What Mission 21 does

Mission 21 is a Basel-based Swiss non-profit organization engaged in international development cooperation and humanitarian aid across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The organization was formed through the merger of three predecessor missionary bodies — Basler Mission (founded 1815), Herrnhuter Mission (founded 1732), and Evangelische Mission im Kwango (founded 1956) — and today operates programs in peacebuilding, education, health, food sovereignty, and gender equality. It deploys roughly 85 staff, including approximately 15 international program personnel and ~33 FTE at its Basel headquarters, and is governed with ZEWO and EduQua certifications.

Mission 21's program portfolio is delivered through long-standing partner church and civil society networks rather than direct service operations, with thematic pillars spanning violence prevention, professional education (including the PEP! Professionals Exposure Program), and health-system support such as midwifery training. The underlying technology footprint is conventional nonprofit infrastructure: Sextant CRM for donor relationship management, RaiseNow for digital payment processing, and standard web/content systems, with no disclosed proprietary platform or AI capability.

The organization's business model is a diversified non-profit funding stack: individual donations, bequests and legacies, parish-level church fundraising across Swiss Protestant denominations, foundation grants, and institutional co-financing from DEZA/SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) and EKS (Evangelical Churches of Switzerland). Reported cost allocation is 76.1% to program work, 11.4% to fundraising, and 12.5% to administration, consistent with ZEWO norms for Swiss development INGOs. Revenue is not disclosed in the supplied input; headcount and program scope imply a mid-sized annual budget (estimated $10M-$25M band) but lack of audited figures prevents tighter calibration.

Name

Mission 21

Legal name

Mission 21 – Evangelisches Missionswerk Basel

Website

https://mission-21.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1815

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mission 21 is a Basel-based Swiss non-profit delivering international development cooperation and humanitarian aid across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, focused on peacebuilding, education, health, and gender equality through partner church networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

Keywords

• International development cooperation
• Humanitarian aid services
• Peacebuilding and education
• Donor fundraising programs
• Educational publishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Recurring and one-time donations from private individuals in Switzerland and Germany. Supported via online portals, QR-code payment slips, IBAN transfers, direct debit, standing orders, and event-based donations (birthdays, weddings, funerals). ZEWO-certified handling with dedicated donor CRM (Sextant). Donors can give to general operations or specific projects/countries.
2. Institutional Funding (EKS, DEZA/SDC, Foundations): Mission 21 receives support from the Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Schweiz (EKS), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DEZA/SDC), various foundations, and political bodies. DEZA recognition means Mission 21's development cooperation is officially recognized as contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda (Agenda 2030), specifically SDG 16+.
3. Legacies and Bequests: Mission 21 accepts inheritances and legacies from deceased supporters. Dedicated responsible person (Stefanie Schaad) manages bequests. Publications ('Transmettre' and 'Mes dernières volontés') support legacy planning.
4. Online Shop (Publications and Materials): E-commerce storefront selling publications (magazine 'begegnen', brochures, books), educational materials, and merchandise. Both free and paid products are offered. Delivery within Switzerland and internationally.
5. Educational Programs and Courses: Fee-based educational events, courses, webinars, and encounter trips generate modest revenue. Programs cover topics in development cooperation, interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding, and global citizenship, and are open to individuals, parish groups, and organizations.
6. Professional Exposure Program (PEP!): Multi-year and one-year international deployment program placing professionals in projects abroad. Participants contribute to or fund their participation, supporting both the program and partner organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mission 21 is a Swiss nonprofit charitable organization that channels donations and institutional grants into sustainable international development cooperation and humanitarian aid across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, focusing on peacebuilding, education, health, food sovereignty, and gender equality. It complements this work with educational programs (courses, webinars, encounter trips), publications (the 'begegnen' donor magazine, books, reports), an online shop, the Young@Mission21 youth network, and a planned-giving/legacy program.

