International Aid

What International Aid does

International Aid, Inc. is a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded in 1980 by James E. Franks Sr. and Charles Rycenga after World Vision phased out its Midwest procurement program. The organization's core mission is to provide emergency supplies — including food, water, shelter, hygiene kits, prescription medications, portable medical clinics, and reconditioned medical equipment — to populations affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises, both domestically in the United States and internationally across Africa (Ethiopia, Malawi) and Asia (Lebanon, Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka).

The organization operates a portfolio of related humanitarian programs built around a lean procurement model (established 2008) that minimizes warehousing to accelerate delivery of life-saving health products. Its proprietary product surface includes the Lab-In-A-Suitcase portable diagnostic laboratory, a medical equipment reconditioning program for rural clinics, biomedical training, and the volunteer-driven Hygiene Kit Initiative (launched 2014), which has mobilized hundreds of West Michigan volunteers to assemble kits distributed across multiple countries. Distribution is executed through direct field delivery, partnerships with global health organizations, and a community volunteer network.

International Aid operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CURE International from July 1, 2019 until November 1, 2022, when it relaunched as an independent nonprofit under a new board of directors chaired by J.C. Huizenga. The organization's revenue model is donation-based, accepting both one-time and recurring monthly contributions at tiers ranging from $10 to $100,000. With 1-10 employees and no disclosed institutional donor pipeline, the organization operates with a small staff relative to its global mission footprint, and its 2011 peak of shipping over $116 million in health resources represents the most recent large-scale impact metric on record.

Name

International Aid

Legal name

International Aid, Inc.

Website

https://internationalaid.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Aid is a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that provides emergency supplies — food, water, shelter, medical equipment, and hygiene kits — to communities affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises in the United States and abroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disaster Relief Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Help Supply Services (7363), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Logistics, Supply Chain & Air/Sea/Land Relief Transport (BPAGAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Disaster relief services
• Humanitarian aid supply
• Refurbished medical equipment
• Portable diagnostic laboratories
• Hygiene kit distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: International Aid operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, organizations, and foundations. The organization accepts one-time and monthly donations at various levels ($10, $25, $50, $100 or custom amounts) to support humanitarian response efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

International Aid is a faith-based nonprofit humanitarian organization that procures and distributes emergency supplies — including food, water, shelter items, prescription medications, reconditioned medical equipment, portable medical clinics, and hygiene kits — to populations affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises in the United States and abroad. The organization also operates the Lab-In-A-Suitcase® portable diagnostic laboratory program and a biomedical training program for healthcare workers in resource-limited settings. Its distribution is executed directly and through global health partners, with operational funding sourced from individual donations and charitable contributions.

Product overview

International Aid is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that operates as a single, unified service offering focused on disaster relief and emergency response. The organization provides a portfolio of related products and services including emergency relief supplies (food, water, shelter), disaster relief services, portable medical clinics, reconditioned medical equipment for rural healthcare facilities, Lab-In-A-Suitcase® portable diagnostic laboratories, prescription medications, biomedical training, and the Hygiene Kit Initiative. These offerings work together to provide comprehensive humanitarian aid during natural disasters and crises, both domestically in the United States and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Relief Supplies Provision and distribution of emergency supplies including food, water, shelter, and other essential items to people affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises, domestically and overseas.
• Reconditioned Medical Equipment Refurbished medical equipment provided to rural clinics and hospitals in developing regions to support healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings.
• Lab-In-A-Suitcase® Portable diagnostic laboratory solution designed for medical diagnostics in disaster zones, remote areas, and resource-limited settings.
• Prescription Medications Essential prescription medicines distributed to healthcare facilities and affected populations during disaster response.
• Biomedical Training Training programs for healthcare workers on the use and maintenance of medical equipment in field conditions, delivered alongside the deployment of medical equipment and supplies.
• Hygiene Kit Initiative Volunteer-driven program that packs standardized hygiene kits distributed domestically and overseas during natural disasters, supporting Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) standards.
• Portable Medical Clinics Mobile medical clinic units that can be rapidly deployed to disaster zones to provide immediate healthcare services, supplied alongside emergency relief shipments.
• Disaster Relief Services Emergency response services for natural disasters and humanitarian crises, coordinated both domestically in the United States and internationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shipped over $116 million in health resources to global partners (2011)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CURE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2019International Aid was a wholly-owned subsidiary of CURE International from July 1, 2019 until November 1, 2022. Both organizations share Christian faith-based values and serve vulnerable populations. CURE operates children's hospitals while International Aid focuses on disaster response. The organizations separated in late 2022 to pursue unique competencies.
• American FarmersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Partnership with American farmers to source and send over 42,000 lbs of grain to famine-stricken Ethiopia. This agricultural partnership enabled large-scale food assistance during the Ethiopian famine crisis.
• World Vision (Former)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Aid's origins trace to World Vision's procurement program in Spring Lake, Michigan. World Vision's West Michigan staff, led by James E. Franks Sr., felt led to continue the ministry and established International Aid in 1980.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: Dominant U.S. disaster response and humanitarian aid organization with massive donor infrastructure. Directly comparable in mission (disaster response, emergency supplies, health services) but vastly larger in scale and funding.
• Catholic Relief Services: Large faith-based international humanitarian organization providing disaster relief, health services, and development aid. Comparable mission to International Aid but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Americares: Health-focused humanitarian aid organization that delivers medicines, medical supplies, and emergency response globally. Comparable in focus on medical relief and emergency health response during disasters.
• MAP International: Nonprofit that provides medicines and medical supplies to vulnerable populations globally. Closely comparable to International Aid's prescription medication distribution and health product logistics programs.
• World Vision: Large Christian humanitarian organization providing disaster relief, medical aid, and development support globally. International Aid actually originated from World Vision's procurement program in Spring Lake, Michigan, making it both a historical and operational peer.
• Direct Relief: Nonprofit that delivers medical supplies and equipment to disaster zones and underserved health facilities globally. Closely aligned with International Aid's medical equipment reconditioning and prescription medication distribution programs.
• MedShare: Nonprofit that recovers surplus medical supplies and equipment and redistributes them to underserved healthcare facilities globally. Directly comparable to International Aid's medical equipment reconditioning model.
• Samaritan's Purse: Faith-based humanitarian organization with strong disaster response operations including emergency supplies, field hospitals, and medical relief — directly comparable to International Aid's faith-based humanitarian mission.

Others

• GlobalGiving: Crowdfunding platform connecting donors with nonprofits worldwide. Not a direct peer but a relevant ecosystem participant that International Aid could leverage for fundraising, especially for disaster-specific campaigns.

Emerging players

• CURE International: Christian nonprofit operating children's hospitals in developing countries; former parent of International Aid from 2019-2022. Operates in adjacent humanitarian/medical space with shared faith-based values and historical operational linkage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Intaid
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-aid

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 International Aid