Youthworks
YouthWorks is a 30+ year Christ-centered nonprofit that organizes weeklong and custom mission trips for teenagers, youth groups, and Christian schools across 14+ U.S. communities and Puerto Rico, serving over 6,000 participants annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Youthworks does
YouthWorks is a Christ-centered nonprofit organization founded in 1994 and operating as a division of Real Resources, headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota. It provides weeklong and year-round mission trip experiences for teenagers, youth groups, Christian schools, and other organizations, serving over 6,000 trip participants annually across 14+ active communities in the continental United States and Puerto Rico (with a broader family of 64 total community sites). Its core products are Pre-Packaged Mission Trips (starting at $469 per person with lodging, meals, and themed discipleship programming included), Custom Mission Trips (year-round, flexible-duration experiences with a $500 registration fee plus custom pricing), and Service Learning Trips focused on immigration, food insecurity, and racial justice. The organization is augmented by a paid Summer Staff Program (30+ positions annually), a digital Theme Curriculum store ($79 per curriculum), physical Trip Journals ($2.50), and merchandise sales, with additional revenue from donations channeled through givebutter.com.
The business model combines transactional trip fees, e-commerce merchandise revenue, and donations, with go-to-market executed through a direct sales motion — phone-based trip consultants (1-800-968-8504), a website trip finder, personalized consultation for custom trips, and an alumni network. The technology stack is a conventional service-platform configuration with no disclosed AI capabilities, proprietary software products, or API offerings; the value proposition is operational and relational rather than technology-led. YouthWorks maintains long-term community partnerships with local churches, non-profits (Oregon Food Bank, CityTeam, TreeHouse), and consulting firms (Fresh Ministry Consulting), and operates Border Perspective as a sub-brand focused on U.S.-Mexico border service learning.
The organization is led by President Carlos Piñero and COO/CAO Dave Berg, with a full-time team of approximately 15+ staff plus 30+ seasonal summer staff. The leadership team shows continuity and internal promotion patterns, with multiple staff moving from participant to summer staff to full-time roles over multi-year tenures. The operating model is event-driven and seasonal, with summer trips forming the primary revenue engine and registration cycles opening well in advance (2027 registration is currently open alongside 2025 and 2026 seasons).
Youthworks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Youthworks
- Legal name
- YouthWorks
- Website
- https://youthworks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- YouthWorks is a 30+ year Christ-centered nonprofit that organizes weeklong and custom mission trips for teenagers, youth groups, and Christian schools across 14+ U.S. communities and Puerto Rico, serving over 6,000 participants annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Youthworks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mission Trip Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Educational & Student Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAJ), School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB)
Keywords
Where Youthworks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Youthworks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Mission Trip Registration Fees: Pre-packaged mission trips starting at $469/person with meals, lodging, programming, and community hosts included. Custom trips have a $500 registration fee plus custom pricing based on group size and duration.
- Merchandise Sales: Online store selling theme t-shirts ($20-$25), hoodies ($45), trip journals ($2.50), water bottles ($15), and digital theme curriculum ($79). Proceeds support ministry operations and the Launching Lives of Service initiative.
- Donations: Accepts donations through givebutter.com/ywsupport to support ongoing ministry and provide grants to local ministry partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-Packaged Mission Trips - Weeklong summer mission trips for teenagers |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Mission Trips - Year-round flexible service experiences |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Theme Curriculum Digital - Discipleship content for trip participants |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trip Journals - Physical devotional books for participants |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Youthworks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YouthWorks organizes Christ-centered mission trips for teenagers and adult leaders, partnering with churches, Christian schools, and youth groups. It sells pre-packaged weeklong summer mission trips starting at $469 per person, year-round custom trips with flexible dates, and service learning trips focused on immigration, food insecurity, and racial justice. Trips include lodging, meals, programming, and on-site Community Hosts across 14+ communities in the US and Puerto Rico.
Product overview
YouthWorks operates as a single integrated mission trip platform offering Christ-centered service experiences for teenagers. The core offering consists of Pre-Packaged Mission Trips (weeklong summer programs starting at $469/person with all-inclusive hosting), Custom Mission Trips (year-round flexible service experiences), and Service Learning Trips (focused on immigration, food insecurity, and racial justice). The platform is augmented by digital Theme Curriculum packages ($79 each) and physical Trip Journals ($2.50 each) available through the YouthWorks Store. Additional offerings include a Summer Staff Program (30+ paid positions across 14+ communities), free downloadable mission trip preparation resources, and apparel/merchandise. The company has facilitated over 30 years of mission trips serving more than 6,000 trip participants annually across 30+ communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Border Perspective: A ministry focused on border and immigration experiences, founded by Yonathan Moya. Provides service learning trips focused on immigration, border communities, and social justice.
- YouthWorks Store
Products and services
- Pre-Packaged Mission Trips Weeklong summer mission trips for teenagers starting at $469 per person, with on-site hosts, meals, lodging, showers, snacks, themed discipleship programming, and local service partnerships included. Sold to churches, Christian schools, and youth groups.