Product overview

Mission 21 is a Protestant missionary organization based in Basel, Switzerland, operating as a charitable foundation focused on international development cooperation and humanitarian aid across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Rather than offering a software product, Mission 21 provides a portfolio of services including educational programs (courses, webinars, encounter trips), publications (quarterly 'begegnen' magazine, annual reports, books), an online shop for publications and materials, youth engagement programs (Young@Mission21), international placement opportunities, advocacy campaigns, and planned giving programs. The organization focuses on peacebuilding, education, health, food sovereignty, and gender equality, operating under ZEWO and EduQua certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• begegnen Quarterly Donor Magazine
• Online Shop (Publications, Brochures, Sticker Sets, Educational Materials)
• Educational Events, Courses and Webinars (e.g., 'Global Voices')
• Encounter Trips (Begegnungsreisen)
• International Assignments / PEP! Professionals Exposure Program
• Young@Mission21 Youth Network
• Legacy and Inheritance Program (Erbschaft und Legate)
• Project Partnerships (Engagierte Kirchgemeinden)

Quantifiable outcome

• 76.1% of total expenditure goes directly to program and project work (as of the date of the FAQ).
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Partner Churches and Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission 21 maintains long-term partnerships with churches and religious-based organizations in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These partners define the needs for international staff deployments and collaborate on projects in peacebuilding, education, health, food sovereignty, and gender equality. The majority of deployed staff come from the global South. Named partners include the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (health, HIV prevention), the Church of the EYN in Nigeria (peacebuilding), and Jakatarub in Indonesia (peace and democracy).
• Act AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAct Alliance is a global alliance of churches and related organizations engaged in humanitarian aid and development. Mission 21 is a member of Act Alliance, enabling coordinated emergency response and advocacy on global issues.
• Alliance SudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance Sud is the Swiss alliance of six development organizations. Mission 21 is a member, contributing to coordinated Swiss development policy advocacy. Mission 21 has also signed the 'Manifesto for Responsible Communication' developed by Alliance Sud alongside over 25 other international cooperation organizations.
• ZEWO (Swiss certification body)coreOthersZEWO is the Swiss certification body for charitable organizations. ZEWO certification confirms Mission 21 meets strict standards for responsible donation use and financial transparency. The ZEWO seal is prominently displayed on the website and donation pages as a primary trust signal.
• EduQua (Swiss quality label)minorOthersEduQua is the Swiss quality label for continuing education institutions. Mission 21 holds EduQua certification, demonstrating the quality of its educational offerings, courses, webinars, and professional exposure programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• World Vision Switzerland: Swiss arm of a global Christian humanitarian organization. Operates at significantly larger scale with overlapping thematic areas (child sponsorship, education, health, peace) and similar faith-rooted fundraising approach, but is a global incumbent rather than a Swiss-native peer.

Emerging players

• Act Alliance (global): Global alliance of churches and related organizations engaged in humanitarian aid and development. Mission 21 is itself a member; the alliance is comparable as an umbrella coordinating body covering overlapping thematic areas (peace, gender, climate) and similar partner ecosystems.

Direct peers

• Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation: Swiss development organization working on poverty reduction in partner countries. Directly comparable in multi-country program model, Swiss institutional funding, and education/water/agriculture focus areas, though secular rather than faith-based.
• Caritas Switzerland: Swiss humanitarian and development organization rooted in the Catholic tradition. Comparable in domestic DACH fundraising model, international country programs, humanitarian emergency response, and ZEWO certification, though faith tradition differs.
• TearFund Switzerland: Swiss Christian relief and development organization. Comparable in faith-based identity, DACH donor base, ZEWO certification, and country programs targeting poverty, education, and gender-based violence in the Global South.
• Swissaid (Swiss Alliance of Development Organisations member): Swiss development NGO focused on self-determined development in partner countries of the Global South. Comparable in Swiss DACH fundraising, Alliance Sud membership, and country program footprint, though politically and ideologically distinct.
• Fastenaktion (Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund): Swiss faith-based development campaign organization. Comparable in faith-rooted identity, DACH donor mobilization via parishes, Alliance Sud advocacy, and country program partnerships in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• DM Échange et Mission (formerly DM - Échange et Mission): Swiss Protestant mission-related organization with roots in the French-speaking Reformed tradition. Comparable in theological lineage, partner-church networks abroad, focus on peace and intercultural exchange, and small-to-mid Swiss footprint.
• Brot für alle (Bread for All): Swiss Protestant development campaign organization linked to the Reformed churches. Directly comparable in DACH parish-based fundraising, Alliance Sud membership, advocacy focus, and partner programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• HEKS (Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz): Swiss Protestant development and humanitarian aid organization headquartered in Zurich. Closely comparable to Mission 21 in faith-based identity, DACH donor base, country program portfolio, and advocacy for SDG 16+ topics; operates at a larger scale but in the same niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mission-21_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Mission 21