SOSTE

What SOSTE does

SOSTE Suomen sosiaali ja terveys ry (SOSTE Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health) is a private, non-profit umbrella organization founded in 2011 and headquartered at Yliopistonkatu 5, Helsinki. It is the sole national-level federation representing over 200 social welfare and health NGOs in Finland, serving members across mental health, disability, elderly care, family services, rehabilitation, and health promotion. Its primary functions are advocacy, member service coordination, sector research, training, and policy influence, with institutional relationships into the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and THL (which administers STEA funding). SOSTE's product surface is communications- and knowledge-based rather than technology-based: weekly and monthly newsletters (SOSTEkirje, Jäsenkirje, Hyvinvointialueen sote-järjestökirje), a training and events stream (SOSTEkouluttaa), a blog (SOSTEblogi), annual research publications (Sosiaalibarometri, Järjestöbarometri), financial analyses (Talouskatsaukset), an event calendar, the Lahjoittamo donation platform (transferred from Goodwill ry in May 2023), and an impact advisory service (Vaikuttavuus järjestöissä). No proprietary technology systems, APIs, or AI capabilities are described.

SOSTE's business model is that of a registered association under Finnish law, not a commercial entity. Revenue is generated from three streams: member-organization subscription fees, government framework funding channeled through STEA, and project or program-specific grants. Pricing is not commercially published because SOSTE does not sell discrete products or services to external customers. Its 200+ NGO members consume the communications, training, research, and advocacy deliverables, while SOSTE in turn channels collective influence into Finnish social and health policy. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Hanna Markkula-Kivisilta and led day-to-day by Secretary General Vertti Kiukas, with a management team that includes a deputy secretary general, directors of welfare areas, organizational services, and communications/public affairs, plus specialized experts in law, communications, training, income/poverty, and Swedish-language services.

The current operating environment is materially adverse. SOSTE has absorbed a 500,000 EUR reduction to its own operating budget and is publicly campaigning against cuts of approximately 140 million EUR to STEA funding flowing to member organizations during the Orpo government's term. It has initiated change negotiations (muutosneuvottelut) in response to revised STEA grant criteria, indicating internal restructuring pressure. Despite this, SOSTE continues to expand its policy footprint, issuing a high cadence of formal legislative statements and submitting the composition proposal for the Advisory Committee on Social and Health Organization Grants for the 2025-2029 term, suggesting an organization under fiscal stress but still actively defending and extending its institutional role.

Name

SOSTE

Legal name

SOSTE Suomen sosiaali ja terveys ry

Website

https://soste.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SOSTE is Finland's national non-profit umbrella organization, founded in 2011, representing over 200 social welfare and health NGOs. It provides advocacy, member services, sector research, training, and policy influence, funded through membership fees, government STEA grants, and project funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit federation / Social welfare advocacy services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

Keywords

• Social welfare advocacy
• NGO umbrella federation
• Health policy research
• Member training programs
• Civil society coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Member organizations pay membership fees to SOSTE. The organization represents over 200 social welfare and health organizations.
2. Government funding (STEAn avustukset): SOSTE receives government funding through the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. In 2017, the Ministry granted funding to 859 organizations totaling 317.6 million euros through STEA.
3. STEA grants administration: SOSTE coordinates and advocates for member organizations' access to state funding administered through the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health's funding center (STEA).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOSTE is the national Finnish umbrella organization (SOSTE Suomen sosiaali ja terveys ry) that represents more than 200 social welfare and health NGOs. It delivers advocacy and policy representation to government ministries and parliament, coordinates member access to STEA funding, produces authoritative sector research publications (Sosiaalibarometri, Järjestöbarometri), runs training programs for member staff, and operates communications channels and the Lahjoittamo donation platform connecting donors with member organizations.

Product overview

SOSTE is a national umbrella organization for Finnish social and health (sote) organizations with over 200 member organizations. Rather than offering a technology product, SOSTE provides communication, research, advocacy, and member support services. The core offerings include: SOSTEkirje (weekly newsletter), SOSTEkouluttaa (training communications), SOSTEblogi (blog platform), Jäsenkirje (member newsletter), and Hyvinvointialueen sote-järjestökirje (regional stakeholder newsletter) for communication; Sosiaalibarometri and Järjestöbarometri (annual research publications), Talouskatsaukset (financial analyses) for research; Tapahtumakalenteri (event calendar) for event management; and Lahjoittamo (donation platform, transferred to SOSTE in 2023 from Goodwill ry) for fundraising support. These services collectively support advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and member organization capacity-building in Finland's social and health sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SOSTEkirje: Weekly newsletter covering current affairs related to SOSTE and its member organizations
• SOSTEkouluttaa
• SOSTEblogi
• Järjestöbarometri
• Sosiaalibarometri

