Montaña De Luz

What Montaña De Luz does

Montaña De Luz is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Worthington, Ohio, that operates direct-service programs for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in rural Honduras. Founded in 2001 following 1998 Hurricane Mitch relief efforts, the organization began as an AIDS hospice before transitioning to a children's group home after antiretrovirals became available in Honduras in 2003, and has since evolved toward a family preservation model. Its core programs include a residential Children's Home currently housing 14 children with undetectable HIV levels, the Healthy Families Honduras family preservation program serving 109 families with stipends and a small business incubator (20 businesses launched), the Charla Luz HIV education program reaching 6,000-8,000+ Hondurans, the on-site Escuela Alfasic school for children with learning differences, a Foster Families integration program, a Scholarship Program supporting 11 students, and Immersion Trips that have hosted 2,000+ international volunteers.

The organization's revenue model is entirely donor-dependent, with no products or services sold. Primary revenue streams include recurring child sponsorships ($35/month) and family sponsorships ($350/year), general individual donations, stock gifts, foundation grants (notably a $10,350 HCAI grant in 2024), and an annual Fiesta gala in Columbus, Ohio that raises $125,000-$165,000 as the flagship event. The organization has 11-50 employees across Ohio and Honduras, including an Executive Director, National Director (Honduras), Director of Operations & Finance, on-site nurse, psychologist, social worker, teacher, and partnerships manager, supported by a 20-member board of directors.

The go-to-market motion is community-led, driven by immersion trip alumni who become long-term donors, university and church partner cohorts (Ohio State Buck-I-SERV, Worthington Presbyterian, Mifflin Presbyterian, Central College Christian School, Youth Across Borders), and the annual Fiesta gala as the primary donor acquisition and retention event. The organization has no proprietary technology platform and operates with standard website, email newsletter, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) channels. Montaña De Luz does not use AI/ML in any disclosed capacity, with operations entirely dependent on human service delivery, fundraising events, and community partnerships.

Name

Montaña De Luz

Legal name

Montaña de Luz

Website

https://montanadeluz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montaña De Luz is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that operates a residential children's home and family preservation programs in rural Honduras for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS, funded by individual donors, sponsorships, grants, and annual fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit HIV/AIDS Child Welfare and Family Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• HIV/AIDS child care
• Family preservation services
• HIV education outreach
• Orphanage prevention programs
• Volunteer immersion trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary revenue source from individual donors supporting children, families, and general operations through one-time and recurring gifts.
2. Child Sponsorship Program: Monthly sponsorship at $35 per child, providing access to education, tutoring, meals, medication, and family support services.
3. Family Sponsorship Program: Annual family sponsorship at $350 for family of 4, providing home visits, medication, educational support to families.
4. Annual Fundraising Events: Fiesta gala in Columbus, Ohio, raises $100,000-$165,000 annually. Hoops for Honduras school fundraiser raises $7,000-$9,000 annually.
5. Grants: Foundation grants such as $10,350 from Health Care Advocates International for Charla Luz HIV education program expansion.
6. Stock Donations: Accepts appreciated stock donations as alternative to cash, providing tax advantages to donors while supporting operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Montaña De Luz operates a children's home in rural Honduras providing residential HIV care, medication, education, and family-like support for children affected by HIV/AIDS, complemented by the Healthy Families Honduras family preservation program, Charla Luz community HIV education, an on-site school (Escuela Alfasic), a small business incubator, and volunteer immersion trips. The organization is funded entirely through individual donations, recurring sponsorships, foundation grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Montaña de Luz operates as a nonprofit organization (not a unified software platform) offering a portfolio of direct-service programs for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Honduras. The core offerings include: a residential Children's Home/Group Home providing housing, medical care and education; the Healthy Families Honduras program offering family preservation services and a small business incubator; Charla Luz HIV education outreach; an on-site school (Escuela Alfasic) with scholarship programs; a Foster Families integration program; and Immersion Trips for volunteers. The organization began as an AIDS hospice in 2001 and has evolved through phases from hospice care to group home to its current focus on family preservation and community center services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Charla Luz: HIV/AIDS education program that has reached more than 8,000 Hondurans through interactive presentations including skits on how HIV spreads and doesn't spread, practical prevention methods, and stigma reduction.
• Healthy Families Honduras
• Escuela Alfasic

