MedLife

What MedLife does

MEDLIFE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Nick Ellis, headquartered in Lima, Peru, with a US operations office in Bangor, Maine, and active programs in Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Tanzania. The organization delivers a portfolio of week-long Service Learning Trips (SLTs) — including Classic, High School, Dental, Nursing, Virtual, Custom Educational, and Development Corps variants — that combine mobile medical clinic volunteering with infrastructure development projects (e.g., staircases, water systems, school construction) and health education workshops. A core differentiator is the year-round Patient Follow-Up Care Program, staffed by in-country nurses and doctors, which provides 24/7/365 continuity of treatment for patients identified during mobile clinics, supported by local hires who provide language and cultural fluency. Permanent physical assets include the MED Dental clinic in Lima and the MED Center for Primary Education.

MEDLIFE's go-to-market relies on a grassroots chapter model: hundreds of student-led chapters at universities and high schools worldwide act as the primary customer acquisition channel, supplemented by testimonial-driven social media (YouTube, Instagram), advisor-led consultations, and a WeTravel-powered direct booking platform. The organization segments horizontally across college students (primary), high school students, educators and faculty advisors, parents, healthcare professionals, and graduate/professional students, with custom-trip offerings tailored to specific disciplines (PA programs, social-justice curricula, engineering/architectural Development Corps).

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time volunteer trip donations (a $200 non-refundable deposit plus a destination-variable donation goal covering trip costs and operating budget), supplemented by a recurring monthly giving program (Moving Mountains), medical supply donations, and ancillary revenue from tourism extensions. The organization has no disclosed funding rounds, operates without PE/VC ownership, and maintains a portfolio of wholly-owned sub-brands (Smiles Movement, Safe Homes Movement, Engaged Education, Goodlife Expeditions) to segment its offerings by service vertical.

Name

MedLife

Legal name

MEDLIFE

Website

https://medlifemovement.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MEDLIFE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs week-long volunteer Service Learning Trips combining mobile medical clinics and community development projects across Latin America and Tanzania, sourcing volunteers through hundreds of university and high school chapters worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Volunteer Healthcare and Community Development Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Assistance (624), Offices of Physicians (6211)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health & Medical Volunteering Programs (EDAIAGAC), Mobile & Street Medicine Primary Care Programs (HLAFAGAH)

Keywords

• Volunteer travel programs
• Mobile medical clinics
• Global health volunteering
• Community development projects
• International service trips

Headquarters

HQ city

White River Junction

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Service Learning Trip Donations: Volunteers pay a donation goal to participate in Service Learning Trips. The donation covers trip costs (meals, accommodation, in-country transportation) and funds all aspects of MEDLIFE's operating budget including staff salaries, office equipment, medical supplies, and patient follow-up care. A $200 non-refundable deposit is required at registration.
2. Moving Mountains Monthly Giving Program: A recurring donation program where donors contribute monthly to support MEDLIFE's work. The program ensures that 100% of donations are allocated to fund educational workshops, development projects, and medical treatments for patients.
3. Medical Supply Donations: Volunteers on Service Learning Trips can bring medical donations (medications, medical supplies) which reduce MEDLIFE's costs for supplies, allowing funds to be redirected to more advanced medicine and specialists such as gynecologists and dentists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MEDLIFE operates week-long volunteer Service Learning Trips to Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Tanzania, during which participants shadow local medical staff at mobile clinics and contribute to community development projects. The organization runs year-round mobile medical clinics, a Patient Follow-Up Care Program, Health Education Workshops, and a permanent dental clinic (MED Dental) in Lima, with operations funded by volunteer trip donations and the Moving Mountains monthly giving program.

Product overview

MEDLIFE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of volunteer and humanitarian service programs centered on Medicine, Education, and Development (MED). The core offering is Service Learning Trips (SLTs) - week-long volunteer programs that include Classic SLTs, High School SLTs, Dental SLTs, Nursing SLTs, Virtual SLTs, Custom Educational Trips, and Development Corps. Supporting services include Mobile Clinics providing direct healthcare, the Patient Follow-Up Care Program for ongoing support, Health Education Workshops, and MED Dental (a permanent dental clinic in Lima). The organization operates through branded divisions including Smiles Movement (dental focus), Safe Homes Movement (infrastructure), Engaged Education (educational travel), and Goodlife Expeditions (tourism extensions), all unified under the Moving Mountains fundraising program that directs 100% of donations to community projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smiles Movement: Focuses directly on dental Service Learning Trips, bringing essential oral healthcare to communities in need.
• Safe Homes Movement
• Engaged Education
• Goodlife Expeditions
• MED Center for Primary Education
• MED Dental

