Wesleyan Impact Partners

What Wesleyan Impact Partners does

Wesleyan Impact Partners is a national nonprofit financial services organization founded in 1969 (originally as the United Methodist Development Fund) and headquartered in Austin, Texas. It operates three core financial product lines for churches, ministries, nonprofits, and individual investors: Impact Certificates (unsecured debt securities offered as Flexible Demand, IRA, and 1- to 5-Year Fixed Term certificates with rates from 1.25% to 4.54% APY and a $100 minimum), Church Loans (construction, expansion, refinancing, and acquisition financing with flexible underwriting criteria not typically applied by commercial lenders), and Philanthropy Services (donor-advised funds, endowments, and charitable trusts). The integrated cycle-of-generosity model routes Impact Certificate investor capital into Church Loans, with net revenue reinvested into the church's mission rather than distributed to owners.

The organization complements its financial core with a Learning and Innovation platform that includes the Locke Innovative Leader Award (annual $50,000 stipends to spiritual entrepreneurs, with cumulative awards reaching $1 million to date), the Igniting Imagination podcast, the Phygital Preaching Fellows Initiative (funded by a $1.25 million Lilly Endowment grant in 2023), the Courageous Congregations Collaborative, Gathering Imaginations biennial events, and the recently launched 'All the Good You Can' national storytelling campaign (backed by a $5 million Lilly Endowment grant in January 2026). Revenue mechanics combine net interest spread on a $104.9 million loan portfolio, interest on a $75.5 million investment portfolio, philanthropy service fees, and foundation grants, with combined assets under management exceeding $750 million when paired with the leadership-shared Texas Methodist Foundation.

Go-to-market is relationship-led and field-based, with named vice presidents and senior loan officers, a direct phone channel (800.862.8633), and distribution through a network of Methodist foundations, agencies, annual conferences, and churches across the United States. The customer base spans primarily United Methodist and adjacent Protestant congregations (e.g., Bethel AME Church, McKendree-Simms-Brookland UMC, Parker UMC, Water's Edge Church), Pacific Islander fellowships, and a small set of affiliated institutions (Greensboro College), with granular individual investors on the funding side. The organization is governed by an active board (seven directors added across 2024-2026) led by Chair Dr. Maggie Jackson, with Rev. Lisa Greenwood serving as President & CEO across both Wesleyan Impact Partners and the Texas Methodist Foundation.

Name

Wesleyan Impact Partners

Legal name

Wesleyan Impact Partners

Website

https://wesleyanimpactpartners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wesleyan Impact Partners is a 55-year-old Methodist-affiliated nonprofit financial ministry offering Impact Certificates, church loans, and philanthropy services to churches, nonprofits, and individuals across the United States, with $114.6 million in total assets and a $104.9 million loan portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Financial Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Investment & Social Finance Programs (BPADAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Church lending services
• Faith-based investments
• Impact certificates
• Ministry loan financing
• Religious nonprofit lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Products (Impact Certificates): Wesleyan Impact Partners offers Impact Certificates to individuals, churches, and nonprofits. Investors receive competitive returns (currently ranging from 1.25% to 4.54% APY depending on product type and term length). These investment funds are used to provide loans to churches and ministries.
2. Church Lending: The organization provides loans to churches, organizations, and agencies for new construction, church expansion, and refinancing. Revenue is generated from interest on loans to congregations and nonprofits.
3. Grants: Wesleyan Impact Partners receives grants from foundations like Lilly Endowment to fund initiatives such as the Phygital Preaching Fellows and All the Good You Can storytelling campaign. The $1.25 million Lilly Endowment grant supported the Phygital Preaching Fellows initiative and the $5 million grant supports the National Storytelling Initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wesleyan Impact Partners is a national nonprofit that provides financial products and services to churches, nonprofits, and individuals. Its core offerings include Impact Certificates (investment products with rates from 1.25% to 4.54% APY), Church Loans (flexible financing for construction, expansion, and refinancing with lower closing fees than commercial lenders), and Philanthropy Services (donor-advised funds, endowments, and charitable trusts). These are complemented by Learning and Innovation programs including the Locke Innovative Leader Award, cohorts, and the Igniting Imagination Podcast.

