iHOPE

What iHOPE does

iHOPE is a Civil Society Organization (CSO) headquartered in Tripoli, Lebanon, dedicated to resolving cases of International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) — particularly in non-Hague Convention jurisdictions such as Lebanon itself. The organization was founded by Attorney Mohamad Al Ayouby (CEO) and Attorney Rasha Kayal (COO), with a US-based affiliate, iHOPE Foundation USA, led by Ayman Hamze. Its service portfolio comprises four functional pillars: (1) the Advocacy & Mediation Center, which offers a trilingual online mediation platform designed to resolve cross-border family disputes without international travel; (2) the Early Intervention System, a real-time reporting platform that alerts the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in Lebanon and a 24/7 iHOPE task force simultaneously; (3) the Family Access Center, a secured supervised reunion facility; and (4) legal support, training, and research/policy development services. The triple-front strategy combines context and conflict analysis, advocacy, and litigation to maneuver around gaps in Lebanon's fragmented legal framework of civil courts and 18 religious court systems.

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market model, reaching affected families through direct legal support, advocacy campaigns, embassy partnerships, and participation in international conferences (e.g., Malta V, Warsaw, US State Department training). It partners with diplomatic missions including the US, Canadian, and Australian embassies, the Tripoli Bar Association, the Human Rights Institute, and the Dutch Central Authority. As a fee-free nonprofit, iHOPE funds all services — including legal representation, mediation, advocacy, and case management — entirely through donations processed via Stripe on its website, with publicly stated fundraising goals of $50,000–$200,000 per programmatic cause. The organization is privately held, founder-operated, and reports no institutional investors, PE/VC funding, or parent holding company.

Name

iHOPE

Legal name

iHOPE

Website

https://ihope.world

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

iHOPE is a Tripoli, Lebanon-based nonprofit Civil Society Organization that provides free legal support, mediation, and advocacy services to families affected by International Parental Child Abduction, operating a trilingual online mediation platform and partnering with embassies and international bodies to drive case resolution and legal reform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tripoli

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: iHOPE operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations. The organization accepts recurring and one-time donations through its website, with payment processing via Stripe. Donors can contribute to specific causes such as the Advocacy and Mediation Center, Early Intervention System, and Family Access Center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

iHOPE is a Civil Society Organization that provides free legal representation, mediation, advocacy, and case management services to left-behind parents affected by International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA), particularly in non-Hague countries like Lebanon. The organization operates through three core service centers — Family Access Center, Early Intervention System, and Advocacy & Mediation Center — supported by a triple-front strategy combining context analysis, advocacy, and litigation. It also runs training and capacity-building programs for legal professionals and conducts research to inform policy reform.

Product overview

iHOPE operates as a civil society organization offering a suite of interconnected services for families affected by International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA). The core offerings include the Family Access Center (providing secure supervised reunions), the Early Intervention System (real-time abduction reporting and 24/7 response), and the Advocacy & Mediation Center (multilingual mediation with online platform support). These are complemented by legal support services, training/capacity building programs for legal professionals, and research and policy development initiatives. The organization employs a 'triple-front' strategy combining context/conflict analysis, advocacy, and litigation, with a specialized 'HOPE' mediation method designed for the Middle East region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Access Center A secure and supportive facility providing a neutral space for left-behind parents to safely reconnect with their children after abduction, equipped with child-friendly amenities and trained professional supervision.
• Early Intervention System A user-friendly platform enabling real-time reporting of abduction incidents that immediately alerts the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in Lebanon and iHOPE, maintaining a 24/7 specialized task force for swift coordinated response.
• Advocacy and Mediation Center Professional mediation services for cross-border family disputes with multilingual support and an online mediation platform, providing secure neutral spaces for supervised reunions with confidential counseling and legal assistance.
• Legal Support Services Legal assistance connecting families affected by International Parental Child Abduction with experienced attorneys, including filing emergency petitions, court representation, and working with international bodies to navigate complex IPCA cases.
• Training and Capacity Building Programs Training programs for legal professionals and students to navigate IPCA cases effectively, including workshops conducted in collaboration with bar associations and international organizations such as the US State Department and Tripoli Bar Association.
• Research and Policy Development Data-driven research initiatives including data analysis, qualitative and quantitative legal studies, needs assessment, and context analysis to inform policy development and advocate for legal reforms related to child abduction and custody.

