DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative

What DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative does

DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (DVULI) is a Michigan-domiciled nonprofit founded in 1998 that delivers an 18-month faith-based leadership training program to Christian leaders serving disadvantaged urban youth. Each year the organization selects approximately 60 leaders across five US cities, using a nomination-based recruitment process managed by local city coordinators and supported by 11 training modules (seven at local retreats, two at national sites in Orlando, FL and Holland, MI, and two virtual), monthly mentor matching, and a curriculum structured around five proprietary core values: Accountability, Balance, Interdependence, Empowerment, and Leverage.

The underlying technology stack is modest: a WordPress-based website with an alumni dashboard providing access to training materials, curriculum resources, an alumni directory, event calendar, alumni benefits, and collaborative leadership grants management. Virtual training is delivered through standard video conferencing. The core program is fully funded at no cost to participants, with all materials, housing, meals, and most travel expenses covered by DVULI. The organization is privately funded by the DeVos family/foundation, with no revenue generated from participants aside from a nominal $150 fee for the Transformational Giving fundraising workshop.

DVULI's go-to-market is relationship-driven and nomination-based, relying on city coordinators (typically alumni), partner organizations such as Youth for Christ USA, the Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI, co-creator of Fuel Networks), e625 (Hispanic pastor pipeline), Cornerstone University (academic credit), and CCDA, plus an alumni network spanning 37 US cities that fuels word-of-mouth referrals. Lifetime alumni benefits — one-on-one coaching, reunions every five years, affinity groups across 14 ministry specialties, professional development grants, and personal counseling — create a community-led retention loop. Sub-products include Community Avengers (youth advocacy training), Principios para El Bienestar Pastoral (Hispanic pastor training), Transformational Giving (fundraising curriculum), and the National Conference (NC1).

Name

DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative

Legal name

DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative

Website

https://dvuli.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DVULI is a Michigan-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that delivers an 18-month, fully-funded faith-based leadership training program to approximately 60 Christian urban youth ministry leaders annually across five US cities, supported by a 37-city alumni network and partnerships with YFC USA, UYWI, and Cornerstone University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Leadership Training

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF), Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Faith-based leadership training
• Youth ministry development
• Nonprofit leadership programs
• Urban youth services
• Ministry sustainability

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding: DVULI is a fully funded training opportunity. All costs including training materials, books, housing, meals, and most travel expenses during the 18-month program are covered by DVULI funding. The organization appears to be privately funded by the DeVos family/foundation, with no revenue generation from participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DVULI provides a fully funded, 18-month faith-based leadership training program for Christian urban youth ministry leaders, selecting up to 60 leaders per year from five US cities via a nomination-and-interview process. The program combines an 11-module schedule (7 local retreat modules, 2 national modules in Orlando, FL and Holland, MI, 2 virtual modules), monthly mentor matching, and city coordinator support around a proprietary five-core-values curriculum with advanced leadership skills training.

Product overview

DVULI operates as a single, unified training program rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is an 18-month faith-based leadership training program for urban youth leaders, supplemented by several add-on products including Core Values Training, Advance Skills modules, university credit options through Cornerstone University, and alumni lifetime benefits. Additional offerings include Affinity Groups for peer networking, Community Avengers youth advocacy training, Transformational Giving fundraising workshops, and the annual National Conference (NC1). All training is provided at no cost to participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Avengers: Single-session training for youth workers to empower youth to create advocacy action plans
• Transformational Giving
• Principios para El Bienestar Pastoral
• Affinity Groups
• Fuel Networks
• Legacy Conference

