WatersEdge
WatersEdge is a faith-based financial services organization that provides church loans, ministry accounting, estate planning, and charitable giving vehicles to Southern Baptist churches, ministries, and individuals, distributing funds through state Baptist foundation partnerships nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1946
- HeadquartersOklahoma City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What WatersEdge does
WatersEdge is a faith-based financial services organization founded in 1946 and headquartered in Oklahoma City that serves Southern Baptist churches, ministries, individuals, and families. The organization operates across two customer segments: (1) churches and ministries, which it supports with Kingdom-based church/ministry loans, full-service ministry accounting, asset management, online giving infrastructure, and access to Kingdom Investments; and (2) individuals and families, which it serves through estate planning, donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, endowments, IRA charitable rollovers, single charity funds, trust administration, and beneficiary designations. Its product suite spans approximately fifteen offerings unified by a faith-aligned financial planning thesis.
The underlying technology is described as a financial services platform supporting ministry accounting, donor management, and church loan processing; no proprietary AI/ML or advanced technical components are disclosed. Distribution is relationship-led, delivered through a direct website and 800-number consultation channel, a network of at least seven state Baptist foundation partners (Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Rocky Mountain), event-based acquisition via the annual Church Finance Conference and on-site estate planning seminars, and content marketing through Generosity Magazine and a resource library.
WatersEdge monetizes across six revenue streams: interest income on church loans, professional services fees for trust and estate administration, management fees on endowment accounts, fees on donor-advised funds and charitable giving vehicles, ministry accounting fees, and management fees on Kingdom Investments. Interest income is reportedly reinvested into churches and ministries, creating a cycle of mission-aligned capital deployment. The organization holds ECFA accreditation and reports impact metrics of 6,440 families with signed estate plans, 2,000+ churches and ministries served, and $349.7M distributed to ministry since 2013. Headcount is in the 11-50 range; the organization is privately held with no disclosed parent, investors, or external funding.
WatersEdge firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WatersEdge
- Legal name
- WatersEdge
- Website
- https://watersedgeservices.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1946
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WatersEdge is a faith-based financial services organization that provides church loans, ministry accounting, estate planning, and charitable giving vehicles to Southern Baptist churches, ministries, and individuals, distributing funds through state Baptist foundation partnerships nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WatersEdge industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Faith-Based Financial Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), Religious Organizations (8131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)
Keywords
Where WatersEdge is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oklahoma City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WatersEdge business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Church Loans Interest: Interest income from ministry loans provided to churches for building projects and capital needs. Interest is reinvested into churches and ministries.
- Trust and Estate Administration: Fees for managing charitable trusts, estate plans, and trust administration services for individuals and families.
- Endowment Management: Management fees for administering endowment accounts for churches and ministries, providing predictable distributions.
- Donor-Advised Fund and Charitable Giving Solutions: Fees and investment growth from donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and other charitable giving vehicles.
- Ministry Accounting Services: Church accounting and financial management services for Southern Baptist churches.
- Kingdom Investments: Investment opportunities for ministry-minded individuals, with returns reinvested to support church lending.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
WatersEdge product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WatersEdge is a nonprofit, faith-based financial services organization that provides estate planning, charitable giving solutions (donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, endowments, IRA charitable rollovers), Kingdom Investments, and trust administration for ministry-minded individuals and families. For churches and ministries, it provides church/ministry loans, full-service ministry accounting, an online giving platform, asset management, and tax and legal guidance. Interest income from ministry loans is reinvested back into churches and ministries, with services delivered primarily through personalized consultation and partnerships with state Baptist foundations.
Product overview
WatersEdge is a ministry-focused financial services company offering a comprehensive suite of charitable giving, investment, and church finance solutions. The portfolio consists of individual/family services (Estate Planning, Kingdom Investments, Donor-Advised Fund, Charitable Gift Annuity, Endowment, Charitable Remainder Trust, IRA Charitable Rollover, Single Charity Fund, Trust Administration, Beneficiary Designation) and church/ministry services (Church Loans/Ministry Loans, Ministry Accounting, Online Giving Platform, Asset Management). The offerings are unified by a shared mission to help individuals and churches grow Kingdom resources through biblically-based financial planning, with interest from loans reinvested into supporting churches nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Estate Planning
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,440 families have signed estate plans that advance ministry
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WatersEdge
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WatersEdge technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WatersEdge partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Baptist Foundation of IndianacoreState Baptist foundation offering WatersEdge services to Indiana churches and individuals as a powered-by partnership.
