Abilis Foundation
Abilis Foundation is a Helsinki-based Finnish non-profit that channels Finnish government development cooperation funds to grassroots disability-led projects in 10 countries, funding 150 projects annually (~€25,000 each) and reaching 8,000 disabled participants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Abilis Foundation does
Abilis Foundation (Abilis-säätiö) is a Helsinki-based Finnish non-profit foundation (säätiö) founded in 1997-1998 by disability rights activist Kalle Könkkölä. It operates as a civil society organization that channels development cooperation funding to grassroots disability-led projects in ten program countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Ukraine. The foundation funds approximately 150 projects annually, with average grant sizes of around €25,000 per disability organization, reaching roughly 8,000 disabled participants of whom 60% are women and girls.
The organization runs no technology products or proprietary platforms. Its core offering is grant-making, capacity building, and convening support for Disabled People's Organizations (DPOs), delivered through country offices in Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam, Uganda, and Tanzania, plus partner organization offices in Ethiopia (EWDNA), Malawi (FEDOMA), Tajikistan (Ishtirok), Mozambique, and Ukraine (PAROSTOK). Activities are concentrated on human rights advocacy, sexual and reproductive health and rights (notably in Tanzania), independent living, economic inclusion (e.g., the Sera Helsinki wool-carpet initiative in Ethiopia that has trained 160 artisans), and disability-inclusive disaster response in Ukraine.
Revenue is derived primarily from Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs development cooperation funds (KEHY-varoja) as a designated program support organization, supplemented by private donations via MobilePay (25090) and bank transfers. The foundation holds a fundraising permit (RA/2020/1302) valid indefinitely from January 1, 2021, is GDPR-compliant, and operates a separate consulting entity, Abilis Consulting Oy. Leadership comprises Executive Director Riina Paasio (since September 2023) and Board Chair Amu Urhonen (since 2022), with a board drawn heavily from the Finnish disability rights community.
Abilis Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Abilis Foundation
- Legal name
- Abilis-säätiö
- Website
- https://abilis.fi
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Abilis Foundation is a Helsinki-based Finnish non-profit that channels Finnish government development cooperation funds to grassroots disability-led projects in 10 countries, funding 150 projects annually (~€25,000 each) and reaching 8,000 disabled participants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Abilis Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Development Cooperation / Disability Rights Advocacy
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO)
Keywords
Where Abilis Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
Abilis Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Development Cooperation Funding: Primary funding from Finnish government development cooperation funds (KEHY-varoja) channeled through the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Funding is used to support disabled people's organizations in developing countries to implement their own projects.
- Private Donations: Accepts donations from private individuals via MobilePay (25090) and bank transfers. Donations are directed to project funding for disabled people in the Global South.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Abilis Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Abilis Foundation funds and supports projects designed and implemented by disabled people's organizations (DPOs) in 10 program countries across the Global South and Ukraine. The foundation provides project grants (averaging €25,000), capacity building, and international networking support to grassroots disability organizations, with a particular focus on advancing the rights, livelihoods, employment, participation, and independent living of disabled women and girls. Its work is delivered through direct country offices and partner DPOs rather than technology products.
Product overview
Abilis Foundation (Abilis-säätiö) is a Finnish civil society organization founded in 1998, established by and for disabled people. It is not a technology product company. The organization funds development projects designed and implemented by disabled people's organizations in ten program countries in the Global South and Ukraine. The foundation supports grassroots disability organizations through project funding, with a focus on human rights, employment, participation, independent living, and the status of disabled women and girls. The organization's work is funded primarily by Finnish development cooperation funds from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Abilis also operates Abilis Consulting Oy as a separate consulting entity. There are no technology products, SaaS offerings, or software platforms associated with this organization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Project Funding Grants to Disabled People's Organizations
Quantifiable outcome
- 150 projects funded annually reaching 8,000 disabled people
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Abilis Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Abilis Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Abilis Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sera HelsinkicorePartnership in Ethiopia for wool carpet production. Started with a few weavers and has trained 160 artisans in Addis Ababa. Projects have involved 300 persons, mostly disabled women, in income-generating activities including sheep herding, wool carding, spinning, and weaving. Continued collaboration even during Ethiopian civil war (2020-2022).
- Fida InternationalcoreMulti-faceted collaboration in Tanzania on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for disabled persons. Partnership has enabled training of healthcare professionals in disability-inclusive SRHR services at regional hospitals.
- Suomen Lähetysseura (Finnish Lutheran Mission)coreCollaboration in Tanzania for sexual and reproductive health and rights of disabled persons. Supported development of model facilities specializing in disability-inclusive SRHR services at regional hospitals in Arusha and Tabora.
- Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA)coreMain partner organization in Ethiopia. Implements projects for disabled women and girls, including literacy courses, skills training, and income generation. EWDNA coordinates Abilis activities in Ethiopia.
- Federation of Disability Organisations of Malawi (FEDOMA)coreMain partner organization in Malawi. Coordinates Abilis projects and supports grassroots disability groups to apply for funding and implement projects.
