Orphans in Need

What Orphans in Need does

Orphans in Need is a UK-registered Islamic charity (Charity Commission No. 1144812) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire. It is focused on orphan care and humanitarian relief across 14 countries, with sustained operations in Palestine, Gaza, and several African and South Asian geographies including Ethiopia, The Gambia, Egypt, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. The organisation reports supporting approximately 40,000 orphans and feeding roughly 800,000 families, positioning itself as a mid-sized UK Muslim faith-based humanitarian brand.

The charity runs a diversified programme portfolio anchored in child sponsorship (with country-specific verticals for Gaza, Africa, India, and Bangladesh), emergency appeals (Gaza crisis, Ramadan, Eid, Back to School), and faith-mandated giving vehicles including Zakat, Sadaqah, Lillah, and Fitrana. It also operates the Kids 4 Orphans school campaign as a youth-led fundraising channel and Jummah Giving as an automated recurring donation product tied to Friday prayers. A partnership with an international medical aid distributor supports emergency health container deployment into Gaza.

Revenue mechanics rest on long-tail individual donations from the UK Muslim community, recurring monthly sponsorship tied to individual orphans, seasonal spikes around Ramadan and crisis-driven appeals, and religious obligation giving. The organisation employs 61 staff and works through field offices and local partners in programme countries. The model is operationally comparable to other UK Islamic charities such as Muslim Aid and Human Appeal, though smaller in scale.

Name

Orphans in Need

Legal name

Orphans in Need

Website

https://orphansinneed.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Orphans in Need is a UK-registered Islamic charity providing orphan sponsorship and humanitarian relief across 14 countries, supporting approximately 40,000 orphans and 800,000 families through faith-based donations from the UK Muslim community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD)

Keywords

• Orphan sponsorship programs
• Islamic charitable giving
• Humanitarian aid services
• Widow family support
• Zakat donation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorship: Primary revenue from individual charitable donations, monthly sponsorship programmes, and one-time appeal donations. Operates on subscription-style recurring donations (e.g., £30/month orphan sponsorship) combined with one-time contribution options for various appeals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Orphans in Need is a UK-registered Islamic charity that collects donations and runs sponsorship programs to support orphaned children and widowed families across 14 countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Its core offering is the monthly Orphan Sponsorship Programme (£30/month) covering food, shelter, education, medical care, clothing, and clean water, complemented by country-specific sponsorships, food parcel programmes, Ramadan appeals, Zakat distribution, Sadaqah Jariyah projects, and shelter-building initiatives.

Product overview

Orphans in Need is a UK-based Islamic charity operating primarily as a donation collection and sponsorship platform rather than a technology product. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of charitable programs organized as distinct appeals: the core Orphan Sponsorship Programme provides monthly support to orphans across 14 countries; Food Security Programs include Widow & Orphan Food Parcels and Feed the Fasting Ramadan parcels; Shelter Programs encompass Build a Home for a Widow and the Delhi Orphan Village; Islamic Giving Programs cover Zakat, Sadaqah Jariyah, Fidya, and Kaffarah; and specialized Country Sponsorships target Gaza, Africa, India, and Bangladesh. Additional programs include Eid Gifts, Back to School support, Eid Meals, Jummah Giving automation, and Deployment Programs for supporters to visit project areas. The platform accepts donations via online portal, phone, bank transfer, direct debit, and cheque.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 million+ meals delivered to orphans and widows worldwide last year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Medical Aid Distributor (Gaza)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with an international medical aid distributor for delivering 11 emergency health containers packed with essential medicines and PPE to the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, serving over 330,000 people.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• World Vision: Global humanitarian organisation with one of the largest child sponsorship programmes in the world, operating in nearly 100 countries. Comparable in child sponsorship model and multi-region delivery, though much larger and secular.
• Save the Children: Major international NGO focused on children's welfare, with sponsorship, emergency response, and education programmes across 100+ countries. Comparable in child-centric mission and global operational footprint, though secular and far larger in scale.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian organisation delivering emergency relief, food security, and economic development across crisis-affected regions. Comparable in multi-country emergency response capability and food parcel/sponsorship-style programmes.
• UNICEF UK: UK arm of the UN children's agency, operating child welfare, nutrition, and emergency programmes globally. Comparable in child-focused mandate and global delivery, though a UN-mandated organisation rather than community-funded charity.

Direct peers

• Human Appeal: UK-based Islamic charity with similar orphan sponsorship, food security, and emergency appeal programmes targeting UK Muslim donors. Comparable in programme mix (sponsorships, seasonal appeals, country-specific campaigns) and community-led fundraising model.
• Islamic Relief Worldwide: UK-headquartered Islamic humanitarian NGO operating across emergency relief, orphan sponsorship, and development programmes globally. Directly comparable in faith-aligned positioning, orphan sponsorship model, and UK Muslim community GTM, though significantly larger in scale.
• SOS Children's Villages: Global non-profit dedicated specifically to orphaned and abandoned children, providing direct care through village-style family environments. Comparable in exclusive focus on orphan welfare and direct-service care model, though secular in positioning.
• Muslim Aid: UK-based Islamic charity providing emergency relief, orphan care, and community development across multiple countries. Closely comparable in faith-based positioning, UK Muslim donor base, and Zakat/Sadaqah-aligned programme portfolio.
• Penny Appeal: UK-headquartered Islamic charity focused on mass-market small-donation fundraising, including orphan sponsorship, water projects, and emergency appeals. Comparable in faith-aligned donor acquisition and recurring sponsorship programmes.

Emerging players

• Al-Imdaad Foundation: South Africa-rooted Islamic NGO with UK operations delivering orphan sponsorship, food parcels, and emergency relief. Comparable in programme types and faith-aligned positioning, though with a smaller UK brand footprint than Orphans in Need.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orphans-in-need

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Orphans in Need