What Svetionik does

Svetionik (legal name: Udruženje Svetionik) is a Serbian civil society organization (udruženje građana) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Novi Pazar, with a branch office in Tutin. The organization operates exclusively in the Sandžak region of southwestern Serbia, serving two intertwined populations: youth aged roughly 15–29 seeking education and civic engagement, and socially vulnerable families (orphans, single-parent households, low-income and elderly residents) needing material aid and psychosocial support. Its 11 employees and 550+ volunteer network deliver a portfolio spanning non-formal education programs (Balkan Youth School, Journalism School, Youth Leaders Academy, Youth Academy, Volunteering and Activism School, IT je i za žene) and humanitarian services (Doniraj za namirnice food packages, Doniraj stipendiju scholarships at €500/year to 415 recipients in 2024, annual Doniraj kurban campaigns reaching 1,375+ families, free psychological counseling, and the Pazar na dar humanitarian boutique).

The organization is funded entirely through donations and grants — there is no commercial revenue, no products sold, and no VAT (PDV) charged on contributions. Donor acquisition runs through a WooCommerce donation portal integrated with PayPal, Banka Intesa card processing (via Holest doo gateway, PCI-DSS compliant), Google reCAPTCHA v3 form protection, and SMS shortcode (sms:3059, body '200'). Institutional funding comes from a diversified mix of EU programs, the Swiss Government / HELVETAS, Turkey's YTB and TIKA, the Serbian Ministry of Trade, Trag Foundation, Bošnjačko nacionalno vijeće, and the municipalities of Novi Pazar and Tutin. Marketing is community-based: the website (svetionik.rs), Facebook and Instagram, email/SMS, public events, and referrals from 35+ partner organizations including Belgrade Open School, Reakt, CZOR, and Momentum Novi Pazar. The organization operates without a parent company, equity structure, or external investors.

Name

Svetionik

Legal name

Svetionik

Website

https://svetionik.rs

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Svetionik is a Serbian civil society organization founded in 2008, based in Novi Pazar and serving the Sandžak region with youth education programs (Balkan Youth School, scholarships, journalism and leadership academies) and humanitarian aid (food packages, kurban campaigns, psychological support) for socially vulnerable families, funded entirely by donations and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Youth Services and Humanitarian Aid

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Food Services (624210), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

Keywords

• Nonprofit youth services
• Humanitarian aid
• Scholarship programs
• Community development
• Non-formal education

Headquarters

HQ city

Novi Pazar

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations from individuals and corporations: Svetionik operates primarily through donations from individuals, local businesses, and the diaspora. Donors can make one-time or monthly donations via credit card (VISA, Maestro, MasterCard, DinaCard), PayPal, bank transfer, or in-person. Monthly donations can be cancelled at any time via a link in confirmation emails.
2. Stipendija (Scholarship) campaign donations: Dedicated fundraising campaign 'Doniraj stipendiju' collects donations specifically to fund scholarships for students and pupils. The campaign sets annual targets (e.g., 400 scholarships) and tracks progress publicly. Recipients receive €50/month for 10 months (€500 total per year).
3. Humanitarian package donations: Campaign 'Doniraj za namirnice' collects donations to purchase and distribute food packages to socially vulnerable families across Sandžak.
4. Kurban (sacrifice meat) donations: Annual campaign collecting €220 per kurban to purchase and distribute sacrificial meat to families during Eid al-Adha. Multiple payment methods including international wire transfers for diaspora donors.
5. Project grants from institutional donors: Svetionik receives funding from international and domestic institutional donors to implement specific programs (e.g., Balkan Youth School supported by YTB/Turkey, ACT project funded by Swiss Government/HELVETAS, EU-funded projects).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Svetionik (Udruženje Svetionik) is a civil society organization (NGO) founded in 2008 in Novi Pazar, Serbia, that provides youth education programs, scholarships (€500/year for 10 months), humanitarian aid (food packages and kurban meat distribution), and psychological support services. The organization operates donation campaigns (Doniraj za namirnice, Doniraj stipendiju, Doniraj kurban) and runs non-formal education programs including the Balkan Youth School, Journalism School, Youth Leaders Academy, and Youth Academy. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries in the Sandžak region.

