Global Hand

What Global Hand does

Global Hand is a non-profit online matching platform that brokers partnerships between corporations and NGOs to address global humanitarian and development issues. Operated as an initiative of Crossroads Foundation Limited, a Hong Kong-registered NGO founded in 2002, the platform functions as a free, two-sided marketplace where corporations post offers of goods, services, freight, human resources, or funding, and verified NGOs post requests for those resources. The platform maintains a verified organisation process, customs regulations database covering 150+ countries, Global Hand Standards for product/services/management categories, and a dedicated disaster response capability. Global Hand claims to connect 1,000+ corporations with 2,000+ NGOs across 92+ countries, with the user base including major institutional names such as UNICEF, Oxfam, UNHCR, British Red Cross, Save the Children, World Vision, and Rotary International.

The platform's core technology is a relational database and web-based matching system rather than an algorithmically optimized recommendation engine, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no mobile app, and no public API. Global Hand has released three major versions since 2002, with the current iteration (Global Hand 3, launched 2008) broadening partnership scope to include social entrepreneurship, microcredit, fair trade, advocacy, and corporate volunteering alongside traditional gifts-in-kind and disaster response. The platform is supported by an extensive referring-organisation network and the Global Commons Alliance, which routes unmatched offers across NGO networks for extended reach.

Global Hand's business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: the service is provided free to all users, funded by an annual operating budget of US$1.45 million sourced from private individual donations, Rotary and service group donations, and trust/foundation grants. Notably, only ~20% of operational costs are cash-based, with the remainder covered by corporate in-kind contributions including legal services (Freshfields), audit (Grant Thornton), media exposure (Bloomberg, CNN), and IT support. Hong Kong SAR government provides infrastructure accommodation for Crossroads Foundation across 40 buildings on 14 acres. Regional representative offices operate in the UK, Austria (Central Europe), and Kazakhstan (Central Asia). The Operations Executive and Board of Reference include senior figures from World Vision, Mercy Corps, UN ISDR, Microsoft, UBS, Allen & Overy, and Global Sources.

Name

Global Hand

Legal name

Global Hand - an initiative of Crossroads Foundation Ltd.

Website

https://globalhand.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Hand is a non-profit online matching platform that brokers partnerships between 1,000+ corporations and 2,000+ NGOs across 92+ countries. Operated by Hong Kong-based Crossroads Foundation Limited since 2002, it offers a free matching service for gifts-in-kind, services-in-kind, funding, disaster response, and CSR engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

NGO Partnership Brokerage Platform

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Humanitarian Coordination & Disaster Risk Reduction IGOs (BPADAAAE)

Keywords

• NGO partnership brokerage
• Corporate social responsibility
• Humanitarian aid matching
• Gifts-in-kind facilitation
• Disaster response coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuen Mun

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations from Private Individuals: Global Hand receives donations from private individuals to cover the 20% cash component of operational costs.
2. Service Group Donations: Rotary and similar service groups provide donations to support operations.
3. Trust and Foundation Donations: Trust funds and foundations both within Hong Kong and internationally provide funding.
4. Corporate In-Kind Support: Corporate partnerships provide legal and audit services, IT services, mass media, ISP services, and other core competencies and goods in lieu of cash payments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Global Hand operates an Internet-based non-profit brokerage platform that matches corporations seeking to engage in CSR, philanthropy, gifts-in-kind, and disaster response with NGOs needing resources including goods, services, freight, human resources, and funding. The platform provides searchable databases of offers and requests, verification of non-profit organizations, standards and guidelines, customs information for humanitarian aid across 150+ countries, and disaster response coordination. The service is free for users and operates as an initiative of Crossroads Foundation Limited.

