Paul Carlson Partnership

What Paul Carlson Partnership does

Paul Carlson Partnership (PCP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1965 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that delivers humanitarian and development programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo in partnership with the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM). The organization originated from the 1964 death of medical missionary Dr. Paul Carlson and has maintained a continuous 60+ year operating relationship with CEUM, which executes PCP-funded programs on the ground across the North Ubangi, South Ubangi, and Mongala provinces—collectively serving an estimated 5.6 million people. CEUM operates 5 hospitals, approximately 120 rural health centers, and 600+ schools through which PCP channels its programs.

PCP's program portfolio spans healthcare, education, clean water, malnutrition treatment, infrastructure, and economic development. Healthcare delivery occurs through the Karawa Stabilization Center (which reduced malnutrition mortality from 18-20% to 7%), Karawa Nursing Schools, the Medical Ambassadors volunteer-deployment program, and the newly-launched SIGN Fracture Care orthopedic training initiative (2025). Infrastructure programs include 21 potable water sources built between 2017 and 2025 (associated with a 53% reduction in diarrhea mortality) and bridge-repair projects. Economic-development activity is anchored by the Karawa Coffee Project, working with 2,000+ Congolese coffee producers and scaling toward 1,000 metric tons of production by 2026.

PCP is funded entirely through donations, church partnerships, grants, and fundraising events. The organization operates with a lean staff of 3-4 employees supplemented by volunteer medical professionals. Recent financial milestones include the $600,000 "60 Years, $600K" 60th anniversary campaign (2024), $473,000+ raised at the 60 Years Strong event, and $50,000 from the 2025 Biking for Congo Challenge. Governance includes an Executive Director (Dr. Renée Hale, since November 2016) and a recently refreshed leadership team with Phil Ditto (Director of International Medical & Health Programs, September 2023) and Kent Egging (August 2024). PCP holds top-rated status from both GuideStar and Charity Navigator.

Name

Paul Carlson Partnership

Legal name

The Paul Carlson Medical Program, Inc.

Website

https://paulcarlson.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Paul Carlson Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Chicago that partners with the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) to deliver healthcare, education, clean water, malnutrition treatment, and economic development programs to 5.6 million people in DR Congo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian Aid and Community Development

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) for Global Health (HLAJAOAD)

Keywords

• Humanitarian medical aid
• Nonprofit healthcare programs
• Economic development Congo
• Nursing education Africa
• Community health partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting medical and economic development programs in DR Congo. Donors can give to specific programs (UCare4Congo, clean water, malnutrition treatment) or general fund.
2. Church Partnerships: PCP Sunday program where churches collect offerings designated for PCP ministry programs, engaging congregations in ongoing support of Congo initiatives.
3. Event-Based Fundraising: Annual Biking for Congo Challenge engages riders to raise funds for healthcare programs, with participants across the country raising $50,000 annually for UCare4Congo.
4. Campaign Fundraising: Time-limited campaigns such as the '60 Years, $600K' campaign to raise specific amounts for defined ministry needs including medicines, clean water, infrastructure, and nursing scholarships.
5. Grant Funding: Support from foundations and organizations including International Rotary Grants for specific training programs like SIGN Fracture Care.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Paul Carlson Partnership is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers medical and economic development programs to underserved communities in DR Congo. In partnership with the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM), PCP supports a healthcare system of 5 hospitals and approximately 120 rural health centers serving 5.6 million people, funds nursing education at two Karawa schools, runs volunteer Medical Ambassador training trips, and operates economic development initiatives including the Karawa Coffee Project and bridge repair programs. All programs are funded through charitable donations and grants.

Product overview

Paul Carlson Partnership operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected humanitarian programs focused on medical care and economic development in DR Congo. The core medical programs include UCare4Congo (supporting the entire CEUM medical system), Medical Ambassadors (volunteer medical professionals providing training), and Karawa Nursing Schools (nursing education at two levels). Economic development initiatives include the Karawa Coffee Project (coffee production/export with 2,000+ producers), Bridge Repair Program (infrastructure), and agricultural/entrepreneurship support. The organization also runs fundraising initiatives like the Biking for Congo Challenge and manages general giving programs including clean water projects and childhood malnutrition treatment. These programs work in partnership with the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) to achieve holistic community growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UCare4Congo: A medical initiative supporting the entire Covenant Church of Congo medical system, including training medical professionals, providing medicines and supplies, improved infrastructure, and quality patient care.
• Medical Ambassadors
• Karawa Nursing Schools
• Karawa Coffee Project
• Build Bridges