Product overview

Svetionik is a non-governmental civic association founded in 2008, focused on youth development, education, culture, and humanitarian work across the Sandžak region of Serbia. The organization's primary offerings are charitable service products — a food supplies donation program (Doniraj za namirnice), a scholarship program (Doniraj stipendiju) providing 500 EUR annually to over 2,500 approved recipients, and an annual kurban (Eid sacrifice meat) donation campaign. Complementing these, Svetionik runs an extensive educational portfolio including the Balkan Youth School (BYS), Journalism School, Youth Leaders Academy, Youth School of Volunteering and Activism, Youth Academy, and IT training for women (IT je i za žene), alongside a humanitarian boutique (Pazar na dar) and a web platform for networking humanitarian organizations in Sandžak. All donation services are facilitated through integrated payment processors (PayPal, Banka Intesa/Holest) and supported by Google reCAPTCHA for form security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Doniraj za namirnice (Donate for Food Supplies) Humanitarian campaign providing basic food supplies to socially vulnerable families in the Sandžak region. Funded through online donations, collection boxes, street stands, and contributions from local businesses and diaspora. Volunteer teams pack and deliver humanitarian packages directly to families' home addresses across Novi Pazar, Tutin, Sjenica, and surrounding municipalities.
• Doniraj stipendiju (Donate a Scholarship) Scholarship program supporting students and schoolchildren from families facing poverty, illness, or loss of a parent. Recipients receive €500 per year (€50 monthly over 10 months), along with non-formal education including workshops, seminars, and community projects. The 2025/26 campaign targets 400 scholarships.
• Doniraj kurban (Donate Kurban/Eid Sacrifice) Annual humanitarian campaign delivering Kurban (Eid al-Adha sacrifice) meat to socially vulnerable families. The kurban is priced at €220 and is distributed to families in Novi Pazar, Tutin, Sjenica, Priboj, and surrounding villages. In 2023, kurban meat was delivered to over 1,375 families.
• Mental Health Support Services Professional psychological support offered to all citizens, including women, single parents, elderly, youth, and children from families where such help is difficult to access. Services include individual and group counseling sessions conducted at Svetionik's premises and through home visits.
• Balkan Youth School (Balkanska omladinska škola) Non-formal educational platform for talented young people aged 19-29 covering humanities and social sciences through modules on history, art, law, economics, literature, political science, media, religion, and cultural studies. Program includes 30 lectures, 13 workshops, 3 public forums, 4 book clubs, and 6 film screenings over 4 months. Supported by YTB.
• Škola Novinarstva – Akademija Mladih Istraživača (Journalism School – Academy of Young Researchers) Educational program for 20 young people aged 18-30 focused on journalism and reporting techniques. Runs for six weeks with lectures, mentorship from media professionals and experienced journalists, and a final project. Top participants receive monetary prizes and potential employment in partner media organizations. Supported by the Bosniak National Council.
• Akademija mladih lidera (Youth Leaders Academy) Educational platform for prospective students and young people from Sandžak aged 19-29, offering knowledge in law, history, politics, religion, art, culture, tradition, and Bošniak literature. The program includes 8 lectures, 7 workshops, and 3 public forums over October–November. Implemented in cooperation with the Bosniak National Council.
• Omladinska škola volonterizma i aktivizma (Youth School of Volunteering and Activism) Volunteer training project aimed at strengthening participants' capacities in volunteering and activism. The goal is to build a network of professional volunteers who will serve as future leaders of Svetionik and partner organizations.
• Youth Academy Program focused on developing skills for active community engagement, including workshops on team building, communication, activism, substance abuse prevention, public speaking, non-formal education, mystery shopper methodology, and understanding conditions for healthy individual development.
• IT je i za žene (IT is also for Women) Three-month intensive IT training program for women covering HTML, CSS, Java, WordPress, and programming fundamentals. Implemented in multiple cities with support from the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications.
• Pazar na dar (Market as a Gift) – Humanitarian Boutique The first humanitarian boutique for socially vulnerable families in Novi Pazar, located in the city's first hydroelectric power plant. Local businesses and individuals donate new goods; families visit monthly to select items free of charge. Volunteers maintain and operate the boutique.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,500+ scholarships approved since founding, including 415 in 2024 alone and 185 of 524 applicants in 2017/18
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

