The Gideons International

What The Gideons International does

The Gideons International is a Tennessee-incorporated 501(c)(3) evangelical Christian nonprofit founded in 1908 and headquartered in Nashville, with 101-250 paid employees supported by a network of 240,000+ volunteer members across approximately 200 countries, territories, and possessions. The organization's mission is to share the Bible and the Christian Gospel by equipping Christian business and professional men (and their wives through The Auxiliary) to distribute Scriptures and engage in personal evangelism. Core products include physical pocket Testaments and hotel Bibles printed in over 95 languages, the Gideon Bible App (a mobile application providing Scripture access with audio in 2,200+ language translations), The Life Book (a youth evangelism resource with 58+ million copies distributed), the GideonCard greeting-card program, and the Conversations personal evangelism training workshop. Distribution occurs through direct placement in hotels, schools, hospitals, prisons, and community settings, as well as via the mobile app and church partnerships.

Name

The Gideons International

Legal name

The Gideons International

Website

https://gideons.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Gideons International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1908 that mobilizes 240,000+ Christian business and professional members across approximately 200 countries to distribute printed and digital Scriptures, place Bibles in hotels, hospitals, schools, and prisons, and equip churches and youth for personal evangelism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Scripture Distribution and Evangelism

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD), Religious & Spiritual Print-on-Demand (Bibles, Devotionals) (MPAJANAG)

Keywords

• Scripture distribution
• Religious nonprofit
• Bible placement
• Evangelism resources
• Faith-based ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue is derived from donations from members, Friends of Gideons, churches, and the general public. The organization accepts various giving methods including cash, monthly gifts, GideonCard (in memory/honor), Birthday for Jesus Christmas giving, bequests/wills, stocks/securities, retirement plans, personal property/assets, and church offerings. Accredited by ECFA.
2. Planned Giving: Bequests through wills and trusts, planned giving strategies, and Torchbearer Legacy Donor program for supporters wishing to leave gifts in their will

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Gideons International is an evangelical nonprofit that distributes printed Scriptures (Bibles, New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs) free of charge in over 95 languages through a network of 240,000+ Christian business and professional men serving in local camps across approximately 200 countries, territories, and possessions. Core offerings include placement of Bibles in hotel rooms, schools, hospitals, and prisons; the Gideon Bible App providing digital Scripture access with audio in 2,200+ language translations; and evangelism programs such as The Life Book (youth Gospel-sharing resource) and the GideonCard Bible greeting card program.

Product overview

The Gideons International offers a portfolio of Scripture distribution products and programs centered on evangelism. The core offerings include the Gideon Bible App (mobile application with 2,200+ language translations), The Life Book (youth evangelism resource with 58+ million copies distributed), and the GideonCard Bible Program (greeting cards that provide Scripture worldwide). Physical products include pocket Testaments, New Testaments, and hotel Bibles distributed in over 95 languages. The organization also offers membership programs (for Christian business and professional men and their wives through The Auxiliary) and the Friends of Gideons support program, along with evangelism training resources like Conversations. These products work together to enable Scripture distribution and Gospel sharing across some 200 countries, territories, and possessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Auxiliary of The Gideons International: An organization for wives of Gideons members who support their husbands' ministry through prayer, fellowship, and service.
• Friends of Gideons
• The Life Book
• GideonCard
• Gideon Bible App