Product overview

Global Hand is a non-profit brokerage platform that facilitates public/private partnerships by connecting corporations, NGOs, foundations, governments, and diplomats who want to address global issues. The core platform (Global Hand 3) operates alongside the Offers and Requests Database, enabling providers to offer goods, services, freight, human resources, or funding while verified non-profits can request resources. Supporting resources include the Humanitarian Customs Guide (covering 150+ countries) and Global Hand Standards for best practices. The platform serves both disaster response and long-term development needs through various partnership types including gifts-in-kind, services-in-kind, project funding, advocacy, and corporate volunteering. Verified organizations receive additional access privileges, and the Global Commons Alliance network extends reach to additional NGOs when local matches are not found.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Hand Online Matching Platform An Internet-based non-profit brokerage platform that facilitates public/private partnerships by matching organisations seeking to address global issues, including corporations, NGOs, foundations, trusts, governments, and diplomats. Users can browse offers, post offers/requests, search partner organisations, and access standards and guidelines.
• Partnership Matching Services Facilitates partnerships across multiple engagement types including Social Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Disaster Response, Poverty Alleviation, Advocacy, Microcredit, Job Creation, Corporate Social Responsibility, Gifts-in-kind, Services-in-kind, Humanitarian Aid, Fair Trade, and Corporate Volunteering.
• Humanitarian Customs Guide A customs information resource providing regulations for importing humanitarian aid into over 150 countries, including documents required, procedures for tax exemption, and lists of prohibited goods.
• Global Hand Standards Best practice guidelines covering product standards (food, medical equipment), services, cargo handling, shipment follow-up, financial auditing, legal issues, communications, organizational integrity, human resources, and programme management.
• Verified Organization Services Verification services for non-profit organisations enabling access to the platform's full features and contact information sharing with verified non-profit users, including due diligence on offers before release.
• Global Commons Alliance A network of like-minded NGOs that share unmatched partnership offers with a wider audience when organisations cannot find suitable matches within the Global Hand community, extending reach to additional NGOs worldwide.
• Disaster Response Support Specialized screens and coordinated response capabilities for major disaster scenarios, enabling rapid matching of offers with affected regions and NGOs in need, as demonstrated during the 2005 Tsunami crisis response.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connecting 1,000+ corporations with 2,000+ NGOs across 92+ countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Crossroads Foundation LimitedcoreOthersGlobal Hand is operated as an initiative of Crossroads Foundation Limited, a Hong Kong-registered non-governmental organisation. Crossroads Foundation provides the organisational infrastructure, governance, and operational support for Global Hand operations.
• Crossroads Global Village (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrossroads Global Village (UK) is an independent company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, and registered with the Charity Commission (company registration number 06003594; Charity Registration number 1153488). Supports running of Global Hand with focus on UK and European operations.
• BloombergsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organisation that has partnered directly with Global Hand or with its NGO participants. Listed as part of Global Hand's supporting organisations community.
• CNNsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organisation that has partnered directly with Global Hand or with its NGO participants. Listed as part of Global Hand's supporting organisations community.
• Freshfields Bruckhaus DeringersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organisation that has partnered directly with Global Hand or with its NGO participants. Listed as part of Global Hand's supporting organisations community providing legal services.
• OxfamflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation (includes Oxfam Australia and Oxfam Great Britain) that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for partnership offers they cannot use. Redirects donors to Global Hand when they receive goods offers they cannot accommodate.
• UNICEFflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation (includes UNICEF Australia and UNICEF UK) that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for partnership offers they cannot use. Redirects donors to Global Hand when they receive goods offers they cannot accommodate.
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for partnership offers they cannot use. Redirects donors to Global Hand when they receive offers they cannot accommodate.
• British Red CrossflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for partnership offers they cannot use.
• Save the ChildrenflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for partnership offers they cannot use.
• BITC (Business in the Community, UK)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for corporate provision offers they cannot use.
• DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee, UK)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for partnership offers they cannot use.
• CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, UK)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferring organisation that utilises Global Hand as a referral centre for partnership offers they cannot use.
• Grant ThorntonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic audit services provided by Grant Thornton, donated to Global Hand as part of corporate partnership support model.
• Hong Kong SAR GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hong Kong SAR government accommodates Crossroads Foundation (parent of Global Hand) together with its sister organisation in 40 buildings on 14 acres, providing significant infrastructure support.
• Global Commons AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of like-minded NGOs within the Global Commons Alliance who have an arrangement to pass on offers to each other if organisations cannot find a match within their own networks, extending the reach of offers to an even wider audience of NGOs worldwide.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Idealist: Online platform connecting people with nonprofit jobs, volunteer opportunities, and organizations. Comparable as a digital matching service for nonprofit engagement, with overlap in connecting individuals/corporates with NGOs.
• ReliefWeb: UN OCHA-operated humanitarian information portal providing news, reports, and job listings for relief workers. Comparable as a digital hub matching humanitarian demand with supply (information, funding, partners), serving overlapping NGO and UN audiences.
• GlobalGiving: Online crowdfunding and donation platform connecting donors with grassroots projects worldwide. Comparable as a digital marketplace facilitating resource flow between corporates/individuals and NGOs, with overlap in corporate partnership and disaster response.
• AidEx: Conference and online platform for the humanitarian aid and development community, connecting suppliers, NGOs, and donors. Directly comparable as a partnership broker between corporates and humanitarian organizations.
• Devex: Online platform connecting development and humanitarian professionals with organizations, jobs, and funding opportunities. Directly comparable as a digital intermediary serving NGOs, funders, and corporate partners in the global development ecosystem.

Emerging players

• VolunteerMatch: Online platform matching volunteers with nonprofit opportunities. Adjacent comparable as a corporate-NGO matching platform, though focused on volunteer engagement rather than gifts-in-kind, freight, and funding.
• Benetech: Nonprofit technology organization building software for social good, including data and program management tools for NGOs. Comparable as a tech-enabled intermediary serving NGO operational needs with corporate-backed resources.

Broad incumbents

• TechSoup Global: Established global nonprofit network providing technology products, services, and resources to NGOs. Comparable as a nonprofit intermediary brokering corporate resources (technology, services) to NGO recipients, though focused on tech rather than goods/freight.
• Candid (Foundation Directory Online): Established source of information on nonprofits, foundations, and grants, providing verification and due diligence on NGOs. Comparable as a verification and due diligence layer for the philanthropic ecosystem in which Global Hand operates.

Regional players

• Humanitarian Logistics Association: Professional association focused on humanitarian logistics and supply chain, connecting logistics providers with humanitarian organizations. Adjacent comparable addressing the freight and logistics subset of Global Hand's matching categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-hand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Global Hand