Product overview

Wesleyan Impact Partners is a national nonprofit offering a unified financial services platform for churches and ministries. The core offering centers on three integrated pillars: Impact Certificates (investment products providing competitive returns while funding church loans), Church Loans (flexible lending for construction, expansion, and refinancing), and Philanthropy Services (endowments, donor-advised funds, and charitable trusts). These are supported by Learning and Innovation programs including the Locke Innovative Leader Award, Igniting Imagination Podcast, Phygital Preaching Fellows Initiative, Courageous Congregations Collaborative (C3), and Gathering Imaginations events. Together, these products create a cycle of generosity supporting church mission and community flourishing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Locke Innovative Leader Award: Awards program recognizing spiritual entrepreneurs and innovators across the Wesleyan ecosystem with $50,000 stipends and cohort participation.
• Igniting Imagination Podcast
• Phygital Preaching Fellows

Products and services

• Impact Certificates Investment products available to churches, nonprofits, and individuals with a $100 minimum investment. Includes Flexible Demand Impact Certificate (1.25%), IRA Impact Certificate (2.75%), and 1-5 Year Fixed Term Impact Certificates (3.75% to 4.45% rate, 3.82% to 4.54% APY). Investor funds are deployed as loans to churches, organizations, and agencies.
• Church Loans Loans designed for churches and nonprofit ministries with flexible terms, consideration of factors not typically evaluated by commercial lenders, and typically lower closing fees. Supports new construction, church expansion, refinancing, and building acquisition. Loan portfolio stood at $104.9 million as of end of 2024.
• Philanthropy Services Charitable giving plans including donor-advised funds, endowments, and charitable trusts. Works with churches and individuals to craft giving strategies that maximize philanthropic legacies and support congregations and causes.
• Learning Communities Cohort-based learning programs for church leaders including Leadership Imperative, Courageous Congregations Collaborative (C3), and neighbor2neighbor cohorts. Over 1,000 innovative leaders and spiritual entrepreneurs have been impacted through these initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• $657,000 invested in learning and innovation cohorts in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• RootedGoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with RootedGood on 'All the Good You Can' national storytelling campaign. RootedGood helps congregations imagine, create, and sustain economic futures contributing to community flourishing.
• Parish CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Parish Collective on 'All the Good You Can' campaign. Parish Collective is a national network of people and congregations committed to neighborhood-rooted faith.
• Wespath Institutional InvestmentsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Wesleyan Impact Partners, Wespath, and Greensboro College created first-of-its-kind partnership where Wespath manages endowment and Wesleyan Impact Partners refinanced senior debt.
• Texas Methodist FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared leadership - Rev. Lisa Greenwood serves as President & CEO of both organizations. Combined assets under management exceed $750 million.
• Desert Southwest ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration enabled Pasifika project - shared space for Pacific Islander congregations in Las Vegas.
• Desert Southwest FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration enabled Pasifika project for Pacific Islander cultural hub.
• Committee on Finance and AdministrationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration enabled Pasifika project for Pacific Islander cultural hub.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Barnabas Foundation: Christian charitable giving services organization offering donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, and gift planning — directly overlapping with WIP's Philanthropy Services product line for faith-aligned donors.
• RootedGood: Strategic co-development partner with WIP on the 'All the Good You Can' campaign. Helps congregations imagine, create, and sustain economic futures — overlapping on the ministry innovation and community development dimension of WIP's Learning & Innovation work.

Direct peers

• Wespath Institutional Investments: The United Methodist Church's institutional investment manager. Directly collaborates with WIP on the Greensboro College partnership and serves the same UMC-affiliated customer base with investment products and endowment management.
• Church Loan Corporation: Specialized lender providing construction and permanent financing to churches and religious organizations nationwide. Directly competes in the church lending niche with similar flexible-term, mission-aligned underwriting.
• Christian Community Credit Union: Faith-based credit union offering savings products, loans, and investment services to Christians nationwide. Competes for faith-aligned savers with Impact Certificates and serves similar ministry and individual segments.
• Concertiv Capital: Faith-based lender focused on churches, ministries, and faith-based schools. Provides construction, acquisition, and refinancing loans — overlapping directly with WIP's core church loan product.
• Texas Methodist Foundation: Shares President & CEO with Wesleyan Impact Partners and operates an integrated Methodist-aligned investment and lending platform. Most direct peer given shared leadership, overlapping customer base, and combined $750M+ AUM.
• National Christian Foundation: One of the largest Christian donor-advised fund sponsors in the U.S. Directly competes with WIP's Philanthropy Services offering (donor-advised funds, endowments, charitable trusts) for faith-aligned philanthropic capital.

Broad incumbents

• Thrivent Financial: Large faith-based financial services company offering investments, insurance, and banking products to Christians. Much broader portfolio than WIP but directly competes for faith-aligned investment dollars.
• GuideStone Financial Resources: Southern Baptist-aligned financial services organization providing retirement, insurance, and investment products to ministry workers and churches. Larger and denominationally specific, but operates in the same faith-aligned finance category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wesleyanimpact
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WesleyanImpactPartners
• Facebookfacebook.com/wesleyanimpact
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wesleyanimpact
• Instagraminstagram.com/wesleyanimpactpartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Wesleyan Impact Partners