What Humanitarian Alternatives does

Humanitarian Alternatives (Alternatives Humanitaires) is a French non-profit association founded in 2016 and headquartered in Lyon, that publishes an international bilingual (French/English) academic review of debate and research on humanitarian action. The review is issued three times per year in both printed and digital form, with all articles freely accessible online, paid print subscriptions and individual issue sales conducted through a WordPress-based storefront integrated with Stripe, and a SendInBlue-powered monthly newsletter. A registered member area adds favorites, PDF downloads and bibliographic resources.

The organization is governed by an editorial board and support committee, led editorially by Boris Martin (previously editor-in-chief of the Médecins du Monde humanitarian review from 2000 to 2015), with a small operational team of 1-10 people that includes a Communications and Editorial Support Officer and a board drawn from European humanitarian-studies academia. Its editorial model emphasizes critical, independent analysis of humanitarian practice (covering ethics, geopolitics, coloniality, climate, mental health, localization and INGO futures) rather than operational reporting.

The revenue model is a hybrid of earned income (print subscriptions and individual issue sales) and institutional support. The bulk of activity is funded by a collective of financial partners including MSF-UREPH, CARE France, Fondation Mérieux, Croix-Rouge française, Fondation de France, Fondation Action contre la Faim, Fondation Médecins du Monde, Terre des hommes, Humanité & Inclusion, Coopération Monégasque, Développement International and Secours Catholique, supplemented by individual donations. Reach is extended through more than 10 academic partnerships (Université Lumière Lyon 2, Université de Liège, Université Laval, UQAM, Bioforce, USJ Beirut, Panthéon-Sorbonne, Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye, IEP Fontainebleau, École 3A) and ancillary products including an events calendar, the Forum Espace Humanitaire and a YouTube channel.

Name

Humanitarian Alternatives

Legal name

Alternatives Humanitaires – Humanitarian Alternatives

Website

https://alternatives-humanitaires.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Humanitarian Alternatives is a Lyon-based French non-profit association that publishes a bilingual French/English triannual academic review of humanitarian action, funded by a collective of NGOs and foundations and distributed to French-speaking practitioners, academics and policy audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Publishing

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPADADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPAGAAAL), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Humanitarian research publication
• Bilingual academic review
• Humanitarian action journal
• NGO critical analysis
• Academic practitioner forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print and Digital Subscriptions: The review generates revenue through paid subscriptions to its printed and digital issues, sold to individuals, institutions, and organizations. Subscriptions and individual issue purchases are managed through an online store on the website. Free registration is available for basic access, but printed issues require purchase.
2. Individual Issue Sales: Single printed issues are available for purchase through the online store, allowing readers to buy specific issues without a full subscription.
3. Donor and Partner Support: The review is largely supported by a collective of financial partners (foundations and NGOs) who provide funding to sustain the publication. The website also accepts donations via Stripe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Humanitarian Alternatives publishes a bilingual (French/English) triannual review dedicated to critical research and debate on humanitarian action, available in both printed form and free online access. The organization also organizes the Forum Espace Humanitaire and operates a community platform connecting humanitarian practitioners, academics, NGOs, and foundations through publications, events, newsletters, and academic partnerships.

Product overview

Humanitarian Alternatives is an international academic publication platform offering a bilingual review (French/English) dedicated to humanitarian action research and debate. The core offering is the triannual review available in both printed and digital formats. The platform operates on a freemium model: articles are freely accessible online, while printed subscriptions and individual issues require purchase. Additional services include a member area with PDF downloads, favorites management, and bibliographic resources, plus a monthly newsletter and events calendar. The publication covers thematic issues spanning ethics, humanitarian crises, mental health, climate change, food security, civil society, and geopolitical analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Humanitarian Alternatives Review (Revue bilingue français/anglais) An international bilingual (French/English) review of debate and research dedicated to humanitarian action, published three times a year, available in printed form and on the website. It serves NGOs, academic institutions, humanitarian practitioners, foundations, and policy-makers seeking critical analysis of humanitarian practice.
• Forum Espace Humanitaire A forum/event series organized by Humanitarian Alternatives that brings together French-speaking NGOs, academic institutions, humanitarian practitioners, and policy-makers for critical debate on humanitarian action topics.
• Print Subscription and Individual Issue Purchases Paid subscriptions to the printed triannual review and individual issue purchases, sold to individuals and institutions through the online store. Subscriptions and individual purchases are managed through e-commerce functionality on the website.