- Ohio Baptist FoundationcoreState Baptist foundation partner providing WatersEdge ministry financial services to Ohio churches.
- Rocky Mountain Baptist FoundationcoreRegional foundation partner serving Baptist churches in the Rocky Mountain region.
- Baptist Foundation of AlabamacoreState Baptist foundation partner providing WatersEdge services to Alabama churches and individuals.
- Oklahoma BaptistscoreState convention partner for WatersEdge services serving Oklahoma Baptist churches.
- SBC Virginia FoundationcoreState Baptist foundation partner for Virginia providing WatersEdge ministry services.
- Arkansas Baptist FoundationcoreState Baptist foundation partner serving Arkansas Baptist churches with WatersEdge financial services.
- Oklahoma Baptist UniversityflagshipOBU partnership with WatersEdge facilitates donor giving and gift management, advancing OBU's mission. WatersEdge manages endowment accounts providing dependable returns and predictable scholarship distributions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WatersEdge competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Thrivent Financial: A faith-based financial services company offering financial planning, investments, insurance, and a charitable giving arm. Broad incumbent in faith-aligned financial services with overlapping donor base.
- Fidelity Charitable: The largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor and secular incumbent in the DAF market. Competes with WatersEdge for charitable giving dollars but serves a mass-market, non-denominational audience with deeper investment menus.
- National Philanthropic Trust: One of the largest independent DAF sponsors in the U.S., providing donor-advised funds and philanthropic advisory services. A secular, broad incumbent comparable in product scope but operating at much greater scale than WatersEdge.
- Schwab Charitable: A major secular DAF sponsor backed by Charles Schwab, offering donor-advised funds and charitable investment accounts. Relevant broad incumbent competing for the same pool of charitable dollars across all faiths.
Direct peers
- Barnabas Foundation: A Christian charitable giving organization offering donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and estate planning services to faith-aligned donors. Highly comparable product mix and donor segment to WatersEdge.
- National Christian Foundation: The largest Christian donor-advised fund sponsor in the U.S., offering faith-aligned DAFs, gift planning, and estate services to donors nationwide. Directly comparable to WatersEdge in mission, products, and target donor base, though at significantly greater scale.
- The Signatry: A faith-based donor-advised fund provider that channels giving to ministries globally, with comparable DAF, endowment, and kingdom-focused giving vehicles. Closely mirrors WatersEdge's product set and mission-aligned donor acquisition approach.
- Baptist Foundation of Texas: A Texas Baptist state foundation offering ministry lending, endowment management, and charitable estate planning to Texas Baptist churches — a direct state-level analog to WatersEdge's model.
Others
- Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability: The accrediting body that has granted WatersEdge its ECFA accreditation. Relevant ecosystem/regulatory participant in the evangelical nonprofit financial services space and a credibility signal for WatersEdge's donor base.
- National Association of Charitable Gift Planners: The leading industry association for charitable gift planning professionals. Ecosystem participant whose members are the professional counterparts to WatersEdge's trust and estate services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WatersEdge social profiles
Digital presenceWatersEdge financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WatersEdge leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
WatersEdge funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WatersEdge M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WatersEdge
What does WatersEdge do?
WatersEdge is a nonprofit, faith-based financial services organization that provides estate planning, charitable giving solutions (donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, endowments, IRA charitable rollovers), Kingdom Investments, and trust administration for ministry-minded individuals and families. For churches and ministries, it provides church/ministry loans, full-service ministry accounting, an online giving platform, asset management, and tax and legal guidance. Interest income from ministry loans is reinvested back into churches and ministries, with services delivered primarily through personalized consultation and partnerships with state Baptist foundations.
Is WatersEdge a public or private company?
WatersEdge is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WatersEdge founded?
WatersEdge was founded in 1946. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WatersEdge based?
WatersEdge is headquartered in Oklahoma City, United States, in the North America region.
How does WatersEdge make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Church Loans Interest is the primary driver. The others are trust and Estate Administration, endowment Management, donor-Advised Fund and Charitable Giving Solutions, ministry Accounting Services and kingdom Investments.
Who are WatersEdge's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Thrivent Financial, Fidelity Charitable, National Philanthropic Trust and Schwab Charitable. Direct peers are Barnabas Foundation, National Christian Foundation, The Signatry and Baptist Foundation of Texas. Others are Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.
Does WatersEdge have an API?
No public API is recorded for WatersEdge.
What industry is WatersEdge in?
WatersEdge's product category is Faith-Based Financial Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAKAH, Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAAABAH, Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments). Its NAICS code is 81321.