SMC

What SMC does

SMC (Svenska missionsrådet, also operating as SMC - Faith in Development) is a Swedish non-profit ecumenical network organisation founded in 1912 and headquartered in Bromma, Stockholm. It coordinates 29 member churches and faith-based organisations representing diverse Christian traditions, facilitating joint activities, mission cooperation, development work, and ecumenical collaboration across Swedish civil society. SMC operates digital learning platforms (SMC LEARN on Fabo, and the FORB Learning Platform) that deliver free courses on religious literacy, freedom of religion or belief, resilience, and theology in multiple languages. Since 1980, SMC has served as a Sida framework organisation and in 2025 formed a consortium with seven member organisations to distribute over 225 million SEK to 46 local partners across 31 countries under the Sida CSO strategy framework, with SMC retaining lead reporting responsibility.

SMC's business model is structured around grant-funded programme management and membership subscriptions. The primary revenue stream is Sida framework and consortium funding, supplemented by membership fees from the 29 member organisations. SMC does not generate commercial revenue: all educational resources on Fabo and the FORB Learning Platform are provided free of charge. The organisation employs approximately 20 staff and coordinates a global network of partnerships including NORFORB, PaRD, GNDR, WWF Beliefs and Values, UNEP-Faith for Earth, and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Its go-to-market approach is community-led, reaching stakeholders through digital learning platforms, member events, seminars, international conferences, and social media presence in Swedish, English, French, and Spanish.

The core technology stack comprises the Fabo digital learning platform hosting SMC's proprietary courses, the FORB Learning Platform (a NORFORB collaboration), and the Lime Portal coordination system that handles processing and communication between SMC's office and member organisations for international development cooperation fund distribution. SMC's product portfolio includes structured courses (Religious Literacy, Why Resilience Matters, Christian Theology and FORB, Local Changemakers, Gender Equality and FORB, FORB for All), training series (SMC Compliance Series on financial irregularities detection, AI Series on ethical AI), publications, and coordination of the Church and Community Mobilisation working group. The organisation also engages in advocacy and policy dialogue with Swedish government bodies including Sida and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on religious freedom and faith-based development issues.

Name

SMC

Legal name

Svenska missionsrådet

Website

https://smc.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMC (Svenska missionsrådet) is a Swedish non-profit ecumenical network coordinating 29 member churches and faith-based organisations, distributing Sida-funded development cooperation across 31 countries and providing free multilingual digital learning on religious literacy and freedom of religion or belief.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm/Bromma

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sida Framework Organisation Funding: SMC has worked with Sida since 1980 and was one of Sida's strategic partner organisations until 2025. In 2025, SMC formed a consortium with member organisations applying for support within the CSO strategy framework. The consortium will distribute just over 225 million SEK to 46 partners across 31 countries over 39 months.
2. Member Organisation Contributions: Member organisations pay membership fees to be part of the SMC network. The fees help fund the coordination and secretariat operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SMC is a Swedish non-profit ecumenical network founded in 1912 that coordinates 29 member churches and faith-based organisations. It administers Sida-funded international development cooperation programmes (a consortium distributing approximately SEK 225 million to 46 partners across 31 countries), operates free online learning platforms (Fabo/SMC LEARN and the FORB Learning Platform) on religious literacy and freedom of religion or belief, and conducts policy advocacy on religion and development.

Product overview

SMC operates as an ecumenical network organization offering educational products and development programmes. The core offerings include two digital learning platforms: SMC LEARN on Fabo (fabo.org) hosting multiple courses including Religious Literacy, Why Resilience Matters, and Christian Theology and FORB; and the FORB Learning Platform (forb-learning.org) providing free materials on freedom of religion or belief. Additional educational products include the Local Changemakers Course, Gender Equality and FORB Course, FORB for All Course, and the Religious Literacy Toolbox. SMC also runs the AI Series webinar on ethical AI perspectives, the Compliance Series for financial irregularities training, and coordinates the Church and Community Mobilisation Working Group. The organization manages a Sida-funded international development cooperation consortium distributing approximately 225 million SEK to partners across 31 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMC Learn: Digital learning platform offering courses and materials developed by experts in various fields.
• FORB Learning Platform

Products and services

• SMC LEARN (Fabo)

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed over 225 million SEK to 46 partners across 31 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major, significant, core and moderate.

