Rain For The Sahel And Sahara

What Rain For The Sahel And Sahara does

Rain for the Sahel and Sahara (RAIN) is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 73-1628703), founded in 2001 and headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that partners with rural and nomadic communities in Niger to deliver integrated development programs across three pillars: Access to Education (anchored by the Agadez Learning Center, a residential middle school acquired from Turtle Will in 2013 and currently serving 34 children from 12 nomadic villages, plus a Primary & Secondary School Mentoring program); Women's Entrepreneurship (Savings & Loans groups of 20 women with rotating loan access, the Sustainable Herding Initiative, and business-skills training); and Sustainable Agriculture & Water Management (borehole wells retrofitted since 2019 with solar-powered submersible pumps, drip irrigation systems, and School Market Gardens that can produce up to three tons of produce per growing season). RAIN operates in 2 of Niger's 7 regions—Agadez actively and Tillaberi with programming paused since 2020—with field operations supported by a country office in Niamey.

The organization's technology is operationally straightforward but materially appropriate for its context: solar-powered submersible pumps, drip irrigation, and community-managed gardens rather than software platforms. There is no app, API, or proprietary digital product; the closest analog to a platform is the locally trained cohort model (e.g., 20-woman Savings & Loans groups) that operationalizes programming at community scale. Reported 2025 outcomes include 4,000+ Nigeriens accessing safe water and nutritious food, 689 women earning their own income, and 1,861 children receiving educational support.

RAIN's revenue model is entirely philanthropic. Funding sources include individual donations via a website donation portal and the RAIN Maker monthly recurring giving program, event-based fundraising (annual Rain Dance Gala, concerts featuring artists such as Bombino and Fatoumata Diawara at The Music Hall in Portsmouth NH, documentary screenings, community suppers—with a single 2012 Bombino concert alone raising $80,000), and foundation/corporate grants (disclosed grants include VGIF $5,000, One Day's Wages $11,700, Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust, MAZON $10,000, and Prem Rawat Foundation $20,000). The organization accepts credit card, Venmo, wire transfer, stock, and qualified charitable distributions, but does not sell any product or service. Volunteer and internship engagement at the Portsmouth office supplements but does not generate material revenue.

Name

Rain For The Sahel And Sahara

Legal name

Rain for the Sahel and Sahara Inc.

Website

https://rain4sahara.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rain for the Sahel and Sahara is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit partnering with rural and nomadic communities in Niger to deliver education, women's entrepreneurship, and sustainable agriculture and water access programs, reaching 4,000+ Nigeriens in 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Health, Population & WASH Aid Programs (BPADABAC), Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE)

Keywords

• Nonprofit humanitarian services
• Rural community development
• Education access programs
• Women's entrepreneurship
• Sustainable agriculture water

Headquarters

HQ city

Portsmouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: RAIN raises funds from individual donors through its website, direct mail, and organized campaigns. The organization offers monthly giving programs (RAIN Makers), one-time gifts, and tribute donations in honor or memory of individuals.
2. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Rain Dance Gala, concerts, documentary screenings, and community suppers generate significant revenue. Events like the 2012 Soul of the Sahara concert with Bombino raised $80,000.
3. Corporate/Foundation Grants: RAIN receives grants from foundations including Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund ($5,000), One Day's Wages ($11,700), Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust, MAZON ($10,000), The Prem Rawat Foundation ($20,000), and others for specific programs.
4. Volunteer and Internship Program: The organization accepts volunteers and interns at their Portsmouth, NH office, with opportunities for remote work based on skillset.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RAIN partners with rural and nomadic communities in Niger to deliver three integrated programs: Access to Education (Agadez Learning Center and Primary & Secondary School Mentoring), Women's Entrepreneurship (Savings & Loans groups, Sustainable Herding Initiative, financial literacy training), and Sustainable Agriculture & Water Management (borehole wells with solar-powered submersible pumps, drip irrigation systems, community gardens). These programs are delivered free of charge to community beneficiaries and funded by individual donations, foundation grants, and event fundraising.

