Fundación Iwoka

What Fundación Iwoka does

Fundación Iwoka Colombia is a non-profit foundation (entidad sin ánimo de lucro) incorporated in Colombia under NIT 901.212.803-6 and founded in 2011 in Pereira, Risaralda. Its core mission is to reduce bullying and school dropout rates by delivering an educational formation program inside public and private schools, primarily in Pereira and Dosquebradas, with additional community presence in Medellín and Cartagena. The organization operates a two-tier train-the-trainer model: the Programa Iwoka serves youth in grades 9-10 through five formation modules (Life Project, Entrepreneurial Behavior Guidelines, Trainer Formation, Social Environment, and Social Project Formulation), while the From Zero to Hero sub-program links those youth as godparents (padrinos) to children in grades 1-2 in a padrino-ahijado mentorship structure that reinforces academic skills (mathematics and reading/writing via the ATAL literacy methodology with Fundación Luker) and instills virtues through story-based workbooks.

There is no proprietary technology product; the foundation's only digital asset is an institutional website and content management system built and hosted by Exus Agencia Web on the PageGear Cloud platform, which supports donations, event management, volunteer sign-up, partner information, and transparency reports. Impact is measured by external Swiss consultancy Swissocial using a proprietary 4-indicator / 16-variable framework, with reported outcomes of 12% improvement after one year and 15.9% after two years of intervention.

Fundación Iwoka generates no commercial revenue. It is funded entirely through donations from individuals, corporations, and a diversified base of international foundation and government partners — including Fundación Limmat (Switzerland), Rhein-Donau-Stiftung and the Bundesregierung BMZ (Germany), Diputación de València, Fundación la Caixa, and Fundación Carmen Gandarias (Spain), Mainel and Cáritas Finland (Finland), Intercultur (Finland), and Ciong — as well as regional Colombian partners such as Alcaldía de Pereira, Fundación Luker, and several smaller foundations. Donations are accepted via Davivienda Llave 901212803 and savings account 122370013874. Governance is by a six-person Board of Directors composed of the founders; revenue and headcount figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Fundación Iwoka

Legal name

Fundación Iwoka Colombia

Website

https://fundacioniwoka.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundación Iwoka is a Colombian non-profit foundation founded in 2011 that delivers school-based educational formation programs to youth and children in Pereira, Medellín, and Cartagena, using a train-the-trainer mentorship model aimed at reducing bullying and school dropout, funded through donations and international foundation partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Social Entrepreneurship

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Dropout Prevention, Re-Engagement & Truancy Intervention Programs (EDAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ), Literacy & Numeracy Intervention (Reading/Math Support) (EDAJALAD)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Educational mentorship services
• Social entrepreneurship training
• School violence prevention
• Nonprofit education foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Pereira

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Fundación Iwoka operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations. Donations can be made via llave Davivienda 901212803 or savings account Davivienda 122370013874, to the name of Fundación Iwoka, NIT: 901212803-6.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fundación Iwoka delivers free, in-school educational formation programs targeting bullying reduction and school dropout prevention among youth in grades 9–10 and children in grades 1–2 in Pereira and Dosquebradas, Colombia. The model uses a train-the-trainer approach where older students become formadores (trainers) and godparents (padrinos) for younger children, developing leadership, social entrepreneurship, and academic skills through five structured training modules plus an ATAL-based literacy component.

Product overview

Fundación Iwoka operates a unified formation model centered on the Programa Iwoka for youth and a companion program for children, both built around a godparent-apprentice (padrino-ahijado) mentorship structure. The Programa Iwoka — the core offering — is a two-level, five-module formation program for students in grades 9–10 that develops them into social entrepreneurs and trainers of younger children. The From Zero to Hero sub-program links these youth with children in grades 1–2 in a bidirectional mentorship. The children's program reinforces academic skills (mathematics, reading-writing) and instills eight virtues through story-based workbooks (Teo and Lola series) and the ATAL literacy methodology (via Fundación Luker). Impact is measured by external consultant Swissocial using a 16-variable scoring methodology. The organization also maintains an institutional web portal (built on Exus / PageGear Cloud) through which it accepts donations, manages events, and publishes transparency reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zero to Hero: A program based on the train-the-trainer model where youth become godparents/mentors of children in first and second grade, providing academic support and cultivating virtuous behaviors.