Products and services

• Gideon Bible App Free mobile application that provides access to God's Word with audio options for over 2,200 language translations, verse helps, notes, and reading functionality. Designed for personal Scripture use and as a witnessing tool for Gideons and the general public.
• The Life Book A personal evangelism tool featuring the entire Gospel of Mark or John (ESV) with an Old Testament recap, designed to empower church youth group students to share the Gospel with peers. Distributed through partner churches with over 4.5 million students reached and 58+ million copies given out.
• GideonCard Bible Program A greeting card program that allows users to send a Bible along with a personal message in honor or memory of loved ones. Available at GideonCard.org and through in-church display racks at participating churches.
• Hotel Bibles Printed Bibles placed in hotel room nightstands worldwide, the signature ministry offering of The Gideons International and its most recognized expression. Provided free of charge to hotels and made available to travelers.
• Pocket Testaments and Scriptures Pocket-sized Scriptures including New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs printed in over 95 languages, distributed by Gideons and Friends of Gideons through strategic placement in hotels, schools, hospitals, prisons, and other locations as well as through personal witnessing.
• The Auxiliary Membership Membership program for wives of Gideons members who support their husbands' ministry calling through prayer, fellowship, and service. Auxiliary members play a vital role in winning others for Christ alongside their Gideon husbands.
• Friends of Gideons Program A support program allowing individuals to partner with The Gideons through prayer and financial support without formal membership. Friends receive pocket-sized Scriptures, witnessing resources, and access to select Gideon events.
• Conversations: Personal Evangelism Training A free workshop that equips believers with tools and frameworks to confidently share their faith in everyday settings such as workplaces, neighborhoods, and various community environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2.6 billion people impacted through Scripture distribution since 1908
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of GideonscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividuals who support the ministry through prayer and financial contributions without formal membership. Friends receive access to pocket-sized Testaments, witnessing resources, and are eligible to attend select Gideon events. They help expand the ministry's reach beyond formal membership.
• The Life Book Partner ChurchescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 5,000 churches in the U.S. participate in The Life Book program, empowering youth to share the Gospel with peers. Churches fund and distribute The Life Book containing the Gospel of Mark or John with Old Testament recap. The program has distributed over 58 million copies.
• The Auxiliary of The Gideons InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWives of Gideons serve through The Auxiliary, providing prayer, fellowship, and service alongside their husbands. They play a vital role in winning others for Christ and support ministry endeavors through mutual encouragement and outreach activities.
• Faith Community Church (Palmdale, California)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partnership where pastor Caleb values Gideons' training, mobilization, and accountability for members, working alongside Gideons to increase Gospel impact.
• Bethany Church (Liberty Township, Ohio)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch hosts free food distributions where Gideons from Butler County South Camp share New Testaments and the Gospel. Partnership has resulted in over 100 recorded professions of faith since March 2023.
• Piney Grove First Congregational Methodist Church (Lawrence County, Alabama)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Conversations personal evangelism training led by Gideons. An elderly attendee subsequently led her nephew to faith after receiving training.
• Aliante Community Baptist Church (Las Vegas, Nevada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch received Gideon presentation that moved the congregation's heart with testimonies of different people groups. Pastor expressed continued support for the ministry.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Bible Society: American Bible Society is a long-standing nonprofit focused on Bible translation, publishing, and Scripture distribution in the U.S. and globally, making it the most direct peer in mission and core activity.
• Pocket Testament League: Pocket Testament League similarly mobilizes Christians to distribute pocket New Testaments and shares the Gospel through personal witnessing, directly overlapping Gideons' evangelism and Scripture distribution model.
• Bible Society (UK): Bible Society in the UK and across Europe engages in Bible translation, publication, and distribution, providing a directly comparable mission-driven Scripture distribution peer.
• Scripture Union: Scripture Union is an international Christian mission focused on helping children and young people encounter the Bible, sharing the youth engagement focus of Gideons' Life Book program.

Emerging players

• Wycliffe Global Alliance: Wycliffe focuses on Bible translation worldwide, complementing Gideons' distribution with upstream translation work in 2,000+ languages, creating overlap in language coverage and global Scripture access.
• Every Tribe Every Nation: Every Tribe Every Nation focuses on Scripture access for unreached people groups and translation, overlapping with Gideons' multilingual distribution mission.
• Jesus.net: Jesus.net is a digital evangelism platform that uses online tools to share the Gospel, representing the digital-native complement to Gideons' Gideon Bible App and emerging distribution channels.

Broad incumbents

• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Cru is a large evangelical campus ministry that shares faith, distributes resources, and develops leaders, overlapping with Gideons in university outreach and evangelism training.
• Youth for Christ: Youth for Christ works with young people globally through evangelism and discipleship, paralleling Gideons' Life Book and youth church partnership strategy.
• World Vision: World Vision is a large Christian humanitarian organization with global field operations in approximately 100 countries, providing a scale and structure comparison for Gideons' international footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thegideons
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheGideonsInternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/117058854998779
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-gideons-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/thegideonsinternational

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 The Gideons International