What Lighthouse Relief does

Lighthouse Relief is a nonprofit humanitarian organization registered in Sweden and Greece, founded in September 2015 on the island of Lesvos during the peak of the European refugee crisis. Its core mission is delivering Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and integration services to refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, focusing on women, children, and young people living in and around refugee camps north of Athens (Ritsona, Malakasa) and in Corinth.

The organization runs four core programs: Sports4Development (sport and physical activity as therapeutic tools with documented outcomes including 89% improved physical health and 87% child confidence gains), Safe Spaces (movement workshops, yoga, and outdoor activities for women and children, now primarily at the Sama Community Centre outside Malakasa), Emergency Response (originally shore-line operations on Lesvos from 2015–2020, now transitioned to street-work including food/hygiene distributions and multilingual helplines since 2021), and Integration Support (community services and referrals). A former youth-led publication, the Ritsona Kingdom Journal, operated 2017–2018. There is no proprietary technology platform; all programming is delivered through direct human service.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded. Lighthouse Relief does not generate commercial revenue and provides all services free of charge to beneficiaries. Funding sources are individual donors and grants from private philanthropic institutions, with fundraising intermediated through the GlobalGiving platform and supported by partnerships with ICRC, FIFA Foundation, Choose Love, LDS Charities, and other humanitarian and corporate funders. The organization is led by a Board of Directors and an Executive Board and operates with approximately 12 employees.

Name

Lighthouse Relief

Legal name

Lighthouse Relief

Website

https://lighthouserelief.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lighthouse Relief is a Sweden- and Greece-registered nonprofit delivering mental health and psychosocial support, sport-based programs, safe spaces, and integration services to refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, funded entirely by individual donations and philanthropic grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

MHPSS & Trauma-Informed Support for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAJ), Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH), Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Psychosocial support programs
• Refugee assistance Greece
• Emergency relief operations
• Sport for development

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Lighthouse Relief is funded entirely through the generosity of individual donors and grants from private philanthropic institutions. As a nonprofit humanitarian organization, they do not generate commercial revenue.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lighthouse Relief delivers frontline Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and integration services to refugees and asylum seekers in Greece. It operates a portfolio of humanitarian programs — Sports4Development (sport-based therapeutic activities), Safe Spaces (movement workshops, yoga, and structured activities for women and children), Emergency Response (food/hygiene distributions, multilingual helplines, emergency housing), and Integration Support (community centre operations and referrals) — across camps around Athens and formerly on Lesvos. The organization was founded in September 2015 as a grassroots 24-hour emergency response at Skala Sikamineas, Lesvos.

Product overview

Lighthouse Relief offers a portfolio of humanitarian programs centered on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for refugees in Greece. The core programs include Sports4Development (using sport as a therapeutic tool), Safe Spaces (providing secure environments for women and children with movement workshops and activities), Emergency Response (food/hygiene distributions, helplines, and emergency housing), and Integration Support (social services and community referrals). Additionally, the Ritsona Kingdom Journal was a youth-led publication serving as a creative outlet. These programs work together to address the psychological toll of displacement through structured activities, creating moments of joy, connection, and healing. The organization operates primarily in refugee camps around Athens (Ritsona, Malakasa) and formerly on Lesvos.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sport4Development: Sports and activities programs used as a tool to improve mental and physical health of refugees, with measurable outcomes including improved physical health (89%), mental well-being (over 50%), and confidence (44%) among adult participants in 2024.
• Ritsona Kingdom Journal

Products and services

• Sports4Development Uses sport and physical activities as a tool to improve mental and physical health of refugees. Among 2024 adult participants, 89% experienced improved physical health, over half reported improved mental well-being, and 44% felt more confident. For children, 87% reported increased confidence and over half made new friends during sessions.
• Safe Spaces Provides safe, welcoming spaces for women, children, and youth in refugee camps offering movement workshops, yoga, outdoor activities, and structured programs that support well-being and community connection. Long-term focus on Ritsona, currently operated at the Sama Community Centre outside Malakasa camp.
• Emergency Response Provides emergency humanitarian response including multilingual helplines for new arrivals and families, monthly food and hygiene distributions to hundreds of families, and emergency housing for vulnerable populations (single mothers and their children). Originally a shore-line operation on Lesvos (2015-2020), adapted into a street-work initiative from 2021.
• Integration Support Social services and integration support including community services, referrals, and community centre operations (Sama Community Centre outside Malakasa camp) facilitating integration into Greek society. Thursday sessions in Corinth guide people through complex bureaucratic procedures.
• Ritsona Kingdom Journal A youth-led publication created by young people in Ritsona Camp (2017-2018) featuring artwork, writing, photography, and essays on displacement, serving as an outlet for creative self-expression and perspectives on political and legal issues affecting refugees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of adult participants experienced improved physical health after sports sessions
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• GlobalGivingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline fundraising platform partner facilitating donations and matching campaigns for Lighthouse Relief projects
• Attika Human SupportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian support organization working in Greece
• Better Life with RefugeesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on improving lives of refugees
• Christian Refugee ReliefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based refugee relief organization
• FoodKindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood security organization serving refugees
• ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor humanitarian organization providing support and coordination
• Choose LovemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor humanitarian organization supporting refugees with essential aid and services
• FIFA FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting football/social impact programs for refugees
• OHF LesvosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLesvos-based humanitarian foundation
• Safe Place InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing safe spaces and support for refugees
• Sea-WatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea rescue and humanitarian organization
• Safe PassageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on safe passage and humanitarian support
• Human Rights 360minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman rights organization based in Greece
• Traverse JourneysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTravel company supporting refugee causes

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Choose Love: UK-based humanitarian organization distributing aid to refugees including in Greece, with documented partnership history with Lighthouse Relief. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary focus.
• Safe Place International: Nonprofit providing safe spaces and support services for refugees, including LGBTQ+ refugees, in Greece. Existing partner with comparable safe-space programmatic model.
• SolidarityNow: Greek nonprofit operating refugee support programs including MHPSS, legal aid, and integration services. Direct operational peer delivering similar frontline services to refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.
• Human Rights 360: Greek human rights organization providing legal and psychosocial support to refugees and migrants. Existing partner operating in overlapping geography with similar beneficiary populations.
• Sea-Watch: Sea-rescue and humanitarian organization operating in the Mediterranean including Greece. Existing partner; comparable focus on refugee arrivals and protection in the Greek context.
• Médecins du Monde Greece: International humanitarian organization providing health and psychosocial support to vulnerable populations in Greece, including refugees. Comparable service mix and beneficiary focus across Greek camps and urban centers.
• METAdrasi: Greek nonprofit specializing in refugee support including interpretation, education, and integration. Operates across mainland Greece and islands with comparable frontline refugee programming.
• Safe Passage International: Organization supporting refugees with safe passage, integration, and community-based support in Greece. Existing partner of Lighthouse Relief with overlapping program philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major international humanitarian organization providing refugee support including MHPSS and integration in Greece and globally. Larger-scale incumbent with overlapping programmatic priorities but a far broader geographic footprint.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Global medical-humanitarian organization providing healthcare and MHPSS to refugees in Greece. Much larger incumbent with overlapping beneficiary focus but operating as a general medical-humanitarian actor rather than a sport-for-development specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lighthouserelief
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lighthouse-refugee-relief

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Lighthouse Relief