UDF

What UDF does

UDF (Universidade da Família), legally Associação Nova Shalom, is a Brazilian Christian non-profit founded in 1992 and headquartered in Pompéia, São Paulo. It develops and distributes a biblical family-education curriculum organized into seven ministries covering marriage, parenting, men's and women's identity, youth leadership, and financial stewardship. The organization serves local churches across Brazil, which implant the curricula in their congregations through a network of 8,000+ trained volunteer leaders; UDF's stated reach is approximately 2 million participants over 30 years.

The platform centers on the Portal do Líder web tool, which lets certified leaders manage groups, register participants, track attendance, issue certificates, and order physical and digital course materials. Supporting infrastructure includes the Editora Universidade da Família publishing arm, the Loja da Família e-commerce store, the Escola de Coordenadores trainer school, and an annual conference series such as Semeando Vida. The technology stack is conventional: web portal, video-based seminars, and e-commerce, with no disclosed AI/ML components.

UDF generates revenue through three streams: recurring monthly donations from individual supporters (R$10–R$100 tiers via PIX or credit card), one-time course material sales through Loja da Família, and paid event registrations (e.g., R$170 individual / R$340 couple for Semeando Vida). The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with churches referring new participants and leaders rather than UDF selling directly to consumers. The 2022 leadership transition from founders Jorge and Márcia Nishimura to Fábio and Cláudia Nishimura marks a generational succession, and the 2023 IFFD Award at the UN headquarters in New York anchors its international family-development credentials.

Name

UDF

Legal name

Associação Nova Shalom

Website

https://udf.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UDF (Universidade da Família) is a Brazilian Christian non-profit that develops and distributes a biblical family-education curriculum across seven ministries to churches, couples, families, and individuals throughout Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Family Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Biblical family education
• Marriage ministry curriculum
• Church volunteer training
• Christian financial literacy
• Youth leadership courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Pompéia

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monthly Donations: Monthly financial contributions from supporters at fixed values (R$10, R$25, R$50, R$100) through credit card or PIX, marketed as 'mantenedores' (supporters).
2. Course Materials Sales: Sale of physical and digital course materials to participants, including student guides and leader materials. Orders placed through Portal do Líder.
3. Event Registrations: Paid registrations for conferences and training events, such as the 'Semeando Vida' conference at R$170 individual / R$340 couple.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UDF delivers a structured biblical family-education curriculum across seven ministry areas (Crown, AMP, CMN Hombridade, CMN Mulher Única, FFI, GFI, PG) through certified volunteer leaders who facilitate courses in partner churches and communities across Brazil. Courses and seminars address marriage, parenting, finances, men's and women's identity, and youth leadership, supported by physical/digital materials sold through the Loja da Família and managed via the Portal do Líder web platform.

Product overview

UDF (Universidade da Família) is a Christian non-profit organization founded in 1992 that operates as a multi-ministry educational platform offering courses and seminars for family education from a biblical perspective. The organization consists of seven core ministries: Crown (Financial Education), AMP (Woman Who Prospers), CMN Hombridade (Men's Ministry), CMN Mulher Única (Women's Ministry), FFI (Family Foundations), GFI (Biblical Fatherhood), and PG (Next Generations). Supporting infrastructure includes the internal Portal do Líder platform for leader management, the Editora publishing division for materials, the Loja da Família e-commerce store, and the Escola de Coordenadores for advanced coordinator training. The platform serves churches across Brazil with approximately 2 million participants estimated to have been reached through courses, seminars, events, books, and digital content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FFI - Fundamentos da Família: Family Foundations International ministry focused on restoring biblical foundations in marriages, families, and finances through intensive weekend seminars and process groups.
• CMN - Hombridade
• AMP - A Mulher que Prospera
• Crown - Educação Financeira
• GFI - Paternidade Bíblica
• PG - Próximas Gerações
• Mulher Única

