Association KYNAROU
Association Kynarou is a French non-profit founded in 2004 implementing water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in India and West Africa. It has served over 256,200 beneficiaries across four countries through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and community-based programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Association KYNAROU does
Association Kynarou is a French not-for-profit (association loi 1901) founded in 2004 and recognized as an organization of general interest, focused exclusively on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions. Its functional mission is to deliver field-level WASH infrastructure and awareness programs to under-served populations; it has reached more than 256,200 beneficiaries and executed over 50 projects since operations began in 2005.
The organization operates a multi-country delivery model across India (where 10 of its 13 salaried staff are based) and West Africa (Burkina Faso, Togo, and most recently Benin), with a small Paris-area headquarters and a regional antenna in Pau opened in 2022. Its underlying methodology combines physical infrastructure (water access, sanitation facilities), hygiene education, and a community-ownership model intended to localize long-term maintenance. Operational coordination is supported by memberships in French sector coalitions including Coalition Eau and Coordination SUD, and it launched the Wash In 5 Challenge in 2016 as a participatory engagement mechanism tracked via QR codes.
Its revenue model is a diversified non-profit funding stack rather than a commercial pricing model. Income is drawn from tax-deductible individual donations (66% deductible under French law), annual membership fees at €60, child sponsorship at a €28/month minimum, corporate partnerships under the 1% for the Planet label (held since 2018), and solidarity-search revenue via Lilo.org. The organization marks its 20th anniversary in 2024 and has signaled organizational scaling through a 2025 headquarters relocation and the launch of multi-year programs including Project Suttham (2023–2027).
Association KYNAROU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Association KYNAROU
- Legal name
- Association Kynarou
- Website
- https://kynarou.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Association Kynarou is a French non-profit founded in 2004 implementing water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in India and West Africa. It has served over 256,200 beneficiaries across four countries through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and community-based programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Association KYNAROU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Development and Humanitarian Aid
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Services (BPAGAAAE)
Keywords
Where Association KYNAROU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Association KYNAROU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals in France (66% tax deduction up to 20% of taxable income). Donation amounts fund specific field projects chosen by donors.
- Membership Fees (Adhésion): Annual membership fee of 60 euros per year, payable monthly, quarterly, or annually. Members receive a newsletter, invitation to the general assembly, a solidarity bracelet, and event invitations.
- Child and Family Sponsorship: Minimum 28 euros/month to sponsor a child within their family structure in Benin. Includes regular updates and photos for sponsors.
- Corporate Partnerships (1% for the Planet): Companies contribute 1% of their revenue to Kynarou through the 1% for the Planet France network, approved in 2018. Corporate partners also co-finance specific projects such as Wash In 5 Challenge conversions.
- Lilo.org Solidarity Search Engine: Free participation via Lilo.org search engine: each search generates a 'water drop' that is donated to Kynarou's selected projects — zero cost to users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Association KYNAROU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Association Kynarou implements integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) development projects for marginalized rural and peri-urban communities in Tamil Nadu (India) and West Africa (Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin), delivering boreholes, community latrines, hygiene education, solid waste management, menstrual hygiene, organic family agriculture, and aquaponics. It funds this work through tax-deductible individual donations, annual memberships, child sponsorships, corporate 1% for the Planet contributions, foundation grants, and the Wash In 5 Challenge solidarity awareness campaign.
Product overview
Association KYNAROU is an NGO offering a portfolio of development programs focused on water access, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), waste management, and women's empowerment. The core offerings include WASH projects providing drinking water and sanitation infrastructure, waste management programs, menstrual hygiene initiatives, organic agriculture support, and the Wash In 5 Challenge awareness campaign. The organization also runs child sponsorship and school education programs. These are development/awareness programs rather than technology products or software platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wash In 5 Challenge: A solidarity challenge launched in 2016 on social networks to raise awareness about water conservation. Participants take showers of less than 5 minutes and count them; every 500 short showers, a partner company funds access to drinking water in a school or village.
Products and services
- WASH Projects (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene)
- Wash In 5 Challenge
- Waste Management Programs
- Menstrual Hygiene Initiatives
- Organic Family Agriculture
- Aquaponie Project
- Child Sponsorship Program
- School Awareness Animations
Quantifiable outcome
- 256,200+ beneficiaries served across 4 countries
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Association KYNAROU
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Association KYNAROU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Association KYNAROU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- 1% for the Planet FrancecoreKynarou obtained the 1% for the Planet agrément in 2018, enabling it to receive 1% of revenue from member companies. This is a flagship partnership that drives significant corporate funding and visibility. In 2025, Kynarou's Suttham project was selected for the Rencontres pour la Planète, where each euro donated was matched by 1% for the Planet.
- Coalition EaucoreKynarou became an active member of Coalition Eau in 2012, joining a collective of French NGOs advocating for water and sanitation policies.
