Stromme Foundation (Norwegian: Strmmestiftelsen)

What Stromme Foundation (Norwegian: Strmmestiftelsen) does

Strømmestiftelsen (Stromme Foundation) is a Norwegian nonprofit foundation established in 1975 and headquartered in Kristiansand, Norway. The foundation's mission is poverty alleviation in developing countries, delivered through education programs and job creation initiatives. It operates across 11 developing countries, reaching approximately 415,550 people in 2025, including 163,616 children and youth under 18. Its programmatic portfolio includes Speed School (accelerated learning for out-of-school children), Green Jobs (converting plastic waste into school desks), Savings and Loan Groups, Samvad, Bonga, and the Act Now exchange program.

The foundation's business model is grant-driven rather than commercial. Revenue is sourced primarily from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), institutional donors, and public fundraising channels. The 565 million NOK framework grant from Norad for 2024-2029 represents the largest government grant in the foundation's history, anchoring the operating budget. The award of NRK TV-aksjonen 2027 provides an additional large one-time public fundraising window. In 2025, Hei Verden was merged into Strømmestiftelsen, broadening organizational capacity. The foundation is led by CEO Erik Lunde, who has held the role since August 2021.

There are no disclosed technology, software, or platform products; the foundation delivers programs through partner networks, community structures, and on-the-ground staff rather than through proprietary technology. Pricing is not applicable in the commercial sense, as beneficiary access is subsidized through donor funding rather than fees.

Name

Stromme Foundation (Norwegian: Strmmestiftelsen)

Legal name

Strømmestiftelsen

Website

https://strommestiftelsen.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Strømmestiftelsen is a Norwegian nonprofit foundation established in 1975 that combats poverty through education and job creation programs across 11 developing countries, serving over 415,000 people annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Poverty Alleviation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Poverty alleviation programs
• International development aid
• Education access initiatives
• Economic empowerment programs
• Humanitarian assistance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kristiansand

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization receives donations from individual supporters including regular monthly giving (fast giver), one-time gifts, and campaign-based contributions. Tax deductions are available for Norwegian donors.
2. Norad Government Grants: Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) provides substantial government funding. In 2024, Strømmestiftelsen received 565 million NOK for poverty alleviation work in Asia and Africa over five years (2024-2029).
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses for project funding, skills-based volunteering, and cause marketing. The organization has a business partner program.
4. Testamentary Gifts: Bequests and testamentary gifts from donors. In 2021, the organization received 3,870,593 NOK in testamentary gifts. In 2020, they received 3,011,287 NOK in testamentary gifts.
5. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling symbolic gifts (goats, school desks, solar lamps, coffee) that represent development interventions. Prices range from approximately 100-5000 NOK.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Strømmestiftelsen is a Norwegian nonprofit foundation that combats poverty in 11 developing countries across Africa and Asia through education access and economic empowerment programs. Its core offerings include the Speed School accelerated learning program for out-of-school children, community-based savings and loan groups (CMMF), the Green Jobs plastic-recycling-to-school-desks initiative in Mali, child sponsorship (Hjertevenn), life-skills training (Samvad/Bonga), and the Act Now youth exchange program delivered with Hald Internasjonale Skole.

Product overview

Stromme Foundation is a Norwegian aid organization combating poverty through education and job creation in developing countries. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including Speed Schools (accelerated learning for out-of-school children), Savings and Loan Groups (microfinance for economic empowerment), the Green Jobs program (recycling plastic into school furniture), life skills training (Samvad), and child sponsorship (Hjertevenn). The organization also runs youth exchange programs (Act Now), publishes the S-Magasinet, and operates an online store. In 2025, Hei Verden merged into the organization to strengthen their educational initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speed School Accelerated learning program (hurtigskoler) helping out-of-school children catch up on missed education and return to formal schooling. Implemented in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and other countries; research shows 9 out of 10 children return to school, with over one million children helped since inception.
• Green Jobs in Mali (Grønne jobber i Mali) Circular-economy program in Mali that collects plastic waste and transforms it into school desks for Speed Schools, creating income for women collectors and recycling cooperatives. Designed to produce approximately 4,000 desks per year and remove plastic from the environment.
• Savings and Loan Groups (CMMF / Spare- og lånegrupper) Community-based microfinance groups that enable women and families in extreme poverty to save money and access small loans for income-generating activities without requiring traditional collateral. Implemented across multiple program countries.
• Hjertevenn (Heart Friend Sponsorship) Child sponsorship program supporting individual children through kindergartens and schools in some of the world's poorest countries, providing daily care, upbringing, and future prospects, including support for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.
• Samvad Life Skills Training Life-skills training curricula for youth, particularly girls, addressing discrimination, caste systems, alcohol abuse, child marriage, trafficking and exploitation. Delivered alongside Bonga in countries such as Nepal, Tanzania, and others.
• Act Now Youth Exchange Program Exchange program for Norwegian youth (18-25) combining study preparation at Hald Internasjonale Skole in Mandal, Norway, with practical placement in partner countries. Participants earn study credits from NLA Høgskolen.
• Online Store Symbolic Gifts (Nettbutikk) Online store selling symbolic charitable gifts such as goats, school desks, solar lamps and coffee, typically priced in the 100-5,000 NOK range, representing development interventions funded by the purchaser.