Products and services

• Programa Iwoka Two-level, five-module formation program for youth in grades 9–10 covering Life Project, Entrepreneurial Behavior Guidelines, Trainer Formation, Social Environment, and Social Project Formulation and Execution, developing students first as individuals and then as social entrepreneurs and trainers of younger children.
• From Zero to Hero Mentorship sub-program within the Iwoka formation model where youth in grades 9–10 serve as godparents (padrinos) to children in grades 1–2 of the same educational institution, providing bidirectional development through academic support and role modeling.
• Programa de Formación a Niños Formation program for children using the godparent-apprentice (padrino-ahijado) model, reinforcing mathematics and reading-writing while teaching eight virtues through story-based workbooks featuring characters Teo, Lola, and their pets Dingo and Isis, and incorporating the ATAL (Aprendamos Todos a Leer) literacy methodology from partner Fundación Luker.
• Donaciones / Sistema de Donaciones Donation acceptance channel enabling individuals, corporations, and international partners to contribute financially to the foundation's programs via Davivienda banking instruments (Llave Davivienda and savings account).

Quantifiable outcome

• 12% improvement in IDEPE scores after 1 year of intervention
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SwissocialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss consultancy that evaluates the impact of the formation model. Founded by Juan José Alarcón, uses a methodology based on studying variations and changes a project causes in its beneficiaries, with 4 main indicators and 16 variables.
• Fundación LukercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner through the ATAL alliance (Alianza Fundación Luker) that implements the Aprendamos Todos a Leer methodology to strengthen reading, writing and comprehension skills in children.
• InterculturminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish organization supporting intercultural development programs.
• Promoción SocialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting positive social promotion initiatives.
• Alcaldía de PereiracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity government of Pereira that has ratified support for the Iwoka social entrepreneurship program, providing institutional backing and collaboration.
• Actuar por BolívarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization supporting social initiatives in Bolívar.
• Corporación San BlasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization.
• Fundación Sofía PérezminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional foundation supporting social programs.
• Fundación Amparos San MarcosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional foundation partner.
• Universidad Libre PereiraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting programs.
• Universidad de la SabanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner.
• Fundación Rodrigo Arroyave ArangominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional foundation supporting social initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO): Large Colombian higher-education institution with extensive programs focused on education access and youth formation across multiple regions. Overlaps with Iwoka's youth development and mentorship themes, albeit at greater scale and at the post-secondary level.
• Save the Children Colombia: International NGO implementing school-based programming across Colombia targeting child protection, education quality, and dropout prevention. Comparable in donor-driven, school-embedded youth-development model.
• Plan International Colombia: International NGO focused on children's rights, education, and youth leadership in Colombia. Implements school-based and community programs targeting vulnerable youth, making it broadly comparable in target population and program design.
• World Vision Colombia: Major international NGO operating in Colombia on child and youth protection, education, and community development. Comparable donor-funded model that works inside schools and communities on school-retention and life-skills programming.

Direct peers

• Fundación Luker: Regional Colombian education-focused foundation operating in Risaralda and nearby departments with school-based programs, including the ATAL literacy methodology that Iwoka itself uses. Highly comparable as a Colombian foundation implementing evidence-based education interventions in the same geography.
• Fundación Carvajal: Long-running Colombian foundation working on education and youth development in Cali and Valle del Cauca. Operates school-based programs targeting dropout prevention and student formation, making it closely comparable in mission and delivery model.
• Enseña por Colombia: Colombian affiliate of Teach For All that places university graduates in low-income schools for multi-year teaching and leadership fellowships. Comparable as a youth-development and education-equity organization operating within Colombian educational institutions.

Others

• Fundación Limmat: Swiss-based international foundation that is itself a major financial partner of Fundación Iwoka. Included as a thematic peer: a small international foundation funding youth-mentorship and education programs in Latin America.
• Fundación la Caixa: Spanish foundation listed as a financial partner of Iwoka, with a broader portfolio of social and education programs. Relevant as a comparable international funder with youth-education priorities similar to Iwoka's program areas.

Emerging players

• TECHO Colombia: Latin American youth-led nonprofit working on community development and social inclusion across Colombia. Comparable in operating model (youth-led, donations-funded, school and community engagement), though its focus is housing rather than education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fundacioniwoka6153/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/fundacioniwokacolombia
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundacioniwoka
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundaci%C3%B3n-iwoka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundación Iwoka