YWAM
Youth With A Mission is a decentralized, donation-funded Christian missionary organization operating in nearly every nation, offering a five-month Discipleship Training School at over 600 global locations as its primary entry point into long-term missionary service and affiliated University of the Nations degree programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersHideaway, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What YWAM does
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is a privately held, non-profit Christian missionary organization founded in 1960 by Loren and Darlene Cunningham and headquartered in Hideaway, Texas. It operates as a decentralized global movement rather than a traditional centralized corporation, with autonomous operating locations in nearly every nation and a network of more than 600 Discipleship Training School (DTS) sites worldwide. DTS, a five-to-six month introductory program combining classroom teaching with cross-cultural outreach, functions as the primary entry point for participants, who subsequently progress into longer-term staff roles, volunteer placements, or degree programs at the affiliated University of the Nations.
The organization's core technology is a WordPress-based web platform (ywam.org) running on Cloudways infrastructure behind Cloudflare, with Algolia powering site search, Stripe processing donations, MailerLite handling email communications, and Google Analytics plus Hotjar providing traffic and session analytics. A secondary platform, update.ywam.org, enables operating locations to self-manage directory listings. Beyond the digital layer, YWAM operates a maritime fleet of 20+ vessels delivering medical, dental, disaster-relief, and Bible distribution services, and runs specialty ministries including YWAM Frontier Missions, Create International (evangelistic media), YWAM Publishing, and an End Bible Poverty initiative.
YWAM's revenue model is donation-driven and decentralized. Staff and missionaries raise personal financial support directly from friends, family, churches, and individual donors, with donations processed centrally through Stripe; DTS participants pay location-variable fees covering housing, food, and training, and many YWAM.org team members volunteer their time without compensation. The primary customer segments are young adults seeking cross-cultural missionary service, DTS alumni pursuing long-term engagement, and peer mission organizations that partner on outreach initiatives. The organization serves no traditional paying customers in a commercial sense, and its scale metrics include 33,000+ monthly ywam.org visitors (of which 70% are exploring service opportunities) and a global workforce mobilized rather than employed.
YWAM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- YWAM
- Legal name
- Youth With A Mission
- Website
- https://ywam.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Youth With A Mission is a decentralized, donation-funded Christian missionary organization operating in nearly every nation, offering a five-month Discipleship Training School at over 600 global locations as its primary entry point into long-term missionary service and affiliated University of the Nations degree programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
YWAM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Missionary Training and Discipleship Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Language & Cross-Cultural Training (BPACANAL)
Keywords
Where YWAM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hideaway
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
YWAM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Individual Donor Support: Staff and missionaries raise personal financial support from friends, family, churches, and supporters. Each worker independently raises funds to meet their own financial needs. Supporters receive tax-deductible donations when the worker is on staff.
- DTS Program Fees: Discipleship Training School fees charged to participants, covering housing, food, and training costs. Fees vary by location. Transportation to training is typically not included.
- Volunteer Services: Many YWAM.org team members donate their time. Some raise financial support for their work with YWAM while others work outside of YWAM and volunteer their time on the website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | DTS Fee - varies by location |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
YWAM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YWAM is a global missionary movement that delivers training and outreach programs to mobilize individuals for cross-cultural Christian ministry. Its flagship offering is the Discipleship Training School (DTS), a five- to six-month program combining classroom teaching and field outreach, offered at 600+ locations worldwide. Adjacent offerings include degree programs through the University of the Nations, maritime medical and relief services via the YWAM Ships fleet, Bible distribution initiatives, and short-term outreach trips.
Product overview
YWAM (Youth With A Mission) operates as a global missionary movement offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and platforms. The core offering is the Discipleship Training School (DTS), a five-month training program available at over 600 locations worldwide, which serves as the primary gateway to YWAM involvement. Adjacent to DTS is the University of the Nations (UofN), YWAM's own degree-granting institution offering associate's through master's degrees in ministry-related fields. The organization also runs specialized ministry programs including YWAM Ships (maritime ministry with 20+ vessels), YWAM Frontier Missions, End Bible Poverty initiatives, and Create International for evangelistic media production. YWAM.org serves as the centralized web portal connecting visitors to all YWAM locations globally, while the update.ywam.org platform provides location management tools. The organization facilitates involvement through outreach trips, volunteer programs (Mission Builder), and long-term staff positions, all supported by resources for support raising and leadership development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- University of the Nations: YWAM's higher education institution offering associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees in various disciplines
- Discipleship Training School (DTS)
- YWAM Frontier Missions
- Create International
- YWAM Publishing
Products and services
- Discipleship Training School (DTS) YWAM's flagship five- to six-month introductory training program offered at over 600 locations worldwide, combining lecture-based learning with practical outreach experience in cross-cultural settings. Designed for young people driven by a passion to know God and make Him known.
- University of the Nations (UofN) YWAM's higher education institution offering associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees in areas such as Christian ministry, arts, education, counseling, and communication, with credits transferable to other institutions.
- YWAM Ships A fleet of more than 20 maritime vessels providing medical and dental care, disaster-relief supplies, Bible distribution, and community development services globally.
- Outreach Trips Short-term mission trip opportunities for volunteers seeking cross-cultural ministry experiences around the world.