Product overview

Rain for the Sahel and Sahara operates three interconnected program areas: Access to Education (featuring the Agadez Learning Center and mentoring programs), Women's Entrepreneurship (including Savings & Loans groups and the Sustainable Herding Initiative), and Sustainable Agriculture & Water Management (with borehole wells, drip irrigation, and community gardens). These programs work together to address intersecting challenges facing rural and nomadic communities in Niger, providing education, economic opportunity, and food/water security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access to Education Educational support programs including the Agadez Learning Center (a residential center providing room, board, academic, extracurricular, and social support for rural and nomadic students who lack access to middle school in their surrounding communities) and Primary & Secondary School Mentoring, which trains local women to advocate for youth enrollment and support students in partner schools.
• Women's Entrepreneurship Programs that train cohorts of women in financial literacy and business practice, including the Sustainable Herding Initiative and Savings & Loans Program where 20 women form groups to collectively save and access loans on a rotating basis. Targeted at women in rural and nomadic Nigerien communities marginalized by poverty and gender inequality.
• Sustainable Agriculture & Water Management Food and water security programs providing tools, knowledge, and infrastructure including borehole wells with solar-powered submersible pumps (since 2019), drip irrigation systems, and community garden management training. Targeted at rural and nomadic Nigerien communities facing food insecurity, with School Market Gardens that can produce up to three tons of produce per growing season.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ Nigeriens accessing safe water and nutritious food in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• World Affairs Council of New HampshirecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024Partnered with RAIN for panel discussions including 'Shadow in the Sahel: Russia's Rising Influence in Africa' featuring Karen Hanrahan and Kamissa Camara, and film screenings.
• Grain de SablecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016French organization partnered with RAIN to provide high school opportunities for students from the Agadez Learning Center who completed middle school, including student Maoude who continued to high school through this partnership.
• Turtle WillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Turtle Will transferred ownership of the Agadez Learning Center dormitory complex to RAIN. The center serves 34 children from 12 nomadic villages who are given the opportunity to attend middle school, high school and beyond.
• Embassy of the Republic of NigercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2012Collaborated with RAIN to host 'Niger: A Country United in the Face of Turmoil' at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, featuring Tuareg musician Bombino and RAIN leadership.
• The Music Hall (Portsmouth, NH)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for major fundraising events including Bombino concerts, Fatoumata Diawara performances, documentary screenings, and RAIN's annual Rain Dance Gala.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Kiva: Nonprofit enabling microloans to underserved borrowers globally. The Savings & Loans group model used in RAIN's women's entrepreneurship program mirrors Kiva's group-lending approach to financial inclusion.
• Room to Read: Nonprofit focused on literacy and girls' education in low-income communities. Closest direct peer on the education pillar, particularly the Learning Center model, though operating at larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• CARE: Major international NGO with longstanding Niger programming on women's economic empowerment, food security, and education. Directly comparable mission overlap (women, food, education) with a much broader portfolio.
• Oxfam America: Large NGO with Sahel/Niger programming focused on food security, women's rights, and water/sanitation. Similar integrated-development framing but operates globally.
• Mercy Corps: Large international humanitarian NGO with active programs in Niger covering livelihoods, food security, water, and youth empowerment. Overlaps RAIN's pillars but operates at vastly greater scale across multiple countries.

Direct peers

• Water for People: US-based nonprofit focused on sustainable water and sanitation services in developing countries. Comparable mission focus on lasting water infrastructure and community-led sustainability, with similar size and donor base profile.
• charity: water: US-based nonprofit funding clean water access in developing countries. Closest peer on mission (water infrastructure for underserved communities), fundraising model (recurring + events), and US-headquartered-but-global-field-operations structure.
• WaterAid America: Global WASH-focused nonprofit working across sub-Saharan Africa on water, sanitation and hygiene. Comparable on the WASH-and-communities mission and integrated development approach; broader geographic and organizational scope than RAIN.
• Wine To Water: Small US-based nonprofit providing clean water access in developing countries. Similar size, donor-driven model, water-mission focus, and event-based fundraising style make this the closest small-shop comparable.

Regional players

• SOS Sahel International (UK): UK-anchored NGO focused specifically on Sahel's land, water, and livelihoods. Most directly comparable on Sahelian focus and integrated natural-resource / community development approach, though UK-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Rain4Sahara
• Facebookfacebook.com/NigerNomads
• Instagraminstagram.com/rainforthesahelandsahara
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rainsahelsahara

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Rain For The Sahel And Sahara