- Custom Mission Trips Year-round service experiences with flexible start and end dates for any age group (school, college, youth, families, or college groups). Includes a $500 per-group registration fee plus custom pricing based on group size and duration, with lodging and showers included.
- Service Learning Trips Hands-on experiences that allow students to learn about immigration, food insecurity, or racial justice from experts and work with nonprofit partners dedicated to serving affected communities.
- Theme Curriculum (Digital)
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,000+ trip participants served annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Youthworks
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Youthworks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Youthworks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Real ResourcescoreYouthWorks is a division of Real Resources. Real Resources is the parent organization that provides operational support, privacy policy oversight, and organizational governance for YouthWorks ministry operations.
- Border PerspectivecoreBorder Perspective is a ministry focused on the U.S.-Mexico border, founded by Yonathan Moya who serves as founder and executive director. Jenn Moya serves as operations director. The partnership serves border communities and provides cross-cultural ministry opportunities.
- Oregon Food BankminorCommunity partner in Portland, OR serving those experiencing food insecurity. Groups on custom trips assist at food pantries and distribution centers.
- CityTeamminorChristian organization in Portland serving people experiencing homelessness. YouthWorks groups assist with ministry programs and support services.
- AgapeBlitzminorPortland-based community partner working to address housing challenges and social issues. YouthWorks groups support their service initiatives.
- TreeHouseminorPartner organization on a mission to end hopelessness among teens. Created guidebooks with YouthWorks on teen self-injury and anxiety resources for mission trips.
- Fresh Ministry ConsultingminorPartnered with YouthWorks to create the Engage, Equip, Empower Students resource guidebook for discipleship frameworks.
- Churches and Local OrganizationscoreYouthWorks partners with local churches and organizations in 14+ communities across the US. These partners provide housing (typically churches or schools), identify service needs, and facilitate meaningful experiences for trip participants.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Youthworks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Ushahidi: Not a direct peer but cited here only as a placeholder; omitted from final list as not comparable.
- The Center for Mission Mobilization: Adjacent faith-based organization focused on mobilizing missionaries and youth for service. Connected thematically to YouthWorks' mission of encouraging service among young adults, though more on the recruitment/mobilization side than trip delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru): Large, established evangelical organization with student ministry programs and short-term mission trip offerings for college and high school students. Comparable as a broad incumbent in faith-based youth service experiences, though mission trips are part of a much wider ministry portfolio.
- YWAM (Youth With A Mission): Massive global faith-based mission organization operating hundreds of locations across 180+ countries. Compares as a much broader incumbent offering youth-focused mission trips, DTS programs, and outreach — overlapping with YouthWorks' mission trip core but at vastly greater scale and geographic scope.
Direct peers
- Praying Pelican Missions: Faith-based nonprofit running domestic and international mission trips for youth and adult groups. Highly comparable in target customer (church youth groups), trip structure (weeklong service experiences), and community-partner-led model.
- Group Mission Trips: Direct competitor offering short-term Christ-centered mission trips for youth groups across multiple US communities. Operates a near-identical business model of weeklong service experiences with all-inclusive pricing for church groups.
- Adventures in Missions: Faith-based organization offering mission trip experiences for youth, college students, and adults. Comparable in mission trip packaging, faith-centered positioning, and customer base of church-sponsored participants.
- Center for Student Missions (WorldServ): Operates urban mission trip programs serving church youth groups in multiple US cities. Directly comparable in urban service-learning focus, church customer base, and one-week immersive format.
Regional players
- Missions of Hope International: Faith-based nonprofit focused on Kenya providing mission trip experiences primarily for North American church youth groups. Comparable in faith-based service trip model but focused on international destinations rather than domestic US communities.
Emerging players
- Bright Hope: Faith-based organization providing short-term mission trips for church groups serving communities in poverty. Smaller-scale operator with overlapping audience of church youth groups seeking ethical, community-partner-led service experiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Youthworks social profiles
Digital presenceYouthworks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Youthworks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Youthworks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Youthworks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Youthworks
What does Youthworks do?
YouthWorks organizes Christ-centered mission trips for teenagers and adult leaders, partnering with churches, Christian schools, and youth groups. It sells pre-packaged weeklong summer mission trips starting at $469 per person, year-round custom trips with flexible dates, and service learning trips focused on immigration, food insecurity, and racial justice. Trips include lodging, meals, programming, and on-site Community Hosts across 14+ communities in the US and Puerto Rico.
Is Youthworks a public or private company?
Youthworks is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Youthworks founded?
Youthworks was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Youthworks based?
Youthworks is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Youthworks make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Mission Trip Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and donations.
Who are Youthworks's main competitors?
Others on record are Ushahidi and The Center for Mission Mobilization. Broad incumbents are Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) and YWAM (Youth With A Mission). Direct peers are Praying Pelican Missions, Group Mission Trips, Adventures in Missions and Center for Student Missions (WorldServ). Missions of Hope International is listed as a regional player. Bright Hope is listed as an emerging player.
Does Youthworks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Youthworks.
What industry is Youthworks in?
Youthworks's product category is Youth Mission Trip Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAGAI, Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs, with a secondary code of THAKADAJ, Educational & Student Multi-Day Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 8200.