- Coordination SUDmajorNational coordination of French international solidarity NGOs, providing Kynarou with a platform for advocacy and network collaboration.
- La Guilde (Guilde Européenne du Raid)minorAdventure sports association that has co-financed several India projects including Watsan Phase 1 and Sanya Ka Yiriwa Phase 1.
- Occitanie CoopérationminorRegional cooperation network in Occitanie supporting international solidarity initiatives.
- Programme Solidarité Eau (pS-Eau)majorFrench Water Solidarity Program network, collaborating on multisectorial service approaches and knowledge sharing.
- Cercle pour l'Eau, l'Hygiène et l'Assainissement (CEHA)majorLocal partner in Togo implementing the Échi Codo Gazé project (8 villages, 2025-2027) and the Akato Viepe school water project. CEHA is a local NGO specializing in WASH.
- ONG Itodju (Bénin)majorLocal partner in Benin implementing the Dourbe school water project (2022-2023). Itodju focuses on child protection, humanitarian aid, and sustainable development. Based in Parakou, Borgou department.
- SEEPAT (Sauvons l'Environnement, l'Eau Potable et l'Assainissement pour Tous)minorLocal Burkina Faso NGO implementing the Stop COVID emergency project in Bobo-Dioulasso schools (2020).
- ONG Itodju – Child SponsorshipmajorItodju is Kynarou's local partner for the child sponsorship program in Benin. Their focus on child welfare, basic needs, education, and legal protection aligns with Kynarou's principles of supporting existing structures without creating new ones.
- helios (bank)minorGreen French bank selected Kynarou for its Noël Solidaire 2024 campaign, offering visibility and a potential donation of up to €2,000 based on public votes.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Association KYNAROU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WaterAid: International NGO exclusively focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene with operations across South Asia and West Africa. Direct peer in mission (WASH-only mandate), donor base (individual + institutional), and beneficiary profile (rural/peri-urban marginalized communities).
- CARE France: French affiliate of CARE International with WASH, gender, and food security programs in West Africa and South Asia. Comparable in multisectoral approach (water + women's empowerment + agriculture), French donor base, and target beneficiary populations.
- Action contre la Faim: Major French humanitarian NGO with WASH as a core technical pillar alongside nutrition, food security, and mental health. Comparable in multisectoral integrated approach and West African field presence, though significantly larger in scale.
- Solidarités International: French humanitarian NGO with a strong focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in crisis and development contexts, including West Africa and South Asia. Directly comparable to Kynarou in mission, funding model (individual donations, institutional grants), and operational geographies.
- Aquassistance: French NGO focused on water and sanitation access in developing countries, deploying volunteer expertise from the water sector. Comparable to Kynarou in WASH mission, French association structure, and field engagement in West Africa.
- Hydraulique Sans Frontières: French volunteer-based NGO specialized in water access and hydraulic infrastructure in developing countries. Directly comparable to Kynarou in WASH-only focus, French non-profit structure, and field deployment model via technical volunteers.
Others
- Programme Solidarité Eau (pS-Eau): French network coordinating WASH actors and facilitating knowledge-sharing across French NGOs. Kynarou is itself a member; pS-Eau is an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor but sits in the same institutional WASH advocacy space.
- Coalition Eau: French collective of NGOs advocating for water and sanitation policy. Kynarou has been an active member since 2012; Coalition Eau is an advocacy network rather than an implementing peer but shapes the same French WASH funding environment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Association KYNAROU social profiles
Digital presenceAssociation KYNAROU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Association KYNAROU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Association KYNAROU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Association KYNAROU 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 Association KYNAROU
What does Association KYNAROU do?
Association Kynarou implements integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) development projects for marginalized rural and peri-urban communities in Tamil Nadu (India) and West Africa (Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin), delivering boreholes, community latrines, hygiene education, solid waste management, menstrual hygiene, organic family agriculture, and aquaponics. It funds this work through tax-deductible individual donations, annual memberships, child sponsorships, corporate 1% for the Planet contributions, foundation grants, and the Wash In 5 Challenge solidarity awareness campaign.
Is Association KYNAROU a public or private company?
Association KYNAROU is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Association KYNAROU founded?
Association KYNAROU was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Association KYNAROU based?
Association KYNAROU is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Association KYNAROU make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees (Adhésion), child and Family Sponsorship, corporate Partnerships (1% for the Planet) and lilo.org Solidarity Search Engine.
Who are Association KYNAROU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WaterAid, CARE France, Action contre la Faim, Solidarités International, Aquassistance and Hydraulique Sans Frontières. Others are Programme Solidarité Eau (pS-Eau) and Coalition Eau.
Does Association KYNAROU have an API?
No public API is recorded for Association KYNAROU.
What industry is Association KYNAROU in?
Association KYNAROU's product category is International Development and Humanitarian Aid. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAKAI, WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGABAC, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH). Its SIC code is 8300.