Products and services

• UCare4Congo A comprehensive medical support initiative supporting the Covenant Church of Congo medical system through training medical professionals, providing medicines and supplies, infrastructure improvements, and quality patient care.
• Medical Ambassadors Program A volunteer program of medical professionals who travel to DR Congo to train local medical professionals using a training-the-trainers methodology, ensuring long-term multiplicative impact across specialty areas.
• Karawa Nursing Schools Two collaborating nursing schools in Karawa (ITM Medical Technical Institute and ISTM Higher Institute of Medical Techniques) providing associate's and bachelor's level nursing degrees with clinical experience at Karawa Hospital and rural clinics.
• Lois Carlson Bridges Nursing Scholarship A nursing scholarship named after Lois Carlson Bridges providing financial support for two Congolese nursing students each year, administrative assistance to the CEUM Director of Nursing, and travel support for one U.S. nurse to serve as a Medical Ambassador.
• Karawa Coffee Project A coffee producing and exporting enterprise in partnership with Café Africa and the Covenant Church of Congo, supporting over 2,000 coffee producers to grow and export Robusta coffee and revitalize the local economy.
• Bridge Repair Program Infrastructure initiative that repairs and builds bridges in DR Congo to improve access to hospitals, schools, markets, and water sources for rural communities.
• Biking for Congo Challenge An annual fundraising event where participants bike to raise funds for PCP's healthcare programs in DR Congo, supporting medicine, clean water access, and trained medical staff.
• Where Needed Most General unrestricted fund where donations are directed to the most urgent medical and economic development needs in DR Congo.
• Access to Clean Water Program that helps local water engineers in DR Congo harness fresh spring water, providing safe, reliable access to clean water for families and clinics in rural villages.
• Childhood Malnutrition Treatment Program addressing severe acute childhood malnutrition through stabilization centers and community-based prevention programs led by Congolese healthcare professionals.
• Congo Hospital Initiative Support for the five regional hospitals managed by CEUM partners in DR Congo, with funds used strategically according to the specific initiatives of each hospital.

Quantifiable outcome

• Diarrhea-related mortality declined by approximately 53% from 2017 to 2025 due to clean water initiatives
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• SIGN Fracture CaremajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Innovative orthopedic program providing surgical implants and training for treating long bone fractures in low-resource settings. Fully funded CEUM doctors' training through International Rotary Grant in 2025.
• Café AfricamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2017DR Congo-based NGO and coffee experts training producers in Karawa on planting, nurturing, harvesting, and exporting Robusta coffee. Partner in the Karawa Coffee Project since its launch in December 2017.
• Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary in-country partner managing 5 hospitals, 120 health centers, and 2 nursing schools serving 5.6 million people. CEUM runs a comprehensive medical system in the Ubangi-Mongala region of northwestern DR Congo. Partnership has lasted over 60 years.
• Evangelical Covenant ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization of Paul Carlson Partnership. Provides administrative infrastructure including the giving portal and denominational oversight. PCP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of the ECC.
• Hope International Development AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian development organization partnering on infrastructure projects including bridge construction between Karawa and Bogose Nubea.
• IMA World HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational health organization providing technical assistance and support for healthcare programs in DR Congo.
• MATTERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization supporting development initiatives in DR Congo.
• MAF DR CongominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Aviation Fellowship providing aviation services for remote areas of DR Congo, supporting transportation for medical programs and personnel.
• Hospital Sisters Mission OutreachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing medical equipment and supplies to support healthcare facilities in developing regions.
• JhpiegominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, specializing in maternal and newborn health training and programs.
• WHO - World Health OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal health organization providing guidelines, training standards, and support for healthcare systems in DR Congo.
• Global CHE NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork promoting Community Health Evangelism methodologies for sustainable community development.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Medical Teams International: Faith-based nonprofit delivering medical care and training in disaster-affected and underserved regions. Comparable volunteer medical professional model and training-of-local-providers approach to PCP's Medical Ambassadors program.
• IMA World Health: Faith-based international health NGO providing technical assistance and supply chain support for health systems in fragile settings. Already a partner of PCP, operating overlapping health programs in DRC with comparable community-based delivery models.
• Jhpiego: Johns Hopkins-affiliated international health organization specializing in maternal and newborn health training. Already a partner of PCP, directly comparable in maternal health training and capacity building approach.
• Partners in Health: Global health nonprofit providing direct healthcare services and medical training in resource-limited settings, including DRC. Comparable as a partnership-driven health system strengthening organization delivering training-the-trainers and hospital-based care.
• SIGN Fracture Care International: Nonprofit providing surgical implants and training for long bone fractures in low-resource settings. Already a partner of PCP for SIGN Fracture Care training funded by International Rotary Grant in 2025.
• Hope International Development Agency: Canadian faith-based development organization partnering with PCP on infrastructure projects (bridge construction) in DRC. Directly comparable as a partner in PCP's bridge program and similar faith-based community development model.
• Café Africa: DRC-based NGO training coffee producers on planting, harvesting, and exporting. Partner of PCP in the Karawa Coffee Project since 2017, directly comparable in agricultural value chain development in northwest Congo.

Broad incumbents

• World Relief: Large Christian humanitarian organization providing health, economic development, and disaster response globally. Operates broader portfolio than PCP but uses comparable church-partnership and community-health-evangelism models in fragile states.
• Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB): Faith-based medical NGO providing healthcare and medical supplies in developing countries including DRC. Larger and broader portfolio than PCP but shares the church-affiliated health system strengthening and medical volunteer model.

Emerging players

• Global CHE Network: Network promoting Community Health Evangelism methodologies for sustainable community development. Already a partner of PCP, with overlapping methodology for community-based health and development programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/paulcarlsonpartnership
• Xx.com/PaulCarlsonPart
• Facebookfacebook.com/PaulCarlsonPartnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Paul Carlson Partnership