Products and services

• Lahjoittamo Online donation platform that connects Finnish social welfare and health NGOs with donors, providing access to over 60 organizations and their donation targets. Administered by SOSTE since May 2023 (transferred from Goodwill ry).
• SOSTEkouluttaa Training Programs Professional development and training programs for staff and leaders of social welfare and health NGOs. Includes special professional qualifications in organizational management, service design, and professional fundraising, delivered in partnership with Rastor-instituutti and consortium partners Allianssi, Fingo, and VaLa.
• Sosiaalibarometri Annual authoritative research publication by SOSTE providing comprehensive analysis of Finnish social welfare and health sector developments, informing policy discussions and member organization strategy.
• Järjestöbarometri Annual research publication by SOSTE surveying Finnish social welfare and health member organizations on their activities, resources, and operational challenges.
• Vaikuttavuus järjestöissä (Impact Advisory) Advisory support and guidance for member organizations on measuring, demonstrating, and communicating the impact and effectiveness of their social welfare and health activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• SOSTE's member organizations saved public sector 156.4 million EUR in 2023 through their services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Goodwill ryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023In May 2023, SOSTE assumed management of the Lahjoittamo (Lahjoittamo.fi) service from Goodwill ry. Lahjoittamo is a platform connecting Finnish donors with social welfare and health organizations. SOSTE took over administration while the service's operations continued unchanged. The service ended in March 2026.
• Rastor-instituutticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOSTE partners with Rastor-instituutti to provide professional development programs for member organizations including special professional qualifications in organizational management, service design, and professional fundraising. These programs lead to specialized professional examinations.
• Allianssi, Fingo, VaLacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOSTE collaborates with Allianssi (youth organizations), Fingo (NGOs), and VaLa (Fundraising Finland) on professional development programs including organizational management, service design, and professional fundraising special qualifications.
• Folktinget and Finnish municipalitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOSTE participates in the Vård på svenska (Care in Swedish) working group coordinated by Folktinget and the Finnish Municipalities organization. This group develops support materials for bilingual welfare areas regarding Swedish-language social and health services and the role of third sector organizations.
• Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOSTE collaborates closely with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as the national umbrella organization for social welfare and health NGOs. SOSTE advocates for member organization interests in policy development and coordinates sector-wide initiatives with the Ministry.
• Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos (THL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHL administers STEA (Sosiaali- ja terveysjärjestöjen avustuskeskus) funding for social welfare and health organizations. SOSTE coordinates member organization access to this funding and advocates for favorable funding conditions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Folktinget: Swedish-speaking Finnish cultural and political organization. Co-partner with SOSTE on the Vård på svenska working group; comparable as a linguistic/minority umbrella with advocacy and member services roles.
• VaLa (Fundraising Finland): Finnish professional association for fundraising and marketing specialists. Directly comparable as a co-delivery partner for SOSTE's fundraising professional qualifications, sharing the same NGO ecosystem and STEA-adjacent funding environment.
• Fingo: Finnish umbrella organization for development NGOs, operating in parallel to SOSTE in the broader Finnish civil society federation ecosystem. Directly comparable in governance model, membership-based revenue, advocacy role, and partnership-based training delivery.
• Kansan Sivistystyön Liitto (KSL): Finnish workers' educational association acting as a member-based federation for civil society organizations. Comparable in structure, advocacy role, training programs, and reliance on STEA and ministry funding.
• Allianssi: Finnish national cooperation body for youth organizations. Shares the same federation/umbrella model, advocacy function toward ministries, member services portfolio, and even co-delivers training programs with SOSTE through the Allianssi-Fingo-VaLa-SOSTE consortium.

Others

• THL (Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos): Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare — government research and development agency that administers STEA funding for the very member organizations SOSTE represents. Closely intertwined as both strategic partner and de facto funder.
• Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö (STM): Finland's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health — the government counterpart SOSTE lobbies and partners with on policy, advisory committee composition, and funding decisions. Comparable as a sectoral stakeholder rather than a competitor.
• MTK (Maa- ja metsätaloustuottajain Keskusliitto): Finnish central union of agricultural and forestry producers. Operates a sector-specific federation model similar to SOSTE, with member organizations, advocacy, and policy influence — a structural peer in a different vertical.
• SAK (Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö): Finland's central trade union confederation. Operates a comparable federation model (member organizations, advocacy to government, training, and publications) in a different sector, making it a structural analog rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• EuroHealthNet: European network of public health bodies and NGOs promoting health equity. Comparable as a multi-country umbrella/federation in the social and health policy space, though operating regionally rather than competing directly in Finland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SOSTE10
• Facebookfacebook.com/soste10

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 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 SOSTE