What Lonely Orphans does

Lonely Orphans is a UK-registered charity (Charity Commission No. 1171230, Company Registration No. 08528320) founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, operating humanitarian programmes for orphans and vulnerable children affected by conflict, displacement and poverty. Its activities span food relief, medical services, education support, water wells, emergency response and child protection across Gaza, Egypt, Malaysia, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh and Mauritania, with permanent infrastructure including six orphanages and schools for Rohingya refugees, a school in Turkey for Uyghur exiles and The Orphan Centre in Cairo for Palestinian children. There is no proprietary technology stack; operations are human-coordinated and field-based.

The organisation generates income through four distinct revenue streams: individual donations (one-time and tiered monthly giving via the Small But Mighty programme at £10-£30/month), corporate and philanthropic giving through the Business for Good CSR programme, Islamic charitable giving (Zakat at 2.5% of eligible savings, plus Fidya, Kaffarah and Sadaqah), and one-time aid delegation fees from supporters joining 4-day missions to Egypt. Go-to-market is hybrid event-driven and community-led, combining challenge-based fundraising (Dragon Boat Race, Masjid Marathon, Charity Football Tournament, Great Bridges Run, Mount Toubkal Trek) with grassroots mobilisation through mosques, schools and youth groups, supported by digital channels and earned media including BBC Radio Berkshire.

Name

Lonely Orphans

Legal name

Lonely Orphans

Website

https://lonelyorphans.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lonely Orphans is a London-based UK charity founded in 2012 that delivers humanitarian aid, education, healthcare and Islamic charitable giving programmes (Zakat, Fidya, Kaffarah) for orphans and vulnerable children across Gaza, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey and other regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Humanitarian Aid

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE), Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Orphan sponsorship programmes
• Zakat distribution services
• Emergency food relief
• Children's education support

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, including regular monthly giving (Small but Mighty programme), emergency appeals, and campaign-specific donations for Gaza relief, toys, food, and aid.
2. Corporate and Philanthropic Giving: Major gifts, CSR partnerships, event sponsorship, and in-kind support from businesses and wealthy individuals, with clear reporting and relationship management.
3. Islamic Charitable Giving (Zakat, Fidya, Kaffarah, Sadaqah): Facilitation of Islamic obligatory and voluntary almsgiving, directing Zakat (2.5% of eligible savings), Fidya (compensation for missed fasts), and Kaffarah (expiation) to verified eligible orphans and vulnerable children.
4. Aid Delegation Fees: Delegate fees from participants who join 4-day aid missions to Egypt to deliver aid and engage with Gazan orphans and families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Lonely Orphans is a UK-registered charity that delivers direct humanitarian aid to orphans and vulnerable children through programmes including the Gaza Soup Kitchen, Orphan Centre in Cairo, Orphan Guardianship pool-fund, Small but Mighty regular giving, Aid Delegation missions, and Zakat/Fidya/Kaffarah/Sadaqah Islamic giving channels. It funds clean water, food, medicine, education, shelter and protection from abuse and violence, and engages corporate partners through its Business for Good CSR programme.

Product overview

Lonely Orphans is a UK-registered children's charity operating a portfolio of humanitarian programmes focused on orphans and vulnerable children. The organisation offers direct aid delivery through its Aid Mission to Egypt, emergency relief via the Gaza Soup Kitchen and Emergency Appeal, regular giving through Small but Mighty, and Islamic charitable giving programmes including Zakat, Kaffarah, and Fidya. Additional programmes include Orphan Guardianship for unsponsored children, Smile for Little Hearts toy donations, and support services including water wells, education, medical care, and food relief. The Business for Good programme enables corporate partnerships and philanthropy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Orphan Centre: A fun learning haven for Palestinians in Egypt, providing Qur'an education, English language learning, and therapeutic activities for children.
• Orphan Guardian
• Small But Mighty