Products and services

• Children's Home (Group Home) Residential group home in rural Honduras (Nueva Esperanza community) providing safe housing, antiretroviral medication, education, three meals daily, tutoring, and family-like support for children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS. Has housed 50+ young people since 2001, with 14 children currently in residence (2024) and 94 individuals total having achieved undetectable HIV levels.
• Healthy Families Honduras Family preservation program providing monthly stipends, home visits, educational and mental health support, transportation to medical appointments, and small-business development assistance to vulnerable families affected by HIV in Honduras. Has served 109+ families and prevented at least 50 children from entering institutional care.
• Charla Luz Community HIV/AIDS education program using interactive skits and presentations to teach Honduran audiences about HIV transmission, prevention, stigma reduction, and available resources. Has reached more than 8,000 people across Honduras.
• Escuela Alfasic (On-site School) On-site school at the children's home providing individualized curricula, specialized tutoring, and support for reading, writing, and math skills for children from the group home and surrounding community. One of the few schools registered in Honduras for children with learning differences.
• Immersion Trips Volunteer mission trips to Honduras that immerse individuals, families, faith communities, and corporate groups in HIV care work at the children's home. Trips include service projects, activities with children, and educational components, and are organized in partnership with universities (Ohio State Buck-I-SERV), churches (Worthington Presbyterian, Mifflin Presbyterian), schools (Central College Christian School), and international groups (Youth Across Borders).
• Foster Families Program Program that integrates children into family life after institutional care by placing youths with foster families — including former MdL employees, family members, or community members — with monitoring of health, safety, and education.
• Scholarship Program Education scholarship program supporting children at MdL and other Honduran children through distance learning. Currently supports 11 students across Honduras, enabling youth to attend school while living at the group home during weekdays and spending weekends with families.
• Small Business Incubator Program helping families launch sustainable small businesses such as sundries shops, food stands, tortilla businesses, and used clothing stores, providing equipment and training to enable economic self-sufficiency. 20 small businesses have been launched through the incubator.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 children prevented from entering orphanage through Healthy Families program since 2018
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ohio State University (Buck-I-SERV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity service-learning program organizes annual immersion trips to MdL's children's home in Honduras. Students volunteer, participate in HIV education (Charla Luz), and complete service projects. Multiple trips scheduled annually.
• Worthington Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio church organizes annual immersion trips to Honduras, with 11 visitors spending seven nights at the MdL children's home. Trips include service projects and fellowship with children and staff.
• Youth Across Borders (YAB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization that organizes youth immersion trips to MdL, providing volunteer support and cross-cultural experiences for young people.
• Central College Christian SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWesterville, Ohio school hosts annual Hoops for Honduras basketball fundraiser that has raised over $100,000 cumulatively. Students make pledges per basket made during gym class, with cross-cultural video sessions between students and MdL youth.
• World Council of ChurchesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIncluded MdL in the 2024 AIDS Conference, providing platform for MdL youth and Executive Director to speak about HIV outreach effectiveness and the importance of listening to younger voices.
• WOSU/NPR RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerColumbus public radio station featured MdL board member Doug Haddix on 'All Sides with Amy Juravich' program to discuss the organization's work and USAID funding impact.
• Mifflin Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio church organizes annual immersion trips to MdL, providing volunteer support and service opportunities for congregation members.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Relief Services: Major US faith-based international humanitarian agency with HIV/AIDS programming and child welfare programs in Honduras. Operates at significant scale with overlapping donor base and beneficiary population.
• Compassion International: Large faith-based child sponsorship organization with monthly sponsorship model that mirrors MdL's $35/month child sponsorship. Operates in Honduras with comparable child-focused, education-and-care programming.
• World Vision: Large faith-based international child welfare organization with HIV/AIDS programming in Honduras and child sponsorship model similar to MdL's $35/month tier. Comparable donor base and child-focused mission, but at far greater scale.
• Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: Larger US-based nonprofit focused on pediatric HIV/AIDS globally, with programs in over 15 countries. Operates at significantly greater scale but addresses the same core problem of HIV-affected children and families.
• Holt International: Large faith-based child welfare organization providing residential care, foster care, and family preservation services internationally. Comparable child welfare and family preservation mission, though focused on adoption services.
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation: Largest global AIDS organization providing HIV/AIDS medical care, treatment, and advocacy in 45+ countries. Operates in Honduras and serves overlapping HIV-positive populations, though at vastly greater scale than MdL.

Direct peers

• Casa de Esperanza: Faith-based US nonprofit operating residential children's homes in Honduras for children in difficult circumstances. Same geographic operating context, residential care model, and US donor base as MdL.
• Keep a Child Alive: US nonprofit providing HIV/AIDS care, treatment, and support to children and families in Africa and India. Similar mission footprint focused on pediatric HIV and family preservation, though geographically different.
• Children's AIDS Fund International: Faith-based US nonprofit serving HIV/AIDS-affected children and families internationally via medical care, education, and prevention programs. Closely comparable mission, donor model, and beneficiary population.
• Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative: Direct peer focused on pediatric HIV/AIDS care internationally, including in Honduras. Operates the Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation-Honduras, providing comparable clinical HIV care and family support services to MdL's population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvSaAseaEMISm3QeMTGbiMA
• Facebookfacebook.com/montanadeluz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-de-luz
• Instagraminstagram.com/montanadeluz
• Xx.com/montanadeluz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Montaña De Luz