- League of Women with Disabilities IshtirokcorePartner organization in Tajikistan coordinating Abilis activities. Has collaborated with Abilis for about 20 years since disability inclusion was not widely discussed.
- Association of Youth with Disabilities of MozambiquecorePartner organization implementing Abilis-funded projects for disabled youth in Mozambique.
- Vinnytsia City Organization for Social Development of specific categories of vulnerable youth PAROSTOKcorePartner organization in Ukraine implementing projects to improve lives of disabled people during the ongoing war.
- Androse Disability OrganizationcoreTanzanian organization led by disabled women implementing the Unlocking Voices project for disability-inclusive SRHR policy and services.
- Kynnys ryminorRelated Finnish disability human rights organization founded by Kalle Könkkölä. Both organizations share values of independent living and peer support. Kalle Könkkölä founded Abilis Foundation 25 years ago.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Abilis Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sightsavers: Sightsavers is a UK-based international NGO focused on avoidable blindness and disability inclusion, partnering with local DPOs in low-income countries. Its community-led, partner-grant model in multiple program countries aligns closely with Abilis' approach, with the key contrast being Sightsavers' narrower thematic focus on eye health.
- Light for the World: Light for the World is a European disability and development NGO funding inclusive programming in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Compares directly to Abilis in mission, partner-driven model, and geographic footprint, though with a larger overall annual budget and broader thematic scope.
- Fida International: Fida International is a Finnish development NGO that operates in many of the same program countries as Abilis (e.g., Tanzania) and is an active strategic partner. It is comparable as a Finnish-rooted civil society organization running partner-funded community programs, with broader thematic scope beyond disability.
- Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (Felm): The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission is a Finnish faith-based NGO working in the Global South and is an active partner of Abilis (e.g., Tanzania SRHR work). It is comparable as a Finnish bilateral-aid-funded international NGO co-delivering with local partners, with a broader rights and development remit.
- CBM International (Christoffel-Blindenmission): CBM is one of the largest disability-focused international development organizations, funding DPO partners and disability inclusion programs in low- and middle-income countries. Like Abilis, it channels resources through local disability organizations and operates with a rights-based approach; the main difference is scale and breadth.
- Disability Rights Fund: Disability Rights Fund is a grantmaking entity that channels funds to DPOs in the Global South to advance the CRPD. As the most direct grantmaking analogue, it competes for the same donor pool (foundations, bilateral agencies) and serves an overlapping base of DPO grantees.
- Leonard Cheshire Disability: Leonard Cheshire runs disability inclusion programs and partners with local organizations across Africa and Asia. Its focus on supporting disability-led organizations and people with disabilities in developing countries mirrors Abilis' mission and grant-funded operating model.
- Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International Federation): Humanity & Inclusion works in low-income and conflict-affected countries on disability inclusion, rehabilitation, and rights. It is comparable to Abilis because both center disability in international development and operate in fragile states, though HI runs much larger direct-service and emergency programs.
Broad incumbents
- Save the Children Finland: Save the Children Finland is a major Finnish humanitarian and development NGO with programs in similar countries to Abilis. It serves as a broader incumbent that also advocates for disability inclusion through large-scale programming, funded in part by MFA sources, providing an institutional comparator for scale and funding diversity.
Regional players
- Atlas Alliance (Norwegian Federation for Disability Rights umbrella): Atlas Alliance is a Norwegian umbrella for disability-focused NGOs working internationally, including DPO partnerships in the Global South. It is comparable as a Nordic sibling organization with shared mission and DPO-grantmaking orientation, though based in Norway rather than Finland.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Abilis Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceAbilis Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Abilis Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Abilis Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Abilis Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Abilis Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Abilis Foundation
What does Abilis Foundation do?
Abilis Foundation funds and supports projects designed and implemented by disabled people's organizations (DPOs) in 10 program countries across the Global South and Ukraine. The foundation provides project grants (averaging €25,000), capacity building, and international networking support to grassroots disability organizations, with a particular focus on advancing the rights, livelihoods, employment, participation, and independent living of disabled women and girls. Its work is delivered through direct country offices and partner DPOs rather than technology products.
Is Abilis Foundation a public or private company?
Abilis Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Abilis Foundation founded?
Abilis Foundation was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Abilis Foundation based?
Abilis Foundation is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Abilis Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Development Cooperation Funding is the primary driver. The others are private Donations.
Who are Abilis Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sightsavers, Light for the World, Fida International, Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (Felm), CBM International (Christoffel-Blindenmission), Disability Rights Fund, Leonard Cheshire Disability and Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International Federation). Save the Children Finland is listed as a broad incumbent. Atlas Alliance (Norwegian Federation for Disability Rights umbrella) is listed as a regional player.
Does Abilis Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Abilis Foundation.
What industry is Abilis Foundation in?
Abilis Foundation's product category is International Development Cooperation / Disability Rights Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8300.