Products and services

• DVULI 18-Month Leadership Training Program An 18-month faith-based leadership training program for urban youth leaders, featuring in-person retreat modules in local venues and national locations (Orlando, FL and Holland, MI), virtual sessions, cohort-based learning, and monthly mentor meetings. The program is fully funded for participants with all materials, housing, meals, and most travel costs covered.
• Core Values Training Training curriculum built around five core values: Accountability, Balance, Interdependence, Empowerment, and Leverage, designed to develop healthy ministry leaders who can sustain long-term impact in urban youth work.
• Advance Skills Training Leadership skills curriculum including systems thinking, scenario planning, resource networking, personal and ministry assessment, organizational planning, community youth development, and developing youth as leaders within ministry.
• Principios para El Bienestar Pastoral A 1.5-day training workshop for Hispanic pastors in Houston, TX and Pittsburgh, PA focused on balance and empowerment values, including hotel accommodation, meals, and materials provided at no cost.
• Cornerstone University Credit Program Partnership with Cornerstone University offering up to 9 semester credit hours at undergraduate or graduate level for DVULI program participants, addressing demand for higher education credentials in youth ministry.
• Alumni Benefits Package Lifetime access for graduates including DVULI training materials, one-on-one coaching, reunion events, networking, follow-up grants, replication training resources, personal counseling, RightNow Media account, and lifetime journal supply.
• Affinity Groups Alumni-led national Zoom conversations organized by ministry specialty (athletics, arts, gang intervention, homeless youth, juvenile justice, entrepreneurialism, human trafficking, mentoring, mental health, etc.) connecting like-minded youth leaders across 37 US cities.
• Community Avengers Training Single-session youth advocacy training module that empowers youth to use their voices, establish platforms for positive change, and be heard in their communities. Available in self-facilitated, virtually facilitated, or in-person formats with trainer Ray Nelson.
• Transformational Giving Training Biblically-based fundraising training delivered in three sessions (two in-person workshops and one virtual) instructing ministry leaders on moving donors from charitable participants to ministry champions. Includes $150 registration fee with lodging provided for out-of-town participants.
• National Conference (NC1) DVULI's first national conference featuring core values sessions, alumni-led trauma processing stations with professional therapists, and mental health emphasis for current program participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of graduates regularly set aside time for personal growth and development as a leader
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Cornerstone UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership enabling DVULI participants to earn up to 9 college credit hours at undergraduate or graduate level. Credits are offered through Cornerstone University and are optional for participants with no academic requirements to pass the training program.
• Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with shared mission to equip leaders transforming urban youth lives. Collaboration led to creation of Fuel Networks initiative designed to strengthen leaders in cities nationwide through community, training, and collaboration opportunities.
• Fuel NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created initiative between DVULI and UYWI focused on surrounding urban youth leaders with community, training, and collaboration. Built on three pillars: Gather & Connect, Carry & Care, and Create & Collaborate. Operates through local network leaders in cities nationwide.
• Youth for Christ USAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDVULI operates dedicated cohorts for Youth for Christ USA leaders. Alumni from YFC have participated in DVULI training with specific cohorts organized (Class of 2009, 2018). YFC serves as a key pipeline for urban youth ministry leadership.
• e625 (Especialidades 625)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership formed in 2021 to provide Hispanic pastors with transformative leadership tools. e625 focuses on youth ages 6-25 and provides Spanish-language resources, conferences, and training. DVULI staff participate in e625 events and vice versa.
• Legacy Disciple/Legacy ConferenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMinistry under direction of DVULI alumni Brian Dye (Chicago 2007) that hosts annual Legacy Conference in multiple US cities. Conference was inspired by DVULI founder's experience. DVULI offers 20% discount to alumni.
• The Colossian ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContent partnership for conflict resolution and polarization training. DVULI recommends Colossian Forum resources including 'One Anothering' study and Transforming Conflict course. Presented at DVULI Reunions.
• Christian Community Development Association (CCDA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual conference partnership where DVULI and Fuel Networks participate in CCDA National Conference. DVULI lists CCDA conferences as leadership development opportunities for alumni.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: Large faith-based organization with urban ministry programs and student leadership development. While broader in scope, InterVarsity shares DVULI's faith-based youth leadership development focus and competes for the same urban ministry leader audience.
• Compassion International: Large faith-based child and youth sponsorship organization with leadership development programs for partner churches and frontline workers. Comparable to DVULI in mission to equip urban ministry leaders serving disadvantaged youth, though at much larger scale and global scope.
• Christian Community Development Association (CCDA): Broader faith-based nonprofit focused on Christian community development, with a wider scope than DVULI. CCDA hosts the National Conference where DVULI and Fuel Networks participate annually. Shares the urban ministry mission but serves a wider audience beyond youth-specific leadership training.
• Fuller Theological Seminary: Major evangelical seminary offering urban ministry concentration and Doctor of Ministry programs. While Fuller offers accredited theological degrees versus DVULI's free cohort training, both serve the same target of Christian leaders pursuing urban ministry formation.
• Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary: Major evangelical seminary with urban ministry concentrations and Doctor of Ministry programs. Like Fuller, Gordon-Conwell offers accredited theological education versus DVULI's free cohort-based training, but both serve Christian leaders pursuing ministry formation in urban contexts.

Direct peers

• Youth for Christ USA: Major DVULI partner that runs dedicated DVULI cohorts (Class of 2009, 2018). Operates Christian youth ministry programs across the U.S. and serves as a key recruitment pipeline for DVULI, sharing the same target demographic of Christian urban youth leaders.
• Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI): Direct peer and strategic partner focused on equipping leaders who serve urban youth. UYWI shares DVULI's faith-based urban youth ministry mission and co-created the Fuel Networks initiative. Both organizations target the same urban youth leader persona.
• The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI): Faith-based organization providing urban ministry training and leadership development through church-based satellite campuses. TUMI's curriculum-based approach to equipping urban pastors and leaders is structurally similar to DVULI's cohort model and serves the same target persona.
• e625: Faith-based partner focused on Hispanic youth ages 6-25. Since the 2021 partnership, e625 and DVULI collaborate on cross-promotion and DVULI delivers Spanish-language programming (Principios para El Bienestar Pastoral), making e625 a comparable faith-based youth leadership training peer with overlapping mission.

Emerging players

• The Colossian Forum: Content partner providing conflict resolution and polarization training resources. The Colossian Forum operates in adjacent faith-based leadership development content with partial overlap to DVULI's curriculum focus on organizational health and leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dvuli
• YouTubeyoutube.com/dvuli
• Facebookfacebook.com/dvuli
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dvuli
• Instagraminstagram.com/dvuli
• TikToktiktok.com/@dvulialumni?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative