Project Transformation

What Project Transformation does

Project Transformation is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 by Sarah Wilke and Dr. Leighton K. Farrell in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Its mission centers on a "Three Cs" model that pairs underserved children, college-age young adult interns, and host churches in structured summer day-camp and after-school programming, with measurable outcomes — 97% of participants maintain or improve summer reading levels and 92% of alumni report leadership preparation.

The organization delivers programming through a network of seven regional chapters (PT North Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Rio Texas, Central Texas, Greater Tarrant, Washington DC, and Arkansas), with PT National incorporated in 2015 to coordinate and replicate the model. Each chapter operates site-church-based locations staffed by AmeriCorps-supported young adult interns who receive living stipends and education awards rather than salaries. Core products include the Young Adult Service Program, Elementary Program, Middle School Program, High School LITE Program, and after-school reading enrichment; no proprietary technology platform or software product is operated.

Revenue is sustained by a mix of individual donations, church contributions, foundation grants (notably a $4.25M Lilly Endowment Inc. award in December 2024), and AmeriCorps federal support, with children-camp registration fees varying by chapter. Governance runs through PT National, an active board (with new members such as Ashley Bui, MD added recently), and a national Alumni Advisory Board; the organization is navigating leadership transition with Dr. Jasmine Collier appointed as President and CEO effective June 1, 2026, following the 2024-2025 departures of founding CEO Eric Lindh and Casey Mellody.

Name

Project Transformation

Legal name

Project Transformation

Website

https://projecttransformation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project Transformation is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a network of regional chapters across the U.S. South and Mid-Atlantic, delivering church-based summer day-camps, after-school literacy, and leadership development programs pairing underserved children with college-age interns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Faith-Based Community Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Child and Youth Services (62411), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Faith-based nonprofit
• Summer literacy camps
• Young adult ministry internships
• Community service programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Core offering

Project Transformation operates faith-based summer day camps and year-round youth programs that pair underserved children (grades 1-12) with college-age young adult interns for literacy, social-emotional, and spiritual formation activities. Programming is delivered through a national network of affiliated regional chapters hosted by local churches, complemented by after-school reading enrichment and leadership development tracks for older youth.

Product overview

Project Transformation is a non-profit ministry organization offering a network of affiliated chapter programs focused on youth development and community transformation. The core offering consists of summer day camp programs (Elementary, Middle School, and High School programs) staffed by college-age young adults serving underserved children at host churches. Additional programs include after-school reading programs, leadership development, and year-round vocational discernment opportunities. The organization operates through 13 regional chapters across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas (North, Central, Rio, Greater Tarrant), and Washington DC. Each chapter delivers programming through host churches in under-resourced communities, supported by partner churches, volunteers, and community partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PT Arkansas: Regional chapter operating in Arkansas, serving children in Pine Bluff.
• PT North Texas
• PT Oklahoma
• PT Tennessee
• PT Rio Texas
• PT Washington DC
• PT Central Texas / Greater Tarrant

Products and services

• Young Adult Service Program (Summer Internship) Summer service experience where college-age young adults live in intentional community, explore ministry calling, and develop as servant leaders while serving underserved children at host churches. Interns receive living stipends and AmeriCorps education awards.
• Elementary Program Summer day camp providing literacy and social-emotional development programming for children in grades 1-5, staffed by college-age young adult interns at host churches.
• Middle School Program Out-of-school time programming for middle school youth (grades 6-9) focused on academic support, social-emotional development, and spiritual formation.
• High School LITE Program Leadership development program for high school youth (grades 10-12) providing servant leadership training and ministry exploration opportunities.
• After-School Programs Year-round after-school reading and enrichment programs including Reading All-Stars and Book Club initiatives providing ongoing literacy support during the school year.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Teach For America: National nonprofit that recruits recent college graduates for teaching and leadership service in underserved communities, with similar young-adult-service-meets-education-equity positioning; broader in scale and longer-tenure than PT but closely comparable in service model.
• Young Life: Faith-based youth ministry organization operating nationwide with similar mission of engaging young people and adult leaders in Christian community service and discipleship; comparable in faith-based youth development model though broader in scope than PT's camp/internship format.
• YMCA of the USA: National community-based nonprofit providing youth programs, summer camps, after-school programming, and leadership development; directly comparable in the mix of summer camp, after-school enrichment, and youth development services.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national network of youth development clubs providing academic, leadership, and enrichment programming for children and teens in underserved communities; comparable in serving similar populations and outcomes focus, though not faith-based.

Direct peers

• City Year: National nonprofit that places young adult corps members in schools to support students and communities, combining service with leadership development for near-peer mentors; directly comparable to PT's model of young adults serving children in under-resourced communities.
• Camp Fire: National youth development nonprofit that runs summer camps, after-school programs, and teen leadership service with a similar multi-activity enrichment and youth-led service orientation; closely comparable in camp-and-leadership programming for youth.
• YouthWorks: Faith-based nonprofit that mobilizes youth and young adults for mission service and summer camps in underserved U.S. communities; directly comparable in faith-based young-adult service model combined with children's programming.

Regional players

• United Methodist Volunteers in Mission: United Methodist Church-affiliated volunteer and mission program that sends teams into communities for service, including youth and young adult groups; closely comparable in denominational affiliation, faith-based service orientation, and youth engagement approach.

Emerging players

• Amate House: Catholic-affiliated young adult service program that places recent college graduates in nonprofit and community work in urban settings, often with faith formation components; closely comparable in young-adult-service, faith-formation, and urban-ministry positioning.
• Mission Year: Faith-based nonprofit that places young adults in year-long urban service and discipleship programs in under-resourced neighborhoods; comparable in young adult vocational discernment and faith-based service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/projtrantn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGo6CYpOnN-QWieDlQXoIxw
• Facebookfacebook.com/projecttransformation
• Instagraminstagram.com/projtrannational/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Project Transformation