SowHope

What SowHope does

SowHope is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit charitable organization founded in January 2006 by Mary Dailey Brown and Doug Brown in Rockford, Michigan. The organization funds measurable, time-limited, outcome-based projects in 26-27 developing countries by partnering with local leaders who design and implement their own solutions, with a mission to inspire women around the world by promoting wellness, education, and economic opportunities. Since founding, SowHope reports it has impacted 151,806 women across 386 projects spanning East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South America.

SowHope delivers its impact through three core program pillars: Wellness Programs (maternal healthcare, obstetric fistula repair, HIV/AIDS care, clean water via boreholes, and gender-based violence prevention/recovery); Education Programs (literacy instruction for nearly 10,000 women, vocational training, farming and fish-farming cooperatives, cosmetology); and Economic Programs (microloans, small-business training, savings and internal lending communities, agricultural cooperatives). Implementation is carried out by a network of 100+ local partner leaders, including notable super-partners such as Dr. Itengre in Burkina Faso (a fistula-repair and skills-training clinic performing 300+ surgeries annually), Isaac & Sepiranza in Uganda (over 10 years of partnership, 4,000+ women served, including a SowHope-funded maternity clinic serving 1,000 women), and Josephine in Kenya (impacting ~19,000 women through microfinance and transformational development). The organization also produces awareness assets including the 'Charity Redefined' documentary and branded merchandise.

SowHope operates with a lean ~6-person US staff — President & CEO Mary Dailey Brown, COO Aaron Hoxworth, Director of Programs Dr. Sylivia Tsitsi Juta, and Fund Development & Marketing Specialist Jennifer Frank Brenton — supported by a Board of Directors chaired by Michael 'Mac' McDonnell. Revenue is generated primarily through individual donations via sowhope.org, an annual fundraising gala (with 2026 edition 'Celebrating 20 Years: Hope In Action' led by presenting sponsor Sonlight, Inc.), corporate sponsorships, and branded merchandise sold through Bold Brands. The organization reports that over 86% of contributions go directly to programs and holds a 2025 Candid Transparency Platinum Seal, Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating, and BBB Accredited Charity status.

Name

SowHope

Legal name

SowHope

Website

https://sowhope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SowHope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that funds wellness, education, and economic empowerment programs for women across 27 developing countries through a network of 100+ local partner-led projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG), Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

Keywords

• Women's empowerment programs
• Maternal healthcare services
• International development nonprofit
• Community-led microfinance
• Literacy and vocational training

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford, MI

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: SowHope relies primarily on individual donations from supporters who contribute to fund the organization's programs for women in developing countries. Donations are received through the organization's website and at events.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising gala dinner held at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville, MI generates revenue through ticket sales, table sponsorships, and corporate sponsorships. The event also livestreams to virtual attendees.
3. Merchandise Sales: SowHope sells branded merchandise including apparel through an online store to raise awareness and generate supplemental revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SowHope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds measurable, time-limited, outcome-based projects in three pillars—wellness (maternal healthcare, HIV/AIDS care, clean water, gender-based violence prevention), education (literacy and vocational training), and economic empowerment (microfinance, business training, agricultural cooperatives)—delivered through partnerships with local leaders who design and implement projects in their own communities across 26+ developing countries.

Product overview

SowHope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates three core program areas—Wellness, Education, and Economic Programs—designed to work synergistically for the holistic empowerment of women in developing countries. The Wellness Programs address maternal healthcare, gender-based violence prevention, HIV/AIDS care, and clean water needs through projects such as birthing centers and health camps. The Education Programs provide literacy and vocational training including farming cooperatives, cosmetology, and livelihood development. The Economic Programs offer microloans, business training, and savings groups to foster entrepreneurship. Supplementary offerings include branded merchandise sold through an external store, and the 'Charity Redefined' documentary which serves as an awareness and fundraising tool. All programs follow a partnership model with local leaders who design and implement projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellness Programs
• Education Programs
• Economic Programs
• SowHope Merchandise
• Charity Redefined Documentary

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150,000 women directly impacted since 2006
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sonlight, Inc.coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2026Presenting sponsor of the 2026 Annual Fundraising Gala 'Celebrating 20 Years: Hope In Action'. Sonlight, Inc. provides primary sponsorship for this flagship annual event.
• Dignified Care LLCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2026Corporate sponsor of the 2026 Annual Fundraising Gala.
• Acqua In VinominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2026Corporate sponsor of the 2026 Annual Fundraising Gala. Acqua In Vino is a specialty wine and cheese shop owned by board member Arnaldo Rodriguez.
• GHAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2026Corporate sponsor of the 2026 Annual Fundraising Gala.
• Independent BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2026Corporate sponsor of the 2026 Annual Fundraising Gala.
• Vision GRAM International (Victor Amisi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Founder Victor Amisi serves as special guest speaker at the 2026 Gala. Longtime partner whose advocacy for women impacted by armed and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo has helped transform lives of over 1,350 women through twelve joint projects.
• Dr. ItengrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical doctor in Burkina Faso who operates a fistula repair clinic and skills-training center for women suffering from obstetric fistulas. With SowHope's help, has built a clinic performing more than 300 obstetric fistula surgeries per year in addition to vocational training.
• Isaac & SepiranzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Uganda for over 10 years. Sepiranza is a trained midwife focused on maternal healthcare in rural Uganda while Isaac focuses on literacy and microfinance training. Have served over 4,000 women with thousands more children and husbands benefiting. Built SowHope-funded maternity clinic serving 1,000 women.
• JosephinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots super-partner in Kenya who has impacted nearly 19,000 women through her partnership with SowHope. Has facilitated numerous microfinance and transformational development opportunities in several villages, improving women's lives economically, socially, and intellectually.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CARE International: Broader incumbent operating global women's empowerment, maternal health, and economic development programs; competes for the same donor dollars but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Mercy Corps: Major international development NGO running women's economic empowerment and maternal health programs in fragile contexts, comparable in mission but with institutional-scale operations and funding.
• World Vision: Large incumbent running integrated community development programs including women's health, education, and livelihoods across developing countries; comparable model at vastly larger scale.
• BRAC: Global development organization running integrated health, education, and microfinance programs targeting impoverished women; comparable model at significantly larger scale across multiple developing countries.
• Plan International: Larger incumbent focused on girls' and women's rights, education, and economic empowerment globally; overlaps with SowHope's mission and beneficiary segments but with broader programmatic scope.

Direct peers

• Women for Women International: Direct peer operating an integrated model of economic empowerment, education, and health/wellness support for women in conflict-affected developing countries, similar to SowHope's three-pillar approach.
• Kiva: Comparable peer in the women-focused microfinance and small-business lending space across developing countries, serving overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Heifer International: Comparable as a nonprofit focused on economic empowerment and agricultural livelihoods for women in developing countries through local-partner-led projects and microenterprise.
• Opportunity International: Direct peer providing microfinance, savings, and business training to women entrepreneurs in developing countries, closely matching SowHope's economic empowerment pillar.
• Pro Mujer: Direct peer combining women's health, education, and microfinance services for low-income women in Latin America, mirroring SowHope's integrated wellness/education/economic model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SowHope2006
• Facebookfacebook.com/sowhopeorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sowhope
• Instagraminstagram.com/sowhopeorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 SowHope