Orchard Alliance

What Orchard Alliance does

Orchard Alliance is a religious non-profit financial services ministry and a subsidiary of The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), founded in 1959 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The organization manages approximately $400 million in assets and serves individuals, families, churches, missionaries, and ministry workers exclusively within the C&MA denomination. Its core function is operating a denominationally-scoped bank-like platform: it accepts deposits from members through Individual Agreements, Investment Certificates (1-5 year fixed terms), Individual Retirement Accounts (Traditional and Roth with GoldStar Trust as custodian), 403(b) plans, and Ministry/Missionary accounts, and lends those funds back to Alliance churches via Standard Loans, Fixed Payment Loans, Small Unsecured Loans, and Lines of Credit for property, construction, and refinancing needs. Beyond core lending and deposits, Orchard Alliance operates a planned-giving platform that includes Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs), Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Advised Funds, and non-cash gift vehicles covering securities, real estate, and cryptocurrency, plus free financial coaching for pastors and ministry leaders. Revenue mechanics are based on the net interest spread between loan yields and investor/certificate payouts, supplemented by the residual economics on CGAs and planned-giving products; pricing is publicly disclosed (e.g., IRA APRs of 2.10-3.94%, Investment Certificate rates of 2.00-3.99% as of November 2025). Go-to-market is relationship-driven, executed through direct sales via phone, email, and a customer portal, with the Faith & Finance content platform and Faith & Finance Gateway serving as top-of-funnel educational and demand-generation channels. Distribution leverages Alliance Benefits for 403(b) origination and on-the-ground ministry development officers embedded in the C&MA church network.

Name

Orchard Alliance

Legal name

Orchard Alliance

Website

https://orchardalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Orchard Alliance is a religious non-profit financial services ministry and subsidiary of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, managing ~$400M in assets by accepting deposits and extending loans to Alliance individuals, churches, and ministries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious/faith-based financial services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Church lending services
• Faith-based investments
• Charitable gift annuities
• Planned giving services
• Ministry financial services

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: Orchard Alliance extends loans to Alliance churches and ministries for property purchases, construction, renovations, and refinancing. Interest income from these loans represents the primary revenue stream that funds investor returns and operational costs.
2. Investment Returns on Securities: The organization offers interest-bearing Investment Certificates and Individual Agreements to individuals and churches. Returns are paid to investors, with the spread between loan interest rates and investor rates generating operational revenue.
3. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA): Traditional and Roth IRAs with no annual maintenance fees. Funds are held by GoldStar Trust Company as custodian. Revenue is generated through the spread on investment returns.
4. Charitable Gift Annuities: CGAs provide steady income streams to donors for life in exchange for charitable gifts of $10,000 or more. Orchard Alliance or The C&MA issues annuities, with the remaining balance going to designated ministries at death.
5. 403(b) Retirement Plan Asset Option: Available through the C&MA Retirement Plan for qualified Alliance ministers and chaplains. Contributions made via elective salary deferral under IRS Code 403(b).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orchard Alliance is a non-profit religious financial services ministry that extends loans to Alliance churches and ministries (for property purchases, construction, renovation, refinancing, and lines of credit) and accepts investments from individuals, families, churches, and missionaries in interest-bearing Individual Agreements, Investment Certificates, Traditional/Roth IRAs, 403(b) plans, Shell Point Agreements, and Ministry Agreements. It also offers charitable giving products — Charitable Gift Annuities, Donor-Advised Funds, Legacy Advised Funds, non-cash gifts (securities, real estate, cryptocurrency), and endowment funds — alongside stewardship services including gift and estate design, planned giving consultation, and free financial coaching for ministry leaders.

Product overview

Orchard Alliance is a financial services ministry offering a comprehensive suite of investment, lending, and charitable giving products and services for The Christian and Missionary Alliance family. The portfolio consists of: (1) Investment products including Investment Certificates, Individual Agreements, 403(b) Agreements, Shell Point Agreements, Missionary Retiral Agreements (MRA), and Ministry Agreements/Ministry Investment Fund for individuals and churches; (2) Retirement accounts including Traditional and Roth IRAs with GoldStar Trust Company as custodian; (3) Charitable giving products including Charitable Gift Annuities (CGA), Donor Advised Funds (DAF), Legacy Advised Funds, and non-cash gift options for securities, real estate, and cryptocurrency; (4) Loan products for churches including Standard Loans, Fixed Payment Loans, Small Unsecured (SUN) Loans, and Lines of Credit; (5) Services including Financial Coaching, Gift and Estate Design, Planned Giving Services, and Faith & Finance Gateway website integration; (6) Digital platforms including Online Access Resources portal and FaithandFinance.org content platform. The offering operates as a platform of interconnected financial stewardship tools rather than a single unified product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Faith & Finance: A biblically based stewardship and generosity platform offering thought-provoking articles, videos, and resources organized by life stage. Available at faithandfinance.org.