Quantifiable outcome

• 415,550 people supported in 2025, including 163,616 children and youth under 18
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A Better Life Foundation (ABLF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026ABLF contributes 750,000 NOK over three years to a program in Burkina Faso implemented by Strømmestiftelsen. This continues ABLF's engagement in the country.
• Hei VerdencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 December 2024Hei Verden merged into Strømmestiftelsen from 2025. The combined school initiative is now called Hei Verden. Five employees joined through this merger, strengthening the organization's education focus.
• Kristiansand MunicipalityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2024Partnership for development projects in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Collaboration agreement signed to support projects in this region.
• ReturkraftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReturkraft provides expertise and systems for plastic collection and recycling in Mali's green jobs project. The partnership transforms plastic waste into school desks while creating jobs for women.
• Hald Internasjonale SkolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHald International School in Mandal operates the Act Now exchange program for youth (18-25 years). Students receive study preparation before going abroad for practical placement. NLA Høgskolen provides study credits.
• NLA HøgskolenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides academic credits for the Act Now exchange program operated by Strømmestiftelsen and Hald Internasjonale Skole.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Right To Play Norge: Norwegian arm of Right To Play, focused on children's education and life-skills through play-based learning. Comparable on life-skills (Samvad-equivalent) and youth-focused education for marginalized populations.

Direct peers

• Plan International Norge: Norwegian NGO focused on children's rights, education, and girls' empowerment in developing countries. Overlaps with Strømmestiftelsen on child sponsorship, education access, and gender-targeted programs, with a comparable Norwegian donor base.
• Norsk Flyktningehjelp (Norwegian Refugee Council): One of Norway's largest aid organizations, delivering education, protection, and livelihoods in displacement and conflict-affected countries. Closely comparable on refugee/displaced populations (e.g., South Sudanese refugees in Uganda) and large Norad grant funding.
• Kirkens Nødhjelp (Norwegian Church Aid): One of Norway's largest ecumenical aid organizations, focused on climate, education, and economic empowerment in fragile states. Comparable on Norad framework funding, women's savings groups, and Asia/Africa footprint.
• Caritas Norge: Norwegian Catholic aid organization focused on poverty alleviation, humanitarian response, and international development. Comparable in Norad-funded community development, savings groups, and education programming in Africa and Asia.
• SOS-barnebyer Norge (SOS Children's Villages Norway): Norwegian NGO supporting vulnerable children through family-based care, education, and youth programs. Comparable in child sponsorship (Hjertevenn equivalent), education access, and life-skills programming for at-risk youth.
• Redd Barna (Save the Children Norway): Norwegian affiliate of Save the Children, also among the top-10 Norwegian aid organizations. Directly comparable in education-for-out-of-school-children, child protection, and Norad-funded development work across similar fragile contexts.
• CARE Norge: Norwegian arm of CARE International, delivering women's economic empowerment, savings groups, and education in developing countries. Strong overlap with Strømmestiftelsen's savings-and-loan groups and women's empowerment work in Africa and Asia.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF Norge: Norwegian national committee of UNICEF, with much broader global mandate and significantly larger funding base. Sits in the same donor-paid development space and pursues education and child protection outcomes, but with a far larger portfolio and brand.

Others

• Ingeniører Uten Grenser (Engineers Without Borders Norway): Norwegian NGO of volunteer engineers who contributed pro-bono technical expertise to Strømmestiftelsen's Green Jobs plastic-recycling project in Mali. Adjacent — engineering partner rather than a programmatic competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stromme-foundation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stromme Foundation (Norwegian: Strmmestiftelsen)