescent SRH interventions and prevention of teenage pregnancy, though it leans more toward research than community delivery.
• International Planned Parenthood Federation / WHR: IPPF Western Hemisphere Region operates the largest dedicated sexual and reproductive health service and education network in Latin America, including adolescent-friendly services. Directly comparable to Fundación de Waal on adolescent SRH education and prevention of teenage pregnancy across the region.

Regional players

• Fundación Canguro (Kangaroo Foundation): Fundación Canguro is a Latin American nonprofit focused on maternal and neonatal health, particularly the Kangaroo Mother Care method for premature infants. Comparable on the maternal/neonatal health focus and evidence-based education model, though more clinically oriented.
• CEMOPLAF (Ecuador): CEMOPLAF is an Ecuadorian nonprofit focused on sexual and reproductive health and community-based family services. Highly comparable as a country-level peer delivering community SRH and maternal education, sharing geography and beneficiary base with Fundación de Waal in Ecuador.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FundaciondeWaal
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacionDeWaal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacion-de-waal
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundaciondewaal
• TikToktiktok.com/@fundaciondewaal

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 Fundación de Waal / De Waal Foundation /Stichting de Waal