Products and services

• Investment Certificates Fixed-rate investment products with terms starting from one year that fund Alliance church and ministry loans for buildings, land, and renovation projects. Minimum opening investment $1,000; periodic or accrued interest payments.
• Individual Retirement Accounts (Traditional and Roth IRA) Tax-advantaged retirement accounts available as Traditional IRA (tax-deferred growth) or Roth IRA (tax-free growth), with $1,000 minimum initial investment and no annual maintenance fees. GoldStar Trust Company serves as custodian.
• 403(b) C&MA Retirement Plan Asset Option Fixed-income asset option within the C&MA 403(b) Retirement Plan for qualified Alliance ministers and chaplains; contributions via elective salary deferral under IRS Code 403(b). Applications handled in coordination with Alliance Benefits.
• Individual Agreements Flexible investment agreements with no minimum term and on-demand fund availability. Interest accrues daily and compounds monthly. Available to C&MA members, constituents, contributors, and adherents.
• Shell Point Agreements Investment product that supplements the Founder's Gift for entrance to Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers, Florida, with annual matching eligibility of $500-$1,500 per year at minimum 25% match rate.
• Missionary Retiral Agreements (MRA) Retirement account for active overseas missionaries under age 70 on allowance, designed to maximize investment during years eligible for foreign earned income exclusion; 10% early withdrawal penalty prior to age 59½.
• Ministry Agreements Church investment accounts with no minimum term providing loan funds for Alliance churches and ministries, with daily interest accrual, monthly compounding, and electronic funds transfer capabilities.
• Ministry Investment Fund Asset management tool for churches with $100,000 minimum opening investment, offering fixed-income investments with competitive fixed rates and diverse options from conservative to aggressive portfolios.
• Charitable Gift Annuities (CGA) Charitable giving product providing lifetime income stream for donors age 65+ in exchange for a minimum $10,000 gift in cash or securities, with fixed payment rates based on age, immediate tax deduction, and remaining balance to ministry at death. Single-life, two-life, and deferred CGA options available.
• Donor Advised Funds (DAF) Charitable investment vehicle functioning as a private-foundation alternative with a zero-fee option, allowing donors to recommend grants to charities while receiving an immediate tax deduction and avoiding capital gains on appreciated assets.
• Legacy Advised Funds Charitable instrument funded at death to simplify distribution of estate assets to ministry organizations via retirement accounts, insurance policies, wills, charitable remainder trusts, revocable living trusts, and annuities.
• Gift and Estate Design Services Professional estate and gift design consulting helping individuals create biblically based estate plans, including a free online will and trust creation tool via faithandfinance.org.
• Non-Cash Gifts (Securities, Real Estate, Cryptocurrency) Non-cash gift options allowing donation of appreciated stocks/bonds/mutual funds, appreciated real estate, or appreciated cryptocurrencies to ministries. Donors receive charitable deduction for full market value and avoid capital gains tax.
• Endowment Funds Long-term investment management service for ministry endowments providing expert guidance on spending policies, competitive fixed-income rates, and diverse investment options aligned with biblical values.
• Standard Loans Church financing with typically 20-year terms (no balloon payments), annually adjustable interest rates based on Orchard Alliance's internal cost of funds, with 3- and 5-year fixed rate options available.
• Fixed Payment Loans Loans with fixed monthly payment for first 10 years based on initial interest rate and 20-year amortization, with 30-year maturity and payment adjustments thereafter, simplifying church budgeting.
• Small Unsecured (SUN) Loans Unsecured streamlined financing up to $200,000 for real-property-related purposes including external refinances, purchases, construction, and FF&E, with terms from 1-10 years and no prepayment penalty.
• Lines of Credit Credit facilities available as Companion LOC (up to $200,000 or 10% of companion loan) tied to Standard or Fixed Payment Loans, or Independent LOC (up to $200,000 or 10% of operating income) for churches without existing loans.
• Planned Giving Services Comprehensive planned giving program services for churches including gift and estate design consulting, Faith & Finance Gateway website integration, and guidance on receiving and stewarding large non-cash gifts.
• Faith & Finance Gateway Free website widget that churches can add to their websites to educate congregations about stewardship and planned giving, customized with church branding, featuring professional content and Orchard Alliance staff support.
• Financial Coaching Free financial coaching for Alliance pastors and ministry leaders covering budgeting, saving, debt repayment, investing, giving, and money mindset, facilitated by Financial Consultant David Krilov via virtual sessions.
• Online Access Portal Secure customer portal at orchardalliance.vsoftarya.com providing how-to videos, resource library, document center, DAF grant management, secure messaging, and appointment scheduling for account management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Manages $400 million in assets serving The Alliance since 1959