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

• Bošnjačko nacionalno vijeće (BNV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBošnjačko nacionalno vijeće is a key partner in implementing educational programs including the Academy of Young Leaders (Akademija mladih lidera) and the Journalism School (Škola novinarstva). BNV provides venues and institutional support for programs.
• Beogradska otvorena škola (BOŠ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgrade Open School is a partner in the 'Zajedno za prava i podršku' project, providing expertise in civil society development and social policy advocacy. BOŠ manages the EU Resource Center supporting NGOs in Serbia.
• Udruženje ReaktcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSvetionik and Reakt jointly implement the MultiCOOL School project (intercultural dialogue for youth ages 16-25) and the 'Zajedno za prava i podršku' project. Long-standing operational partner in youth programs.
• Udruženje Akademska inicijativamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implementer of MultiCOOL School, working alongside Svetionik and Reakt on intercultural youth dialogue programs in Novi Pazar.
• Fondacija FrontmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiated the 'Pazar na dar' humanitarian boutique project in the first hydroelectric building in Novi Pazar. Partner in establishing the humanitarian retail space for socially vulnerable families.
• Grad Novi PazarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Novi Pazar supports Svetionik projects including the Academy of Young Leaders and projects on environmental protection and addiction prevention. Provides institutional backing and co-funding.
• Opština TutinmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality of Tutin supports youth programs and the Academy of Young Leaders. Tutin office of Svetionik operates in partnership with the local government.
• Muzej Ras (Novi Pazar)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Academy of Young Leaders program, providing cultural and historical educational content and hosting events.
• Srpski filantropski forummoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerbian Philanthropy Forum co-awarded Svetionik a recognition on National Giving Day for successful earthquake relief aid to Turkey and Syria. Joint advocacy for philanthropy in Serbia.
• Momentum Novi PazarmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Zdravlje mladih ispred profita' project focused on youth health and addiction prevention. Jointly implements 'Mystery Shopper' activities with young people.
• CZOR (Centar za ostvarivanje zajedničkih interesa)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCZOR leads the 'Zdravlje mladih isped profita' project (Youth Health Over Profit), with Svetionik as an implementing partner. Project funded by the EU with CZOR coordinating multiple NGOs.
• British Council SerbiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization on the Svetionik website. Nature of partnership not specified in detail.
• Nahla (Bosnia and Herzegovina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBosnian NGO listed as a partner. Supports cross-border cooperation in the Sandžak region.
• Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju (IFDT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution listed as a partner, supporting educational and research activities within programs.
• Fondacija 'Front'moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSee Fondacija Front entry above (same entity, different spelling). Initiated the humanitarian boutique 'Pazar na dar'.
• Napor (Network for Alternative Research and Policy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerbian NGO listed as a partner organization for advocacy and civil society development.
• Centar za razvoj civilnog društva (CZOR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSee CZOR entry above (same entity, different spelling/form).
• Koms (Kancelarija za mlade)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth office listed as a partner supporting youth programs.
• Udruženje građana za demokratiju i građansko obrazovanje 'Građanske inicijative'moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implementer of the ACT project (civil society response to COVID-19), partnering with HELVETAS and the Swiss Government.
• Bosanski kulturni centar (BKC) SandžakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural center listed as a partner organization.
• Osnovna škola Ras (Novi Pazar)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary school listed as a partner for youth education programs.
• Osnovna škola 'Bratstvo' (Tutin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary school in Tutin listed as a partner.
• American Corner Novi PazarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican cultural corner at the Novi Pazar Cultural Center, listed as a partner.
• Kulturni centar Novi PazarmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural Center of Novi Pazar hosts lectures, tribunes, and events as part of Svetionik's educational programs. Venue and co-organizational partner.
• Narodna biblioteka 'Dositej Obradović'minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic library in Novi Pazar hosts literary contests and cultural events organized by Svetionik.
• Državni univerzitet u Novom PazarumoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerState University in Novi Pazar is a key stakeholder. Svetionik has advocated for the university during periods of institutional crisis and collaborates on educational programs.
• Dom zdravlja Novi PazarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth center mapped as a stakeholder in the ACT project's pandemic response web platform for humanitarian organizations in Sandžak.
• Holest doo / Banka IntesamoderateTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partners for online donations. Holest doo provides payment gateway services integrated with Banka Intesa. Transactions processed in compliance with PCI-DSS standards.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trag Foundation: Serbian domestic foundation supporting civil society development and providing grants to local NGOs. Functionally similar as a grantmaker and capacity-builder operating in the same Serbian nonprofit ecosystem, with overlapping grantees and partnership history.
• Udruženje Reakt: Serbian youth-focused NGO and long-standing Svetionik partner. Co-implements MultiCOOL School and other youth intercultural programs, making it directly comparable in mission, target demographic, and operational model.
• Građanske inicijative: Serbian civil society organization co-implementing the ACT project with Svetionik and HELVETAS. Directly comparable in mission around civic engagement, civil society development, and humanitarian response in Serbia.
• Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation: Serbian foundation providing scholarships, humanitarian aid, and community development programs. Directly comparable in offering scholarships and food/humanitarian assistance to vulnerable families in Serbia, with similar donor-driven funding model.
• Smart kolektiv: Serbian NGO focused on social innovation, education, and corporate social responsibility. Comparable in scale and operating model as a mid-sized Serbian NGO running multi-program portfolios with corporate and donor funding.
• Čovekoljublje (Humanitarian Organization): Serbian humanitarian organization providing aid to vulnerable families. Comparable in mission of direct humanitarian assistance to families in need, with a similar donor-funded operating model in Serbia.
• Beogradska otvorena škola (BOŠ): Belgrade-based civic education NGO and EU Resource Center operator. Existing Svetionik partner; both deliver non-formal education, civil society strengthening, and EU-funded youth programs in Serbia, making them directly comparable in mission and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Crveni krst Srbije (Red Cross of Serbia): National humanitarian organization of Serbia with much larger scale. Provides humanitarian aid, social assistance, and disaster response across Serbia, overlapping with Svetionik's humanitarian distribution and food package programs but at significantly broader scope.
• HELP (Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe) Serbia: International humanitarian organization active in Serbia with social assistance, inclusion, and community development programs. Comparable in humanitarian aid delivery and EU-funded social services programming in the Western Balkans.

Regional players

• Pomozi.ba: Bosnian humanitarian crowdfunding platform supporting families in need across the Balkans. Partner of Svetionik and operates a similar diaspora-driven donation model for humanitarian aid, though primarily Bosnia-based rather than Serbia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/svetionik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Svetionik