RENEW International

What RENEW International does

RENEW International is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) Catholic nonprofit organization founded in 1975 and headquartered in Plainfield, New Jersey. It developed and distributed the RENEW Process—a parish-centered framework for spiritual renewal and evangelization built around small Christian communities—and layered multiple themed program tracks on top of it, including In the Light of Justice (Catholic Social Teaching), ARISE Together in Christ (discipleship), Be My Witness (evangelization), Why Catholic? (adult faith formation), Grateful Living (stewardship), New Wine New Wineskins (parish transitions), Parish Catalyst (custom renewal), Baptism Matters (sacramental preparation), Theology on Tap (young adults), and Ignatian Business Chapters (faith-at-work professionals). The organization also produced a content library of 400+ books and resources in 40 languages, distributed through an online bookstore, and supported digital engagement via a podcast, blog, webinar library, and monthly newsletter.

The underlying delivery model is human-mediated and consultative: RENEW engaged directly with pastors, parish leadership, and diocesan staff to customize programs for individual dioceses, training lay leaders and activating parishioner-led small groups. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI component; the core 'product' is a programmatic, content-driven methodology rather than software. The organization reported reach across approximately 10,000 parishes and 160 dioceses, with a stated cumulative audience of over 25 million people over its nearly 50-year history.

RENEW's revenue model is a hybrid of donation-based charitable support—its primary funding mechanism as a 501(c)(3)—and bookstore sales of books and faith-formation resources priced on a one-time-purchase basis. No program pricing is publicly disclosed; diocesan and parish partnerships are quoted on a contact basis. The organization was governed by a Corporate Board chaired by Joseph Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of Newark. In 2024–2025, RENEW publicly announced it is closing after 50 years of ministry, with a President's farewell letter published on its website, indicating the organization is in the process of ceasing operations.

Name

RENEW International

Legal name

RENEW International

Website

https://renewintl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RENEW International is a U.S. Catholic nonprofit that delivers the parish-centered RENEW Process for spiritual renewal, evangelization, and small Christian community formation, serving Catholic parishes, dioceses, and individual lay leaders across 10,000+ parishes in 160 dioceses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Bookstore Sales: RENEW International operates an online bookstore selling books, resources, and faith formation materials including titles such as 'No Throwaway People', 'Renewed by the Word', and 'In the Light of Justice'.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, RENEW International relies on donations from supporters to fund its ministry programs and operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RENEW International is a Catholic nonprofit organization that delivers the RENEW Process, a parish-centered model of spiritual renewal and evangelization designed to build small Christian communities within Catholic parishes. The organization provides themed program materials, faith formation resources, and support services to Catholic dioceses and parishes, supplemented by a faith-focused bookstore and digital content offerings.

Product overview

RENEW International is a Catholic nonprofit organization offering the RENEW Process as its core product—a comprehensive parish-centered spiritual renewal and evangelization framework. The RENEW Process supports the development of small Christian communities through various themed focus areas including In the Light of Justice (Catholic Social Teaching), ARISE Together in Christ (discipleship), Be My Witness (evangelization), Why Catholic? (adult faith formation), Grateful Living (stewardship), New Wine, New Wineskins (parish transitions), and Parish Catalyst (parish renewal). Additional programs include Baptism Matters for sacramental preparation, Theology on Tap for young adults, and Ignatian Business Chapters for faith@work professionals. The organization also provides supplementary content resources including a bookstore with books and publications, the Renew Your Faith podcast, the Branching Out blog, a webinar library, and a monthly newsletter—all available in English and Spanish with translation capability into other languages. Training and resources are available in English and Spanish, and the organization can discuss translating into any other language needed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RENEW Process A parish-centered model of spiritual renewal and evangelization that helps Catholic parishes organize small Christian communities for faith formation, prayer, and discussion. Targeted at Catholic dioceses, parishes, and parish leaders.
• Themed Parish Renewal Programs Sequenced multi-week faith formation curricula used in parish small-group settings, including bilingual and culturally adapted editions (e.g., Why Catholic? / ¿Por qué ser católico?). Targeted at Catholic parishes and small Christian communities.
• RENEW International Bookstore Online and mail-order bookstore selling faith formation books, small Christian community resources, and spiritual reading materials. Targeted at Catholic parishes, small groups, and individual Catholic consumers.
• Toll-Free Parish Support Line Telephone support service (1-888-433-3361) provided to parishes and individuals seeking program information, ordering, and guidance for implementing RENEW processes. Targeted at parish coordinators and Catholic consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ million people reached through RENEW programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dynamic Catholic: Catholic faith formation nonprofit selling books, parish programs, and speaker content directly to parishes and individuals; competes with RENEW for the same diocesan formation budget and parishioner attention.
• Ascension Press: Catholic publisher and provider of parish-based small group study programs (e.g., Catholicism, Bible study); directly comparable in offering Catholic content and parish formation resources similar to RENEW's programs.
• Formed: Catholic on-demand video, audio, and e-book formation platform produced by the Augustine Institute; competes with RENEW for parish formation subscription dollars but delivers digitally where RENEW does not.
• Loyola Press: Catholic publisher producing faith formation curricula, sacramental prep materials, and parish resources; closely comparable to RENEW's publishing arm and parish ministry offerings.
• Sadlier: Catholic K-12 and parish religious education publisher with sacramental prep, faith formation textbooks, and parish resources; overlaps with RENEW's Baptism Matters and parish formation content.
• Our Sunday Visitor: Catholic publisher and ministry organization producing faith formation resources, periodicals, and parish program materials; comparable in scale and Catholic audience to RENEW.
• Catholic Answers: Catholic apologetics and evangelization media organization producing content, publications, and parish/diocesan resources; competes for the same parish adult-formation and evangelization budget.

Emerging players

• FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students): Catholic missionary organization focused on college campus evangelization and discipleship; overlaps thematically with RENEW's Theology on Tap and young adult ministry, though targeting a narrower campus segment.
• Lighthouse Catholic Media: Catholic content organization distributing talks and faith formation resources to parishes via CDs, streaming, and parish kiosks; comparable in bringing formation content into parishes and homes.
• Paradisus Dei: Catholic ministry producing sacramental prep and marriage formation resources (e.g., Witnessing Beautiful, Beloved); directly comparable to RENEW's sacramental and small group formation offerings at a smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RENEWIntl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RENEWInternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/RENEWIntl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/renew-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/renewintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 RENEW International