Named customers4 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• The Christian and Missionary Alliance (The C&MA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1959Orchard Alliance is a subsidiary and the official securities and lending ministry of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. The organization has been serving The Alliance since 1959, providing investment, lending, and stewardship services exclusively for Alliance churches, districts, and affiliated organizations.
• Shell Point Retirement CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShell Point is a retirement community in Fort Myers, Florida. Orchard Alliance offers Shell Point Agreements that supplement the Founder's Gift for entrance to Shell Point, with new investments eligible for matching by Shell Point each year (25% minimum match, $500/yr minimum, $1,500/yr maximum eligible for matching).
• Alliance BenefitscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlliance Benefits handles 403(b) Retirement Plan applications for Orchard Alliance. Ministers and chaplains must contact Alliance Benefits to determine eligibility and receive application forms and offering circulars for Orchard Alliance's 403(b) option.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Signatry: The Signatry is a Christian-focused national donor-advised fund sponsor with an offering that closely mirrors Orchard Alliance's DAF and planned giving products, including non-cash gift acceptance and family-generational giving strategies.
• Barnabas Foundation: Barnabas Foundation provides faith-based planned giving, charitable gift annuities, and donor-advised fund services for Christian donors and ministries — closely comparable to Orchard Alliance's generosity product suite but operating across multiple denominations.
• GuideStone Financial Resources: GuideStone is the Southern Baptist Convention's affiliated financial services ministry, offering retirement plans, insurance, investments, and church lending to Southern Baptist churches and members — the closest analog to Orchard Alliance in both mission and product mix, but at meaningfully larger scale.
• Christian Community Foundation: Christian Community Foundation (formerly Central Texas Christian Foundation) is a community-focused Christian foundation offering DAFs, endowments, and planned giving services — directly comparable to Orchard Alliance's charitable giving products.
• AG Financial: AG Financial serves the Assemblies of God denomination with church loans, retirement plans, insurance, and planned giving services — a direct parallel to Orchard Alliance serving The C&MA, with similar product mix and captive-denomination model.
• Everence: Everence (formerly Mennonite Mutual Aid) provides banking, insurance, investments, and financial services to Anabaptist/Mennonite communities — a denomination-affiliated financial services organization with a comparable stewardship-focused, faith-aligned product suite.
• National Christian Foundation: NCF is one of the largest Christian donor-advised fund sponsors in the U.S., offering giving accounts, charitable planning, and non-cash gift services that overlap directly with Orchard Alliance's DAF, Legacy Advised Funds, and gift and estate design offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: Fidelity Charitable is the largest U.S. sponsor of donor-advised funds with $100B+ in assets, serving as a secular benchmark for the DAF component of Orchard Alliance's generosity product line.
• Thrivent Financial: Thrivent is a Fortune 500 fraternal benefit society serving Lutherans and the broader Christian community with insurance, investments, banking, and charitable giving products — overlapping with Orchard Alliance's offering but at vastly larger scale and broader constituency.

Regional players

• Stewardship (UK): Stewardship is a UK-based Christian charity providing financial services, including lending to churches and ministries and donor-advised giving — comparable in mission and product set to Orchard Alliance but serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OrchardAlliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orchardalliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/faithandfinance_byorchard
• Xx.com/OrchardAlliance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Orchard Alliance