Products and services

• Crown – Educação Financeira Biblical financial education curriculum offering six courses covering money management, marriage finances, and financial literacy for couples, singles, youth, teenagers, and children aged 5 and above. Delivered through partner churches across Brazil.
• AMP – A Mulher que Prospera Women's prosperity curriculum addressing five critical areas of women's lives inspired by Proverbs 31, targeting married and single women over 18 who seek integral biblical prosperity.
• CMN – Hombridade Men's ministry curriculum offering ten courses on masculinity, character development, communication, sexual integrity, and biblical leadership for married and single men aged 12 and above.
• CMN – Mulher Única Women's identity curriculum with six courses covering self-esteem, value, femininity, sexuality, communication, and marriage for married and single women aged 12 and above.
• FFI – Fundamentos da Família Intensive weekend seminars and process groups covering marriage, family dynamics, heart transformation, generational blessing, and ministry training for married couples, engaged couples, singles, youth, and adolescents aged 13 and above.
• GFI – Paternidade Bíblica Biblical parenting curriculum with six courses covering pregnancy preparation, infant transition, childrearing, sexual purity protection, teenage engagement, and parenting children with special needs for couples, expecting mothers from the 4th month of gestation, and parents of children aged 1 to 9 or teenagers.
• PG – Próximas Gerações Youth leadership curriculum preparing young people aged 12 to 24 through four Habitudes courses on self-leadership, connecting with others, leading others, and cultural transformation, plus Ignição entrepreneurship and Yes! Career Guide programs.
• Editora Universidade da Família Publishing division producing all course materials, seminars, projects, and Christian literature including periodicals, audiovisual content, Transformaçes series, Deus Provedor series, Tartanina project, and national literary catalog for UDF programs.
• Loja da Família E-commerce store selling physical and digital course materials, books, training resources, and event registrations for UDF programs and partner ministries.
• Escola de Coordenadores Advanced training program certifying leaders to coordinate FFI seminars including Veredas Antigas, Abençoando Gerações, Transformando Coraçes, Vencendo a Ira, Fortalecendo Relacionamentos, A Pergunta, Aliança, and Treinamento para Ministração.
• Semeando Vida Conference Annual paid conference for pastors and church leaders focused on family ministry and church leadership development, delivered regionally across Brazil (e.g., Curitiba-PR), with individual and couple registration tiers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2 million people impacted through courses, events, books, and digital content over 30 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Federation for Family Development (IFFD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Global federation of 250 family development organizations in 70 countries with consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council. UDF founder Jorge Nishimura was instrumental in the Brazilian chapter (IDF) and received the IFFD Award 2023 for family values promotion.
• Growing LeaderscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership for leadership development programs including 'Habitudes' course series (4 modules on self-leadership, connecting with others, leading others, and transforming culture) and 'Yes! Career Guide' career assessment tool for teenagers.
• Christian Men's Network (CMN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partnership for men's masculinity courses (CMN Hombridade) and women's identity courses (CMN Mulher Única). Provides curriculum for 10 courses addressing men's development and women's empowerment from a biblical perspective.
• Crown Financial MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Partnership for financial education courses covering biblical principles of money management, stewardship, and financial freedom. Crown ministry serves couples, singles, youth, and children.
• Family Foundations International (FFI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Partnership for intensive marriage and family seminars including courses like 'Aliança' and 'Romance à Maneira de Deus'. UDF operates the 'Escola de Coordenadores' (Coordinator School) for FFI seminars in Brazil.
• Growing Families InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Partnership for children's education courses, including 'Growing Families International' curriculum. This partnership launched the GFI (Paternidade Bíblica) ministry focused on parenting education based on the Ezzo method.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Focus on the Family: Large US-headquartered Christian family-advocacy and education ministry offering resources across marriage, parenting, and family life; overlaps significantly with UDF's portfolio but at much broader scale and with media/advocacy scope UDF does not have.

Direct peers

• Crown Financial Ministries: Biblical financial education ministry that operates its own small-group courses globally; UDF is its Brazilian distributor, but Crown functions as a comparable peer to UDF's Crown ministry in any non-Brazil market.
• Family Foundations International: Intensive marriage and family seminar ministry producing the Veredas Antigas, Aliança, and Romance à Maneira de Deus curricula that UDF delivers in Brazil; directly comparable peer in marriage/foundation ministry globally.
• Christian Men's Network (CMN): Men's ministry developer of the Hombridade and related men's curricula used by UDF; operates independently in many countries as a comparable peer to UDF's CMN Hombridade program.
• Marriage Today: Faith-based marriage and relationship ministry with church-implemented small-group curricula; closely comparable model to UDF's marriage-focused FFI and Nova Shalom tracks.
• Walk Thru the Bible: Bible-based church-implemented educational ministry with leadership training and small-group curricula; comparable distribution model and faith-based educational category to UDF.
• Growing Families International: Ezzo-method biblical parenting curriculum developer whose content UDF delivers in Brazil as Paternidade Bíblica; operates its own programs in other markets and is a directly comparable peer.
• FamilyLife: Cru-affiliated marriage and family ministry offering church-based marriage and parenting courses with a distributed small-group model directly comparable to UDF's church-implantation approach across its seven ministry areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UniversidadedaFam%C3%ADliaoficial?app=desktop
• Facebookfacebook.com/udfoficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/universidadedafamilia
• Xx.com/UDFonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidade-da-familia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 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 UDF