Named customers2 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered academic.

• Université de Liège (ULiège)academicOthersAcademic partner providing scholarly collaboration and using the review as a teaching and research resource.
• Université Lumière Lyon 2academicOthersAcademic partner, including joint events such as round tables on humanitarian and social action topics. Partner in the master program in humanitarian communication and solidarity.
• Université LavalacademicOthersAcademic partner in Canada, using the review as a research and teaching resource.
• École 3AacademicOthersAcademic partner, a French school specializing in international cooperation and development.
• UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal)academicOthersAcademic partner in Canada, through OCCAH (Observatoire des conflits et crises humanitaires).
• BioforceacademicOthersAcademic and professional training partner for humanitarian personnel, based in Lyon.
• Institut de Humanitarian Studies (Geneva)academicOthersAcademic partner providing humanitarian studies research and education in Geneva.
• Université Saint-Joseph (USJ, Beirut)academicOthersAcademic partner in Lebanon, collaborating with ELF'S program on humanitarian studies.
• Université Panthéon-SorbonneacademicOthersAcademic partner through the Master in Development and Humanitarian Action program.
• Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-LayeacademicOthersAcademic partner institution using the review as a teaching resource.
• IEP FontainebleauacademicOthersAcademic partner institution (Institut d'Études Politiques), using the review as a resource.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in humanitarian action, producing research, evaluations, and State of the Humanitarian System reports. Directly comparable as a sector-wide research and learning platform serving humanitarian practitioners.
• The New Humanitarian: Independent newsroom producing in-depth journalism and analysis on humanitarian crises. Directly comparable as a non-profit media outlet providing independent critical coverage of the humanitarian sector, though primarily in English and in news format.
• Journal of Humanitarian Affairs: Peer-reviewed academic journal publishing research on humanitarian action and policy. Directly comparable as a scholarly publication dedicated to humanitarian debate, though English-only and published by a consortium of humanitarian studies programs.
• Forced Migration Review: Leading refugee-focused publication producing thematic issues on displacement and humanitarian response. Directly comparable as a thematic, multi-issue periodical serving practitioners and academics, though more narrowly focused on forced migration.
• Disasters Journal: Wiley-published peer-reviewed academic journal covering disaster risk, response, and humanitarian action. Directly comparable as a leading scholarly periodical in the humanitarian/disaster field, though English-only and broader in scope.
• International Review of the Red Cross: ICRC's flagship academic publication on international humanitarian law and humanitarian action. Directly comparable as a bilingual (English/French) scholarly periodical serving humanitarian practitioners and researchers, with similar editorial structure.
• Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN): ODI-hosted network publishing practitioner-oriented analysis on humanitarian operations. Directly comparable as an institutional publishing initiative producing research and debate for the humanitarian community, though English-only.

Broad incumbents

• ODI Global: Major international development think tank producing research and policy analysis across humanitarian, development, and climate topics. Comparable as a research-publishing organization serving the humanitarian and development community, with significantly broader scope and resources.

Others

• Centre for Humanitarian Data: OCHA-hosted platform providing data, analysis, and visualization tools for humanitarian operations. Comparable as a sector-wide knowledge infrastructure serving humanitarian practitioners, but focused on operational data rather than scholarly debate.

Emerging players

• MSF Science / UREPH: MSF's research arm producing critical analysis and scientific publications on humanitarian medical practice. Comparable as a humanitarian sector research-publishing initiative, but embedded within a single operational NGO rather than an independent cross-sector platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJXwxApzR_fxMj5rDKboyHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/RevueAH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alternatives-humanitaires-humanitarian-alternatives

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 Humanitarian Alternatives