Wahid Foundation

What Wahid Foundation does

Wahid Foundation is an Indonesia-based non-governmental organization founded on 7 September 2004 by former Indonesian President KH. Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), alongside Yenny Wahid, Greg Barton, and Ahmad Suaedy. Originally established as Wahid Institute, the foundation is dedicated to realizing Gus Dur's intellectual vision of pluralism, multiculturalism, democracy, and human rights grounded in Islamic values. The foundation's stated tagline 'Seeding Peaceful Islam' reflects its operational orientation toward preventing violent extremism and intolerance in Indonesia. It operates from its headquarters at Jl. Taman Amir Hamzah No. 8, Jakarta, with a lean team of 26 employees and an extended field coordinator network across implementation sites. Governance is led by Director Yenny Wahid, Managing Director Siti Kholisoh, and Executive Director Mujtaba Hamdi, with an advisory layer including Moqsith Ghazali and Libasut Taqwa.

The foundation delivers a portfolio of ten interconnected programs organized into four pillars: (1) Community Empowerment via Desa Damai (Peace Village) and Koperasi Cinta Damai (peace cooperative); (2) Research and Policy Advocacy via RAN PE (national action plan for preventing violent extremism) and KBB (Freedom of Religion/Belief); (3) Strengthening Future Leaders via Sekolah Damai (Peace School), Gus Dur School for Peace, Pondok Pesantren Programer Qoryatussalam, and Salam Forum; and (4) Gus Dur for Humanity via Solidaritas Kebencanaan (disaster response) and Beasiswa Riyanto (scholarship). The technical core of the Desa Damai methodology is a nine-indicator framework measuring peaceful villages - commitment to peace, peace education, tolerance practices, local wisdom, early warning systems, rapid response, women's roles, joint monitoring bodies, and shared social spaces. AI-assisted tools are deployed at the village level to optimize planning and document village potential, though these are productivity aids rather than differentiated technology.

The foundation is funded exclusively through international grants and donations, with no commercial revenue model. Core institutional donors include the European Union, UN Women, the Government of Australia (AIPJ3), the Government of Japan, KOICA, the Government of Denmark, and Temasek Foundation. Program delivery occurs through direct village-level engagement, partnerships with local NGOs (Libu Perempuan, La Rimpu, LP2DER), and government coordination with BNPT, Kemendagri, Kemenag, Kemendikbud, and provincial/district authorities. As of the latest reporting, programs have reached 64,161 beneficiaries across 18 regencies/cities, with 44 Desa Damai villages established since 2017, 9 formally declared peaceful villages, 20 Sekolah Damai schools, and a cooperative managing nearly 1 billion IDR in turnover.

Name

Wahid Foundation

Legal name

Wahid Foundation Indonesia

Website

https://wahidfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wahid Foundation is an Indonesia-based non-governmental organization founded in 2004 by former President KH. Abdurrahman Wahid, delivering peacebuilding, women's empowerment, and extremism-prevention programs across 18+ regencies through ten program pillars funded by international donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peacebuilding and Community Empowerment Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL), Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

Keywords

• Community peacebuilding
• Violent extremism prevention
• Religious tolerance advocacy
• Women empowerment programs
• Humanitarian disaster relief

Headquarters

HQ city

Jakarta

HQ country

Indonesia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

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. International Development Grants and Donations: Wahid Foundation operates as a non-governmental organization funded primarily through grants and donations from international development partners, foreign governments, and multilateral organizations. Major funders include the European Union, UN Women, Government of Australia (AIPJ3), Government of Japan, Government of Denmark, KOICA, and other development agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wahid Foundation is an Indonesian non-governmental organization founded by KH. Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) that implements community-based peacebuilding, women's empowerment, counter-extremism, and humanitarian programs across Indonesia. Its core offerings include the Desa Damai (Peace Village) program, Sekolah Damai (Peace School), RAN PE policy advocacy for extremism prevention, KBB (Freedom of Religion/Belief) advocacy, and disaster solidarity response. The foundation delivers these services directly through community engagement, local NGO partnerships, and government coordination.

Product overview

Wahid Foundation operates a portfolio of interconnected peacebuilding and community empowerment programs organized into four main pillars: (1) Community Empowerment through Desa Damai (peace villages) and Kopi Cinta Damai (peace cooperative); (2) Research and Policy Advocacy through RAN PE (national extremism prevention action plan) and KBB (freedom of religion/belief); (3) Strengthening Future Leaders through Sekolah Damai (peace schools), Gus Dur School for Peace, Pondok Pesantren Programer Qoryatussalam, and Salam Forum; and (4) Gus Dur for Humanity through disaster solidarity and scholarship programs. The organization also publishes research, guidelines, books, papers, journals, and annual reports as part of its knowledge dissemination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Desa Damai: Community empowerment program focused on building peaceful villages through strengthening community resilience against intolerance, violence, and extremism, with emphasis on women's leadership and economic empowerment.
• Sekolah Damai
• Gus Dur School for Peace (GDSP)
• RAN PE
• KBB (Kemerdekaan Beragama/Berkeyakinan)
• Gus Dur for Humanity
• Koperasi Cinta Damai (KCD)
• Salam Forum