Products and services

• Aid Mission to Egypt A 4-day transformational programme where delegates hand-deliver aid to orphans in Egypt, attend play therapy sessions, and connect with Gazan families. Designed for supporters who want in-person engagement with beneficiaries.
• Gaza Soup Kitchen On-the-ground emergency response providing hot, nourishing meals to displaced families and children inside Gaza. Donations fund hot meals and the essential costs required to keep the kitchens running on a unit-pricing model (£10 = 5 meals, £250 = 125 meals).
• Orphan Guardianship (Orphan Guardian Fund) A pooled-fund sponsorship programme that supports orphans without individual sponsors. Donations are distributed fairly across all children in supported orphanages (unit pricing: £50 = one month, £150 = three months, £500 = one year of care).
• Small but Mighty Regular monthly giving programme with tiered subscriptions (£10/£20/£25/£30 per month) providing sustained support covering food, clothing and safe shelter for orphans and vulnerable children.
• Emergency Appeal Emergency humanitarian response channel providing clean water, essential food parcels, and medical aid to families facing severe shortages in crisis zones (notably Gaza).
• Smile for Little Hearts Toy donation initiative bringing hope and healing to children affected by war; accepts brand new sealed toys for distribution to Gaza and Egypt.
• Zakat Programme Islamic obligatory almsgiving channel directing 100% of Zakat contributions (2.5% of eligible savings above Nisab) to verified eligible causes supporting orphans and vulnerable children.
• Kaffarah Programme Islamic atonement programme where Kaffarah donations support eligible families with food and vital care for orphans and vulnerable children.
• Fidya Programme Islamic programme directing Fidya to eligible families, helping feed and care for orphans and vulnerable children to make up missed fasts.
• Business for Good Corporate Social Responsibility programme enabling CSR partnerships, event sponsorship, in-kind support and philanthropy for businesses seeking meaningful humanitarian impact.
• The Orphan Centre (Cairo) Sub-brand learning centre in Cairo, Egypt providing Palestinian children a nurturing environment where they study the Qur'an, learn English, and rediscover childhood through laughter, care and meaningful connection.
• Water Wells Programme Initiative building water wells to provide free access to clean, safe drinking water to impoverished communities including refugee camp environments.
• Education Support Programme Programme supporting schools with learning materials, maintenance of school buildings, and employment of teaching staff in supported orphanages and schools.
• Medical Services Programme Healthcare programme providing both preventive and primary care services, including medicine, medical equipment, ambulance service, and surgical delegations to supported orphanages and communities.
• Food Relief Programme Programme supplying food packs, emergency food relief, and school meals to orphans and families living in poverty across supported regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 tonnes of aid delivered from Malaysia to Egypt via Air Aid Cargo mission in partnership with OPS Ihsan
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OPS Ihsan MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2024Lonely Orphans partnered with OPS Ihsan Malaysia and a coalition of NGOs to deliver critical humanitarian aid via air cargo from Malaysia to Gaza. The partnership successfully delivered 40 tonnes of donated items, including essential medical supplies, in a rapid two-day response coordinated with Malaysian and Egyptian governments.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• War Child UK: UK charity focused on children affected by conflict — directly comparable beneficiary focus (war-affected children, education, protection) across geographies including MENA.
• SKT Welfare: UK-based Muslim charity delivering humanitarian aid, emergency appeals, and orphan care with a multi-region footprint — comparable programme structure and donor target.
• Human Appeal: UK-registered Muslim humanitarian charity delivering emergency relief, orphan care, and Islamic giving programmes internationally — same target donor (Muslim UK), same conflict-zone focus, similar programme mix.
• Orphans in Need: UK Muslim charity specialising in orphan sponsorship and Zakat-eligible programmes across South Asia, MENA, and Africa — closest niche overlap with Lonely Orphans' orphan-sponsorship model.
• Muslim Aid: UK-headquartered Muslim NGO providing emergency relief, Zakat distribution, and orphan support across crisis regions — directly comparable faith-based positioning and beneficiary profile.
• Penny Appeal: UK-based Muslim charity running Zakat, Sadaqah, emergency appeals, and orphan sponsorship programmes across multiple geographies — directly comparable mission, donor base, and revenue model to Lonely Orphans.

Broad incumbents

• Islamic Relief Worldwide: Largest UK-headquartered Muslim humanitarian organisation with global operations in 40+ countries — overlaps directly with Lonely Orphans' Zakat, emergency, and orphan programmes but at materially larger scale and brand recognition.
• Save the Children UK: Large UK children's humanitarian charity operating emergency response, education, and child protection programmes globally — comparable mission but materially larger donor base and brand.
• UNICEF UK: Major UK fundraising arm of the UN children's agency — overlaps broadly on child welfare, education, and emergency response but operates at vastly larger scale and with institutional mandate.
• British Red Cross: UK arm of the international Red Cross movement delivering humanitarian aid, refugee support, and emergency relief — overlapping on refugee/IDP assistance but with broader humanitarian mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lonelyorphans
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lonelyorphans
• Facebookfacebook.com/LonelyOrphans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lonelyorphans
• Instagraminstagram.com/LonelyOrphans

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Lonely Orphans