5 Skoler

What 5 Skoler does

5 Skoler (legally Foreningen 5 Skoler) is a Danish non-profit association founded in 2019 by former school teacher Maren Elise Skjerlie and former social-sector management consultant Zarah Kirketerp-Møller. The organization builds and operates physical schools for Syrian refugee children who lack access to formal education, with current operations spanning 16 schools along the Syrian border in Turkey and in Beirut, Lebanon, serving approximately 1,200 children daily. Its service portfolio includes tent schools, brick schools equipped with amenities such as air conditioning, solar panels, WiFi and projectors, schools built in converted orphanages, a mobile bus school used as a pilot platform, village schools, kindergartens, food programs, winter clothing distribution, and a distinctive program enabling Syrian children to obtain education documentation recognized on par with the local population.

The revenue model is donation-driven and segmented across individual giving, corporate donations, merchandise, and channelized corporate wellness programs. Donations are structured into tiered packages ranging from 100 DKK/month to 1,500 DKK/year, alongside one-off gifts and 299 DKK t-shirts; corporate partners contribute larger amounts and several cover the full Danish administrative and operational costs of the organization, allowing 100% of public donations to flow directly to school projects. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Lars Bo Kirk, with day-to-day leadership provided by the two co-founders and supported by a small Danish team (communications, partnerships, IT, finance) plus a country manager (Dana Matbouli) and an in-country ambassador (Umut Sakarya) for field operations. Geographic expansion from Turkey into Lebanon, a mobile-school pilot, village-school collaborations with fashion partner Les Deux, and recurring annual corporate health-week fundraisers (Ikano Group) are the most material recent operating developments.

Name

5 Skoler

Legal name

Foreningen 5 Skoler

Website

https://5skoler.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

5 Skoler is a Danish non-profit founded in 2019 that builds and operates physical schools for Syrian refugee children, currently running 16 schools in Turkey and Lebanon serving approximately 1,200 students daily, funded by individual and corporate donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Refugee education services
• Humanitarian school construction
• Nonprofit education programs
• School building for refugees
• Charitable education funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals who support the organization's mission to build schools for refugee children. Donation packages range from 100 DKK to 1,500 DKK.
2. Corporate Donations: Companies donate to support school construction and operation. Partners also cover administrative costs, allowing all other donations to go directly to projects.
3. Merchandise Sales: T-shirt sales through the organization's shop. T-shirts priced at 299 DKK.
4. Partner-Covered Administration: Partners (Boozt.com, CIP, COP, FRIDAY, Accura, Silent Partners, and others) cover all administrative and operational costs in Denmark, enabling 100% of other donations to go directly to school projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

5 Skoler builds and operates schools for Syrian refugee children who lack access to education, operating 16 schools along the Syrian border in Turkey and in Beirut, Lebanon. The schools include tent schools, isolated tent schools, brick schools, city schools, and a mobile bus school, and come with food programs, kindergartens, women's centres, winter clothing, and document assistance enabling Syrian children to obtain officially recognized education credentials. The organization is funded primarily through donations from individuals and corporations, with merchandise sales (t-shirts) as a secondary revenue stream.