• Joint Secretariat of Coalition for FoRB Advocacy in IndonesiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025SMC collaborated with the Joint Secretariat of Coalition for FoRB Advocacy in Indonesia to launch the Local Changemakers Course in Bahasa Indonesian, accessible to 150+ coalition members.
• Digni (Norwegian Sister Organisation)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2025SMC collaborated with Digni, the Norwegian sister organisation, along with support from LM International, to launch the Compliance Series course on 'Detecting and Reporting Financial Irregularities'. Over 200 participants from 40+ countries participated in the three-day intensive programme.
• LM InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2025LM International provided support for the Compliance Series course launched by SMC and Digni. Part of the collaborative effort to strengthen financial compliance capacity among development organisations.
• WWF Beliefs and Values ProgrammesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC started collaboration with WWF's Beliefs and Values programme. WWF wants to deepen collaboration with religious actors while SMC provides knowledge about biodiversity. This mutual collaboration has benefited both organisations.
• UNEP-Faith for EarthsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC has collaboration with UNEP-Faith for Earth, which has opened doors to international advocacy work. SMC participated in planning group for the religious pavilion at COP28 in Dubai and conducted seminars on faith and climate adaptation.
• PaRD (International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC participates in PaRD, the International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development, particularly in the workstream handling environment and climate issues.
• NORFORB (Nordic Ecumenical Network on Freedom of Religion or Belief)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC is part of NORFORB, the Nordic Ecumenical Network on Freedom of Religion or Belief. The network created the FORB Learning Platform providing free educational resources on religious freedom globally.
• World Communion of Reformed ChurchessignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerJenny Dobers, incoming Secretary General of SMC, has long involvement in World Communion of Reformed Churches, which brings together more than 200 churches in over 100 countries. She serves as chair of the European section.
• Swedish Alliance MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC Faith in Development and Swedish Alliance Mission together initiated the Church and Community Mobilisation working group with other faith-based organisations.
• Sveriges kristna råd (Swedish Christian Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC collaborates with its sister organisation, the Swedish Christian Council (Sveriges kristna råd). Annual meeting held jointly with the council, including reception of updated Charta Oecumenica.
• Soka Gakkai International (SGI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC collaborated with Japanese humanitarian organisation SGI to plan and conduct a seminar in the religious pavilion at COP28 in Dubai on the theme 'Faith matters in achieving the global goal on adaptation'.
• GNDR (Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMC participates in GNDR network and has sought to elevate religious literacy as a crucial skill within this network, though with limited success so far.
• Lime PortalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital system used for cooperation between SMC's office and member organisations, handling processing and communication for international development cooperation when funds are distributed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• All Africa Conference of Churches: Continental ecumenical body representing African churches. Comparable network-coordination and ecumenical advocacy role to SMC, but at regional scale; relevant peer for benchmarking cross-regional ecumenical models.
• FinnChurchAid: Finnish faith-based development organisation channelling MFA Finland funding to overseas partners, structurally similar to SMC's Sida consortium role. Comparable in faith-and-development programming, training offerings, and FORB advocacy.

Direct peers

• Conference of European Churches: CEC is a regional ecumenical fellowship of Orthodox, Protestant, and Anglican churches in Europe. Comparable to SMC in facilitating cross-denominational cooperation, FORB advocacy, and policy dialogue with European institutions.
• Digni: Norwegian umbrella organisation for mission and development cooperating with Norwegian churches and faith-based organisations. Direct peer to SMC: same national council model, joint Compliance Series co-launch with SMC, and parallel Sida/Norad framework relationship.
• Sveriges kristna råd (Swedish Christian Council): SMC's domestic sister organisation in Sweden, representing Christian denominations for ecumenical cooperation. Holds joint annual meetings with SMC and shares the Charta Oecumenica reception; directly comparable in mission, governance, and constituency.

Broad incumbents

• Act Alliance: Global coalition of 150+ churches and faith-based organisations delivering humanitarian aid and development. Operates at higher scale than SMC but serves overlapping functions (consortium coordination, FORB advocacy, ecumenical mobilisation).
• National Council of Churches USA: US ecumenical organisation of 37 member communions. Similar structure to SMC (member churches, ecumenical coordination, FORB and social-justice advocacy), but operating at much larger US scale and with broader advocacy portfolio.
• World Council of Churches: Global ecumenical body of 350+ member churches. SMC is connected through WCC's Commission on World Mission and Evangelism; overlapping scope in ecumenical coordination, mission theology, and advocacy.
• Bread for the World (Brot für die Welt): German Protestant development and relief service funded by Diakonie and federal grants. Operates at significantly larger scale than SMC but with comparable functions: partner funding, ecumenical advocacy, and FORB-related programming.

Others

• PaRD (International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development): Multi-stakeholder platform convened by the German government linking faith actors with development policymakers. SMC is an active member via the environment/climate workstream; relevant peer in the religion-and-development ecosystem where SMC plays.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SMRtwitt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/svenskamissionsrade1
• Facebookfacebook.com/svenskamissionsradet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/svenskamissionsradet
• Instagraminstagram.com/svenskamissionsradet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 SMC