Products and services

• Classic Service Learning Trips
• High School Service Learning Trips
• Dental Service Learning Trips
• Nursing Service Learning Trips
• Custom Educational Trips
• Virtual Service Learning Trips
• Development Corps
• Moving Mountains Monthly Giving Program
• Smiles Movement (Dental SLTs Brand)
• Safe Homes Movement (Development SLTs Brand)
• Engaged Education (Educational Travel Brand)
• Goodlife Expeditions (Travel Extensions Brand)

Quantifiable outcome

• 330,000+ medical consultations provided to underserved communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Movimiento SonrisascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal dental practitioner organization that staffs MEDLIFE Dental Service Learning Trips. These local dentists and assistants provide free, high-quality dental care to communities lacking access to basic dental services, working alongside volunteer participants.
• Arcadia University Physician Assistant ProgramnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom Service Learning Trip developed for PA students with strong medical and global health backgrounds. MEDLIFE worked with the Director of Clinical Education to develop a program allowing students to apply academic knowledge in real-life contexts.
• Drexel University Center for Black CulturenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop a custom social justice-focused educational trip to Tena, Ecuador, as part of a summer course for students with strong social justice backgrounds.
• Smiles MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA MEDLIFE brand focused on dental Service Learning Trips, bringing essential oral healthcare to communities in need. Works in collaboration with Movimiento Sonrisas for dental services.
• Safe Homes MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA MEDLIFE brand focused on creating safer, more sustainable living environments for partner communities through development and infrastructure Service Learning Trips.
• Engaged EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA MEDLIFE brand focused on providing culturally immersive travel-based service trips for volunteers looking to combine service and travel experiences.
• Goodlife ExpeditionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel partner providing optional touristic services and extensions for MEDLIFE volunteers who wish to extend their stay or add travel experiences before/after Service Learning Trips.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Global Brigades: Largest direct peer: a 501(c)(3) that mobilizes university student volunteer brigades to Latin America and Africa for medical, dental, public health, and development work. Operates the same student-chapter flywheel, mobile-clinic delivery model, and partnership with universities that MEDLIFE relies on.
• Child Family Health International (CFHI): Nonprofit offering global health education and service-learning programs for pre-health and health-professional students, with a comparable focus on ethical engagement, university partnerships, and longitudinal community health outcomes rather than episodic voluntourism.
• International Medical Relief (IMR): Provides short-term medical mission trips staffed by volunteer healthcare professionals and students to underserved communities worldwide. Closely matches MEDLIFE's mobile-clinic model and student/professional volunteer base.
• International Service Learning (ISL): Nonprofit organizing service-learning trips for university and high school student groups in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, with a strong medical and dental volunteer component and similar university-partnership sales motion.
• Volunteers Around the World (VAW Global): Student-led nonprofit running medical, dental, and public-health volunteer trips in Latin America and Asia, with a chapter-based model and pre-health student focus that directly parallels MEDLIFE's pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Projects Abroad: Large, well-capitalized international volunteer placement organization with a much broader destination and program catalog (medicine, dentistry, public health among many). Competes for the same student volunteer demand pool with a more generalist offering.
• International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): One of the world's largest volunteer-abroad platforms with affordable, short-duration programs in 50+ destinations. A scaled incumbent in the broader category where MEDLIFE competes for first-time international volunteers.
• Cross-Cultural Solutions: Established nonprofit running international volunteer programs with a focus on sustainable community development and ethical engagement. Comparable in mission framing and target audience of students and young professionals.
• G Venture (by G Adventures): Travel company with a dedicated volunteer-immersed program line spanning multiple continents. Represents the convergence of mainstream adventure travel and service learning, an adjacent competitive vector to MEDLIFE's educational-trip offerings.

Emerging players

• Plan My Gap Year: International volunteer travel provider focused on gap-year and short-term experiences including medical, dental, and community programs. Competes for the same student demographic with a digitally-led, lower-price positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MEDLIFEmovement
• Facebookfacebook.com/medlifeweb
• Instagraminstagram.com/medlifemovement
• Xx.com/medlifemission
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medlife

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 MedLife