- Mission Builder A ministry specializing in helping DTS graduates and volunteers find and engage in volunteer opportunities within YWAM locations worldwide.
- YWAM Frontier Missions A movement within YWAM focused on starting Jesus-centered fellowships among unreached people groups worldwide.
- Create International A YWAM ministry that produces evangelistic media for various people groups around the world.
- YWAM.org Website The official global portal for Youth With A Mission, connecting visitors to YWAM ministry centers worldwide and helping them take next steps to know God and serve His purposes.
- YWAM Update Platform A web-based data entry platform enabling YWAM Operating Locations to manage their location information, add schools, ministries, outreaches, photos, and descriptions.
- Support Raising Resources Comprehensive resources and guides to help YWAMers learn how to raise financial support, including the DTS Fundraising Guide, relational fundraising courses, and support raising best practices.
Companies that use YWAM
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles4 records
YWAM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature3 records
YWAM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of the Nations (UofN)coreYWAM's educational arm offering associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees. DTS programs are registered with UofN and earn credit hours toward degrees. Many YWAM ministry sites function as UofN campuses.
- EndBiblePovertyNow.comminorPartner organization connecting those translating and distributing the Bible with YWAM's Bible poverty initiatives.
- YWAM Frontier MissionscoreA movement within YWAM focusing on starting Jesus-centered fellowships within the world's unreached people groups.
- Create InternationalcoreA YWAM ministry producing evangelistic media for a growing number of people groups worldwide.
- Thirty Days of Prayer for the Muslim WorldminorPrayer movement helping people learn about Islam and pray for Muslims during designated 30-day periods.
- Call2AllcoreGlobal mission collaboration platform supporting spheres of society ministry and virtual conferences for YWAM and broader mission community.
- Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube)minorPlatforms used for collaboration and advertising purposes, connecting YWAM with supporters worldwide.
- YWAM AssociatescoreAlumni network for DTS graduates providing ongoing community connection and events for former YWAMers.
- Business as MissionminorResource for those sensing God leading them to serve Him in business contexts, aligned with YWAM's teaching on Spheres of Society.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
YWAM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Compassion International: Large Christian child sponsorship organization operating in 25+ countries with fundraising, donor management, and field-program scale well beyond YWAM; comparable only at the broad faith-NGO level.
- World Vision: One of the largest Christian humanitarian NGOs with global child sponsorship, disaster response, and development programs; named YWAM partner with overlapping constituency though far larger and more institutional.
Direct peers
- Operation Mobilisation: Global evangelical mission agency mobilizing short- and long-term missionaries with similar DTS-style training, ships (Logos Hope), and presence in 100+ countries — a structural twin.
- Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Large U.S.-based interdenominational missionary organization with global university outreach and DTS-like training pathways; named YWAM partner with overlapping constituency of young adult disciples.
- Frontiers: Mission-sending organization focused exclusively on planting churches among unreached people groups — directly comparable to YWAM Frontier Missions in scope and theology.
- Mercy Ships: Global faith-based maritime hospital fleet providing free surgical and medical care in underserved nations — the most direct operational analog to YWAM Ships, focused on access-via-vessel ministry and volunteer mobilization.
- Pioneers: Faith-based organization mobilizing church-planting teams among unreached people groups; highly comparable training-and-deployment model with smaller scale.
- Samaritan's Purse: Franklin Graham–led evangelical relief and mission organization operating medical, disaster relief, and outreach programs globally; named YWAM peer partner with overlapping humanitarian-DNA.
- Wycliffe Bible Translators: Faith-based organization focused on Bible translation into remaining languages; named YWAM partner operating in closely adjacent fields of frontier Bible access.
Others
- Habitat for Humanity: Faith-based housing ministry and named YWAM partner with shared volunteer-mobilization DNA; comparable in mobilization mechanics but distinct in sector (housing vs. cross-cultural mission).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
YWAM social profiles
Digital presenceYWAM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
YWAM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
YWAM subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
YWAM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
YWAM 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 YWAM
What does YWAM do?
YWAM is a global missionary movement that delivers training and outreach programs to mobilize individuals for cross-cultural Christian ministry. Its flagship offering is the Discipleship Training School (DTS), a five- to six-month program combining classroom teaching and field outreach, offered at 600+ locations worldwide. Adjacent offerings include degree programs through the University of the Nations, maritime medical and relief services via the YWAM Ships fleet, Bible distribution initiatives, and short-term outreach trips.
Is YWAM a public or private company?
YWAM is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was YWAM founded?
YWAM was founded in 1960.
Where is YWAM based?
YWAM is headquartered in Hideaway, United States, in the North America region.
How does YWAM make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donor Support is the primary driver. The others are DTS Program Fees and volunteer Services.
Who are YWAM's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Compassion International and World Vision. Direct peers are Operation Mobilisation, Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ), Frontiers, Mercy Ships, Pioneers, Samaritan's Purse and Wycliffe Bible Translators. Habitat for Humanity is listed as an others.
Does YWAM have an API?
No public API is recorded for YWAM.
What industry is YWAM in?
YWAM's product category is Missionary Training and Discipleship Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACANAL, Language & Cross-Cultural Training. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.