Products and services

• Desa Damai (Peace Village) A community-based peacebuilding program that establishes peaceful villages through dialogue, cross-community trust building, women's empowerment, and early warning systems for conflict prevention, working to strengthen social cohesion and tolerance at the village level across Indonesia.
• Koperasi Cinta Damai (KCD) A cooperative focused on peace and economic empowerment, supporting women entrepreneurs with micro-business development, skills training, and market access, running various economic units including laundry services.
• RAN PE (National Action Plan for Preventing Extremism) Research and policy advocacy program supporting the national action plan for preventing and countering violent extremism, working with government agencies including BNPT and Ministry of Home Affairs to strengthen implementation and develop RAD PE guidelines.
• KBB (Kemerdekaan Beragama/Berkeyakinan) Freedom of Religion/Belief advocacy program that monitors violations, provides legal assistance, and builds capacity for civil society organizations to advocate for religious freedom rights.
• Sekolah Damai (Peace School) School-based tolerance and peacebuilding program implemented in schools across Indonesia, strengthening peaceful culture through school policy, tolerance practices, and student organization management, targeting students, teachers, and school administrators.
• Gus Dur School for Peace (GDSP) Leadership development program for youth focused on peace values, tolerance, and moderation, equipping young leaders with skills to become peace agents in their communities.
• Pondok Pesantren Programer Qoryatussalam Islamic boarding school program combining religious education with technology skills development, preparing youth for both spiritual growth and practical competencies.
• Salam Forum Youth engagement and dialogue forum providing space for young people to discuss peace, tolerance, and social issues, supporting youth-led peace initiatives.
• Solidaritas Kebencanaan (Disaster Solidarity) Humanitarian response program providing emergency relief, temporary shelters, clean water access, communal kitchens, and recovery support for disaster-affected communities.
• Beasiswa Riyanto (Riyanto Scholarship) Educational scholarship program supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access quality education and development opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64,161 total beneficiaries reached through all programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for the Perempuan Berdaya, Komunitas Damai program supporting women's roles in building social cohesion and tolerance. Also supports WE NEXUS program in Bima and Village Peace programs across Indonesia.
• Libu PerempuancoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner organization in Poso implementing the Desa Damai program since 2024, focusing on women's leadership and community-based peacebuilding in five villages.
• Temasek FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership launching Harmony in Action, a cross-country initiative bringing together young leaders from Indonesia and Singapore to address social-ecological challenges through peacebuilding and environmental sustainability.
• La RimpucoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner in Bima implementing peace programs including WE NEXUS and Peace Initiator Classes, focusing on youth leadership and community resilience.
• LP2DERcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner in Bima working with Wahid Foundation and UN Women on peacebuilding programs at the village level.
• Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme (BNPT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency collaborating with Wahid Foundation on RAN PE implementation, policy coordination, and developing RAD PE guidelines for local governments.
• Kementerian Dalam Negeri (Kemendagri)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry working with Wahid Foundation on RAN PE implementation at the local government level, providing guidance for RAD PE policy development.
• Kementerian Agama (Kemenag)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry collaborating on religious tolerance and freedom of religion programs.
• Yayasan Prajna HarmonismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesian foundation co-organizing the 2nd World Civilizations Harmony Forum with Wahid Foundation and China Confucius Research Institute to promote inter-civilizational dialogue.
• Wellous IndonesiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivate company partnering with Wahid Foundation for social impact initiatives during Ramadan, providing donations to support vulnerable women and groups in Desa Damai communities.
• SinemArtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFilm company collaborating with Wahid Foundation on screening the film 'Suamiku Lukaku' to raise awareness about gender-based violence and domestic violence during Kartini Day commemoration.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Search for Common Ground: Global peacebuilding NGO operating community-based programs to prevent violent extremism and build social cohesion — directly comparable to Wahid Foundation's Desa Damai community peacebuilding methodology and donor-funded program model.
• International Alert: International peacebuilding NGO working on security, governance, and gender-inclusive peace processes — comparable methodology and donor base (European governments, multilaterals) to Wahid Foundation's community-based peacebuilding and policy advocacy work.
• Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP): Indonesian interfaith peace organization promoting religious harmony and tolerance through dialogue and training — directly comparable to Wahid Foundation's KBB (Freedom of Religion/Belief) program and Salam Forum youth dialogue work.
• Peace Direct: International NGO supporting local peacebuilders and preventing violent extremism through grassroots partnerships — comparable to Wahid Foundation's bottom-up village-level peacebuilding model and donor-grant funding approach.
• The Habibie Center: Indonesian foundation named after former President B.J. Habibie that promotes democracy, human rights, and pluralism through research, advocacy, and dialogue — closely comparable to Wahid Foundation's mission, governance structure, and national scope.
• International Crisis Group: Global conflict-prevention organization producing field research and policy recommendations on violent extremism and communal conflict — overlapping strongly with Wahid Foundation's RAN PE research and policy advocacy work, including in Southeast Asia.
• Mercy Corps Indonesia: International humanitarian and development NGO operating extensively in Indonesia with community resilience, youth empowerment, and conflict prevention programs — overlaps directly with Wahid Foundation's Desa Damai, Sekolah Damai, and disaster solidarity programming.

Broad incumbents

• Asia Foundation: International development organization working across Asia on governance, economic development, and women's empowerment — broad incumbent comparable to Wahid Foundation in scale, donor mix, and Indonesia focus, though with a wider portfolio.
• UN Women Indonesia: UN entity advancing gender equality and women's empowerment globally, with an Indonesia country office funding women's peacebuilding CSOs — both a strategic partner of and broad counterpart to Wahid Foundation's women-focused peace and economic empowerment work.

Emerging players

• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Indonesia: German political foundation operating in Indonesia on democracy, rule of law, and pluralism — comparable as a foreign-affiliated foundation promoting pluralism in Indonesia, though focused more on political dialogue than community peacebuilding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wahid-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wahid Foundation