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

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• US Embassy in BeirutcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025The US Embassy in Beirut provided generous support for iHOPE's National Advocacy Campaign on IPCA in collaboration with the Tripoli Bar Association and Human Rights Institute. This initiative combined an ongoing advocacy campaign with a comprehensive four-day workshop for legal professionals.
• Tripoli Bar Association and Human Rights InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025iHOPE partnered with the Tripoli Bar Association and Human Rights Institute for the National Advocacy Campaign on IPCA. This collaboration included a four-day workshop covering international laws, litigation strategies, mediation, advocacy, and psychological impacts of abduction, with mock trials and debates for future attorneys.
• Dutch Central AuthorityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025iHOPE's CEO delivered a presentation to the Dutch Central Authority (Ministry of Justice and Security) in The Hague on Middle Eastern perspectives on child abduction. The meeting included representatives from the International Child Abduction Center, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Council for Child Protection, focusing on Islamic Personal and Family Law and legal procedural options for resolving IPCA cases.
• Polish Ministry of Foreign AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025iHOPE participated in the 'Cross-Border Cooperation in Family Matters within the EU and Parental Child Abduction to Non-Hague Convention Countries' conference hosted under Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event brought together EU Member State representatives, officials, and legal practitioners to explore pathways for enhanced collaboration on cross-border family cases.
• Change for Children InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024iHOPE's COO, Atty. Rasha Kayal, was appointed as a member of the Super Board for The Change for Children, a distinguished collaboration comprising 21 prominent organizations in the United Kingdom. The Super Board's mission is to combat parental child abduction and alienation. This appointment signifies iHOPE's commitment to safeguarding children's well-being and rights within a global network of advocates.
• Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024iHOPE participated in Malta V Conference hosted by HCCH in Valletta, Malta, joining 130 participants including government officials, judges, legal experts, and international organizations. The conference focused on cross-border family law issues and bridging legal practices in civil, common, and Shari'a law systems, with emphasis on HCCH Children's Conventions for child abduction, parental rights, and child support recovery.
• US State DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024iHOPE conducted training sessions for US Embassy personnel across the MENA region at a week-long program in Doha, Qatar. The training focused on IPCA challenges in the Middle East, iHOPE's triple-front strategy, and the HOPE mediation method. This collaboration supports embassy staff in effectively addressing IPCA cases involving US citizens.
• Canadian Embassy LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023iHOPE participated in an IPCA Work Group hosted by the Canadian Embassy with representatives from eight embassies, Internal Security Forces, and a Judge of Urgent Matters. The Work Group brainstormed solutions for safeguarding left-behind parents' and children's rights, building on the US Embassy workshop discussions.
• Australian Embassy LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023iHOPE participated in an IPCA meeting at the Australian Embassy focused on civil society's role in protecting children abducted to or from Lebanon. Discussions centered on agreements between Australian and Lebanese governments and leveraging these for enhanced child protections.
• iSTAND Parent Network Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022iHOPE attended the 8th Annual iSTAND Parent Network Inc. International Parents Conference & Embassy Walk in Washington, D.C. The conference focused on Parental Child Abduction Across Borders, bringing together lawyers, advocates, international organizations, and stakeholders for IPCA discussions.
• Find My Parent (FMP) PodcastminorGTM or Marketing PartneriHOPE's CEO was hosted on the Find My Parent podcast to discuss parental abduction, the Hague Convention, and using local justice systems in non-Hague countries like Lebanon to reunite children with families.
• U.S. and Lebanon Organizations PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. and Lebanon organizations partnered to help internationally abducted children and advocate for global awareness and prevention of IPCA, demonstrating bilateral cooperation between organizations in both countries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Missing Children Europe: European federation representing missing children organizations across EU member states, working on cross-border family cases including parental abduction — directly comparable advocacy, training, and policy remit.
• Locate International: UK-based charity specializing in international parental child abduction cases, providing advice and casework to left-behind parents in non-Hague countries — direct operational and conceptual peer to iHOPE.
• Reunite International: UK charity specializing in international parental child abduction, advising parents on legal remedies including Hague and non-Hague country cases — directly comparable mission to iHOPE in a non-Hague destination jurisdiction context.
• The Change for Children UK: UK collaboration of 21 organizations combating parental child abduction and alienation; iHOPE's COO Rasha Kayal was appointed to its Super Board, evidencing direct mission alignment and active operational partnership.
• iSTAND Parent Network Inc. US-based nonprofit directly focused on international parental child abduction; iHOPE participated in iSTAND's 8th Annual International Parents Conference & Embassy Walk in Washington, D.C., evidencing overlapping mission and constituency.
• International Social Service (ISS): International NGO network handling cross-border child protection and family cases including IPCA, with member organizations across jurisdictions — parallel model of multi-jurisdiction case coordination and inter-country advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): Large US-based nonprofit covering missing children, exploitation, and IPCA recovery cases; broader mandate than iHOPE but operates the same bilateral recovery and embassy-coordination workflows.
• Global Missing Children Network: International network connecting organizations working on missing and abducted children across multiple regions; broader umbrella comparable to iHOPE's international embassy and conference engagement strategy.
• International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC): Global NGO working on missing and exploited children including IPCA policy, training, and international cooperation; broader portfolio than iHOPE but overlaps on international child abduction training and embassy engagement.

Others

• Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH): Intergovernmental organization that develops international legal frameworks including the 1980 Hague Abduction Convention; functions as a convening authority and standards-setter rather than a direct service provider, positioning iHOPE as a regional implementation partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/internationalhopefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intl-hope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about iHOPE