Woman’s Missionary Union

Name

Woman’s Missionary Union

Legal name

Woman's Missionary Union

Website

https://wmu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Woman's Missionary Union is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1888 that produces age-segmented missions discipleship curriculum, fair trade goods, and online courses for Southern Baptist churches, members, and Hispanic congregations across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Education Curriculum

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Religious & Values-Based Publishing (MPAJAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA), Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals) (MPAJAHAE)

Keywords

• Missions curriculum
• Religious education
• Fair trade crafts
• Church curriculum
• Discipleship resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of missions curriculum, books, digital products, badges/patches, and fair trade WorldCrafts items. Products are sold through e-commerce storefront and church distribution.
2. Subscription Products: Quarterly and annual subscription products for curriculum including Missions Journey Kids Leader, Women on Mission Leader, Mission Friends Leader, and Adults on Mission materials with recurring billing.
3. Charitable Contributions: WMU is a 501(c)3 nonprofit funded by charitable contributions from those invested in missions work. Donations are made through the WMU Foundation's Vision Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Woman's Missionary Union produces and distributes age-appropriate missions discipleship curriculum and resources for churches, spanning preschool through adult audiences. The organization sells print and digital curriculum, subscription products, books, recognition badges and patches, and operates WorldCrafts, a fair trade program sourcing artisan products from producers worldwide. It also delivers online leadership development courses via the Christian Leader Learning platform.

Product overview

Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) is a Christian nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of missions discipleship products and resources for churches. The core offering consists of age-specific curriculum programs including Mission Friends (preschool), Girls in Action/Children in Action/Royal Ambassadors (children), Students, Adults on Mission, and Women on Mission. The portfolio includes subscription products, digital downloads, books, fair trade WorldCrafts products, badges/patches, and online courses through Christian Leader Learning. Products are sold via the WMU online store with both physical and digital formats available. The organization also provides specialty items like Missions in a Box educational kits, Royal Racers derby car kits, and Bible storying resources. Spanish-language materials (Misiones para la vida) serve Hispanic congregations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WorldCrafts: A fair trade program that sells products including jewelry, accessories, home decor, stationery, and Christmas items from artisans around the world to support missions.
• Girls in Action
• Royal Ambassadors
• Children in Action
• Mission Friends
• Adults on Mission
• Women on Mission
• Acteens
• Challengers
• myMISSION

Products and services

• Missions Discipleship Curriculum (Subscription Products) Age-segmented subscription curriculum for preschool (Mission Friends), children (GA, CA, RA), students (Acteens, Challengers, Youth on Mission), and adults (Women on Mission, Adults on Mission). Sold in both print and digital formats to churches and individuals for use in missions discipleship programs.
• WorldCrafts Fair Trade Products Fair trade artisan products sold through wmu.com and the Birmingham Gift Shop, with proceeds supporting global artisans and WMU's missions mission. Categories include jewelry, accessories, home decor, stationery, and Christmas items.
• Christian Leader Learning Online Courses Online courses for missions discipleship, missional foundations, leadership foundations, and compassion ministries training, delivered through the Christian Leader Learning platform for church leaders and members.
• Digital Downloads and Graphics Packages Digital product packages including graphics, lesson plans, audio soundtracks, social media templates, certificate templates, and print materials priced $0.99-$19.99, sold as one-time perpetual licenses for promoting and supporting WMU missions groups.
• Books and Publications Books covering Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon biographies, evangelism and discipleship materials, simulation experiences, preschool storybooks, and other Christian education publications sold through the WMU store.
• Badges, Patches, and Recognition Items Achievement badges, patches, vests, and commemorative recognition items for GA, CA, RA, and other WMU missions groups, sold per-unit to support children's missions programs and advancement activities.
• Spanish-Language Curriculum (Misiones para la vida) Spanish-language missions curriculum and resources for adult Hispanic congregations, available in both print and digital formats through the Churchwide en Español program.
• Specialty Curriculum Resources Country-specific educational kits (Missions in a Box), multi-session Bible storying resources (Tell the Story), missions storybooks (Bells and Tales), and Royal Racers derby car kits, sold as standalone specialty items for children's missions education.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• International Mission Board (IMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMU partners with the International Mission Board, which appoints missionaries through the Southern Baptist Convention for international missions work. WMU supports IMB through curriculum, prayer resources, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
• North American Mission Board (NAMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMU collaborates with NAMB for North American missions efforts, supporting missionaries and church planting within the United States and Canada.
• Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMU is affiliated with the SBC as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Cooperative Program channels funds from SBC churches to support WMU and other missions entities.
• WMU FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMU Foundation manages charitable giving to WMU through the Vision Fund and supports the organization's mission through fundraising and endowment management.
• State WMU OfficesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of state WMU offices across the United States that provide local support, resources, and coordination for WMU programs at the state and local church level.
• Christian Job Corps (CWJC/CMJC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMU supports Christian Job Corps through compassion ministries programming, helping provide job training and employment assistance.
• Baptist Nursing Fellowship (BNF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMU partners with Baptist Nursing Fellowship as part of its compassion ministries initiatives, supporting nursing professionals in missions contexts.
• WorldCrafts ArtisansmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWMU's WorldCrafts fair trade program partners with artisans worldwide to provide markets for their crafts, with products sold through WMU to support missions and provide sustainable income for artisans.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gospel Publishing House: Publishing arm of the Assemblies of God denomination producing Sunday School curriculum, VBS, children's, youth, and adult discipleship materials for the same church-network distribution model WMU operates within the SBC.
• Group Publishing: Provider of children's ministry, youth ministry, and Vacation Bible School curriculum and programs — competing in the same children's missions and Sunday school categories as WMU's GA, RA, CA, and Mission Friends lines.
• LifeWay Christian Resources: The publishing and curriculum arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, providing Bible study, Vacation Bible School, books, and discipleship resources to the same SBC church customer base as WMU — making it the closest direct peer in denomination, products, and distribution.
• David C Cook: Interdenominational publisher of children's, youth, and adult curriculum (Sunday School, Bible studies) and worship resources serving churches across denominations — a key direct competitor in broadly overlapping curriculum and publishing categories.
• Concordia Publishing House: Publishing arm of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod producing Sunday school curriculum, VBS, and family ministry materials — a direct peer in faith-based curriculum publishing for a specific denomination's age-segmented programs.
• Regular Baptist Press: A Fundamental Baptist publisher producing Sunday school, discipleship, and missions curriculum for similar children, youth, and adult ministries — a direct curriculum-publishing competitor with overlapping product categories and similar church-network distribution.
• Randall House Publications: Free Will Baptist denominational publisher of discipleship curriculum and VBS resources — a comparable denomination-aligned curriculum and publishing peer serving a similar narrow congregational base.

Emerging players

• Orange (The reThink Group): Provider of modern children's, student, and family ministry curriculum and strategy with integrated digital delivery — competes for the same children's and student ministry dollars that WMU's GA, RA, CA, Acteens, and Challengers programs target, with a stronger digital platform.
• NavPress: Publishing arm of The Navigators producing discipleship and Bible study resources for adults; overlaps with WMU's adult curriculum category (Women on Mission, Adults on Mission) but skews more individual study than church classroom delivery.
• Crossway Bibles & Books: Publisher of the ESV Bible and Christian books with growing curriculum initiatives — overlaps with WMU's book-publishing and devotional line as a peer in religious publishing adjacent to WMU's core missions curriculum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NationalWMU
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalWMU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wmu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Woman’s Missionary Union