What Wildhood Foundation does

Wildhood Foundation is a Swedish non-profit foundation (Insamlingsstiftelsen Wildhood Foundation) founded in 2016 by Filippa Tarras-Wahlberg, headquartered in Lidingö, Sweden. The organization protects wildlife and ecosystems in southern Africa — specifically in the Zambezi Valley spanning Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique — through three core programs: employment and training of female rangers via its partnership with Akashinga (the world's first female ranger force, scaled from 16 to 299+ rangers), anti-poaching dog patrols trained to detect weapons and wildlife products, and education scholarships for children in surrounding rural communities.

Field operations are delivered through Akashinga rather than directly by Wildhood, with GPS tracking and drone surveillance supporting ranger patrols across 1.5 million hectares of protected wilderness. Akashinga's deployment has been credited with an 80% reduction in poaching and a 400% increase in wildlife populations in protected zones since 2017, and no elephants have reportedly been killed under Akashinga protection.

Wildhood funds these programs through a diversified donation infrastructure: one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations (Månadsgåva), corporate partnerships (Julgåva), and testamentary/legacy giving, with payments accepted via Swish (mobile), Bankgiro, and Plusgiro. Pricing is unit-based — 50 SEK protects one hectare of wilderness for one year — and the foundation commits 85% of donations directly to wildlife protection with administrative costs capped at 15%. Cumulative donations since founding exceed 13 million SEK. Marketing is conducted through a Swedish-language website, Instagram, Facebook, and email newsletters, with international awareness amplified through global photography (e.g., Brent Stirton) and World Female Ranger Week campaigns.

Name

Wildhood Foundation

Legal name

Insamlingsstiftelsen Wildhood Foundation

Website

https://wildhood.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wildhood Foundation is a Swedish non-profit that funds the Akashinga female ranger force, anti-poaching dog patrols, and education scholarships to protect 1.5 million hectares of wildlife habitat across Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation
• Anti-poaching operations
• Ranger training programs
• Habitat protection
• Conservation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Gamla Stan

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters in Sweden and internationally, including monthly giving programs
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate donations and partnerships with companies providing pro bono services and financial support
3. Bequests and Testamentary Gifts: Legacy giving through wills and testaments, where donors include Wildhood Foundation in their estate planning
4. Swish and Bank Transfers: Mobile payment via Swish (1230230078) and bank transfers via Bankgiro (5233-7656) and Plusgiro (827373-2)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wildhood Foundation is a Swedish nonprofit that raises donations to fund wildlife and habitat protection across southern Africa. Its core operations include training and deploying female rangers through its partner Akashinga, conducting anti-poaching dog patrols and GPS/drone-surveilled night patrols, and providing education scholarships to children in communities bordering protected lands. The foundation protects 1.5 million hectares in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa and channels 85% of donations directly to field conservation activities.

Product overview

Wildhood Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization offering a portfolio of donation mechanisms (one-time gifts, monthly gifts, corporate gifts, and testamentary giving) to fund protection of 1.5 million hectares of wilderness in southern Africa. The organization's core conservation programs include the Akashinga female ranger program, anti-poaching dog patrols, and education scholarships for children in surrounding communities. The work focuses on the Zambezi Valley ecosystem across Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildhood Foundation Conservation Programs Core nonprofit program portfolio protecting wild animals and ecosystems in Africa through female ranger training, anti-poaching dog patrols, education scholarships, and ecosystem protection across Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa.
• One-Time Donation Program (Ge en gåva) Allows individual donors to make one-time contributions via Swish (1230230078) or Bankgiro (5233-7656); each 50 SEK donation protects 1 hectare of wilderness in Africa for one year.
• Monthly Donation Program (Månadsgåva) Recurring monthly giving program that funds sustained conservation work, supporting Akashinga's female ranger force and ecosystem protection in the Zambezi Valley.
• Corporate Gift Program (Julgåva) Corporate giving program allowing businesses to contribute to wildlife conservation efforts, supporting ESG and sustainability objectives.
• Testamentary Giving (Testamente) Legacy giving program that allows donors to include Wildhood Foundation in their wills to support long-term conservation work.
• Akashinga Female Ranger Program (Parkvakter) Program delivered with partner Akashinga that trains and employs women from marginalized communities as rangers to protect wildlife in the Zambezi Valley; the world's first all-female ranger force.
• Anti-Poaching Dog Patrols (Hundpatruller) Detection dog teams working alongside rangers to identify weapons, ammunition, and wildlife parts, and to protect rangers in threatening field situations.
• Education Scholarship Program (Utbildning) Scholarships for children and youth in rural Zimbabwe, primarily girls, covering school fees, uniforms, and educational materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% reduction in poaching in protected areas since 2017
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

One partnership is on record.

• AkashingacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Akashinga is Wildhood Foundation's local partner organization and the world's first female ranger force. Founded in 2017 with 16 rangers, Akashinga has grown to over 300 rangers protecting wildlife in the Zambezi Valley. The partnership trains and employs women from marginalized communities as rangers, achieving an 80% reduction in poaching and 400% increase in wildlife populations in protected areas.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tusk Conservation Trust: Funds African wildlife conservation including ranger programs and anti-poaching operations. Comparable donor-supported model funding on-the-ground protection of African wildlife.
• African Wildlife Foundation: African conservation NGO funding wildlife protection and community programs across Africa. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and donor-funded anti-poaching programs.
• Peace Parks Foundation: Funds transboundary protected areas and ranger programs in southern Africa. Directly comparable cross-border conservation model covering similar geographies (e.g., Zambezi region).
• Save the Rhino International: Conservation NGO focused on protecting rhino populations through anti-poaching and ranger support. Comparable niche on endangered species protection funded through individual/corporate donations.
• Fauna & Flora International: Long-established conservation NGO funding species and habitat protection with field partner models. Comparable in donor-funded conservation delivery and species protection focus.
• David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation: UK-based conservation NGO funding anti-poaching and species protection in Africa. Comparable donor-funded model supporting ranger operations and wildlife protection programs.
• International Anti-Poaching Foundation: Specializes in training and deploying anti-poaching rangers in southern Africa. Directly comparable anti-poaching methodology and ranger deployment model to Wildhood/Akashinga.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Global environmental NGO with significant African conservation portfolio. Comparable in biodiversity and habitat protection mission but operates at much larger scale across multiple continents.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Major global conservation organization with significant African wildlife programs. Comparable mission around protecting wilderness areas and endangered species, though far larger and more diversified.
• WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature): The largest global wildlife conservation NGO. Overlaps with Wildhood's mission on African wildlife protection and species conservation but operates at vastly larger scale and across many geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wildhoodfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildhoodfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildhood-foundation

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 Wildhood Foundation