Product overview

5 Skoler is a Danish charitable organization (not a technology company) that builds and operates schools for Syrian refugee children along the Syrian border and in Lebanon. The organization operates a portfolio of educational services including tent schools, brick schools, city schools, mobile bus schools, kindergartens, women's centers, and food programs. Supporting services include winter clothing distribution, document assistance for education recognition, and school bus transportation. The organization also offers structured donation packages (monthly to annual) and merchandise (t-shirts) as fundraising mechanisms. The core offering is the school infrastructure combined with educational programs, meals, and support services for approximately 1,200 students across 16 schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tent Schools Schools made of tarpaulins and tents set up in refugee camps along the Syrian border, providing initial education for children without access to formal schooling.
• Brick Schools Permanent school buildings constructed with bricks, equipped with air conditioning, toilets, refrigerators, solar panels, projectors, and meal programs for refugee children.
• City Schools Schools established in urban slums, often in abandoned buildings or transformed orphanages, serving children living in extreme poverty in city areas such as Beirut.
• Mobile Bus School A bus converted into a mobile school used as a test school to pilot educational programs in new locations before establishing permanent schools.
• Food Program Meal programs at schools providing lunch and food bags to students who often go without breakfast or lunch, addressing nutrition for learning.
• Kindergartens Early childhood education programs for young children in refugee camps and village schools, including kindergartens attached to village schools such as the one with Les Deux.
• Women's Centres Dedicated centers providing support and services for women in refugee communities along the Syrian border.
• Winter Clothes Distribution Distribution of warm clothing including jackets and boots to prepare students for winter conditions in refugee camps.
• Document Assistance Program Program enabling Syrian children to obtain official education documents, providing recognition equivalent to local population documentation.
• Donation Packages Structured donation options for individuals and companies: 100 DKK/month to fill a lunch box (feeds a child for a month), 150 DKK for a backpack with school supplies, 500 DKK for one year of school books, and 1,500 DKK for a full year of schooling.
• 5 Skoler T-shirt Merchandise T-shirt merchandise (MHGA design) sold to support the organization's cause, with shipping available only within Denmark and priced at 299 DKK.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,200 children attend schools daily receiving education, community, and stability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Moalem WeitemeyercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2023Law firm providing pro bono legal assistance to 5 Skoler for all legal issues. Also pays for the operation of two schools (third year running). Celebrated 15th anniversary with a donation of almost DKK 200,000 for jackets, boots, and food for pupils.
• New Power PartnerscoreOthers · 26 November 2023New partner helping ensure administration and salary, so all other donations can still go 100% uncut to projects.
• Blue Power PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2023New partner with whom 5 Skoler will build a school together, and who also helps secure food for pupils.
• RoccamoreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 November 2023Sneakers for Sneakers campaign - every pair of sneakers sold results in a pair of locally produced sneakers donated to a pupil. Over 1,200 pairs sold.
• DSVminorOthers · 6 February 2023Responsible for transport and logistics of earthquake relief equipment (blankets, sleeping bags, jackets, tinned food) collected in Copenhagen, completely free of charge.
• CleverminorOthers · 6 February 2023Collection point for earthquake relief equipment (blankets, sleeping bags, jackets, tinned food) at Støberigade 14, 2450 Copenhagen.
• Les DeuxflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Strong and long-term commitment to transform an abandoned school into a village school with two classrooms and a kindergarten. School bus donated by Nine United Fund.
• Boozt.comcoreOthers · 1 October 2021Partner covering administrative costs so that all other donations can go 100% uncut to projects.
• CIP (Copenhagen Investment Partners)coreOthers · 1 October 2021Partner covering administrative costs so that all other donations can go 100% uncut to projects.
• COP (Copenhagen Offshore Partners)coreOthers · 1 October 2021Partner covering administrative costs. Also donated a bus transformed into a mobile school used as a test school.
• FRIDAYcoreOthers · 1 October 2021Partner providing office facilities, covering administrative costs so that all other donations can go directly to projects.
• AccuracoreOthers · 1 October 2021Partner covering administrative costs so that all other donations can go 100% uncut to projects.
• Silent PartnerscoreOthers · 1 October 2021Partner covering administrative costs so that all other donations can go 100% uncut to projects.
• PwCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 23 June 2021Welfare team providing pro bono impact evaluation over the next year to assess the significance of the organization's efforts.
• EasymoveminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 December 2020Digital workplace wellness platform enabling companies to support 5 Skoler through employee activities. Start-up fee of 4,995 DKK per company plus 100 DKK per employee.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/5skoler
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5skoler
• Instagraminstagram.com/5skoler

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 5 Skoler