Bridges of Hope

What Bridges of Hope does

Bridges of Hope, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and registered in South Dakota, operating an integrated four-pillar program model in Bensonville, Liberia. Its principal operating asset is Hope International Christian Academy (HICA), a nursery-through-12th-grade Christ-centered school serving over 400 children on a 35-acre site purchased in 2005, where the high school has received a #1 ranking from the District Education Officer and graduates post a 99% West African Examination Council pass rate. Complementary pillars include Hope Health (annual medical mission trips with a planned 7,000-square-foot, six-exam-room clinic on ten adjacent acres), Hope Church (Bible-teaching church planting and pastoral training), and Hope Agriculture (15 beehives and 400 rubber trees producing local revenue). The organization is led by Chairman Martin Digler (born in Liberia; Biology 2005, Physician Assistant 2008) and governed by an unpaid volunteer board that includes founder Joel Schwiesow (CRNA, MBA).

The organization is entirely volunteer-run with no paid employees, and board members donate office space, computing, postage, and website services, allowing the body of donations to flow to programs. Revenue mechanics combine three streams: (i) general tax-deductible donations accepted via PayPal, credit card, or mail-in checks allocated to general school, Hope Health, or Hope Church building; (ii) recurring student sponsorships at $30/month ($360/year) covering teacher salaries, supplies, and administration for individual HICA students; and (iii) medical mission trip fees of approximately $3,000–$3,200 per participant covering airfare from Rapid City, in-country lodging, food, ground transport, and group insurance. No formal pricing tiers, SLAs, or enterprise contracts exist; the "customers" in the donor sense are individual US-based donors, churches, and medical volunteers recruited through speaking engagements, hosting toolkits, and the website. Beneficiary-side "customers" are orphans and vulnerable Liberian children, rural Montserrado County residents receiving medical care, and local farmers/agriculture workers. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

The technology stack is minimal and is not a focus area: the website (bridgesofhopewestafrica.com) acts as the primary digital presence along with Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube channels; donations are processed through PayPal; WhatsApp is the recommended communication channel for in-country mission trips. There is no proprietary software, mobile app, API surface, or AI/ML capability. Geographic scope is dual: a US base in Rapid City, South Dakota (headquarters at PO Box 2591, with mail-in donations processed at 6406 Muirfield Dr) and the primary operational site at Hope Village in Bensonville, Liberia.

Name

Bridges of Hope

Legal name

Bridges of Hope, Inc.

Website

https://bridgesofhopewestafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bridges of Hope is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 and headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota, operating Hope International Christian Academy and complementary education, healthcare, agricultural, and church-planting programs in Bensonville, Liberia, funded by donations, student sponsorships, and volunteer-led medical mission trips.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and Community Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAGAD

Education & Teaching Volunteer Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

SECONDARYBPAGAJAF

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAIAGAO

Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

Keywords

• Christian education services
• Humanitarian aid programs
• Medical mission trips
• Charitable nonprofit services
• Community development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapid City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Donations: One-time gifts via PayPal, credit card, or check designated to general school donations, Hope Health project, or church building project. All donations are fully tax-deductible as charitable gifts through the 501(c)(3) status.
2. Student Sponsorship: Monthly recurring donations of $30 per month ($360/year) that cover teacher salaries, school supplies, administrative fees, and educational resources for individual students at Hope International Christian Academy.
3. Medical Mission Trip Fees: Fees of approximately $3,000-$3,200 per person covering airfare from Rapid City, in-country lodging, food, ground transportation, and group travel insurance for short-term medical mission volunteers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bridges of Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs Hope Village on a 35-acre campus in Bensonville, Liberia, providing Christ-centered K-12 education to over 400 students at Hope International Christian Academy, annual medical outreach and surgical services through Hope Health, sustainable agriculture via beekeeping and rubber tree cultivation under Hope Agriculture, and Bible-teaching church planting through Hope Church. Supporters engage through one-time donations, recurring $30/month student sponsorships, $3,000–$3,200 medical mission trip participation, and volunteer/event hosting from the United States.

Product overview

Bridges of Hope operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected community development programs in Liberia. The core offerings include Hope International Christian Academy (HICA), a Nursery-12th grade Christ-centered school; Hope Health, providing medical care through mission trips with plans for a permanent clinic; Hope Agriculture, a sustainable farming initiative with beekeeping and rubber cultivation; and Hope Church, a Bible-teaching church planting program. Additional services include a Student Sponsorship Program for educational support and Medical Mission Trips providing healthcare outreach. These programs work together to achieve the organization's mission of empowering Liberians to live Christ-centered lives through education, healthcare, and spiritual development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hope International Christian Academy (HICA): Nursery-12th grade Christian school dedicated to the mission of Bridges of Hope, providing quality, culturally relevant Christ-centered education to students in rural Liberia, Bensonville.
• Hope Health
• Hope Church
• Hope Agriculture

Products and services

• Hope International Christian Academy (HICA) A Nursery through 12th-grade Christ-centered school located in rural Bensonville, Liberia, serving over 400 children with a curriculum focused on character, leadership, stewardship, service, and joyful worship. Aimed at orphans and vulnerable children in post-civil war Liberia.
• Hope Health

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of graduates pass the West African Examination Council
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Honey Producing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018A local honey producing company partnered with Hope Village in November 2018. The company purchases honey harvested from 15 beehives, and the revenue helps pay for expenses at Hope Village. This partnership supports the agricultural sustainability goals of the organization.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ChildFund International: International child-focused sponsorship nonprofit serving African communities with education, healthcare, and youth development programs funded by US individual donors. Comparable to Bridges of Hope in target demographic (vulnerable African children), sponsorship-funded model, and integrated program verticals.
• Compassion International: Largest faith-based child sponsorship nonprofit, running a ~$38/month per-child sponsorship model that mirrors Bridges of Hope's $30/month Student Sponsorship Program at HICA. Both channel small-dollar recurring donations from US individuals directly to children in developing countries with quarterly donor reporting.
• Mercy Ships: Faith-based nonprofit delivering free surgical and medical care in West Africa via short-term volunteer deployments that US medical professionals pay to join. Bridges of Hope's Hope Health medical mission trips at Phebe Hospital follow a closely analogous recruitment-and-deployment model, with similar trip-fee economics ($3,000-$3,200 per volunteer).
• Africa Inland Mission: Faith-based missionary organization with active church planting, education, and healthcare programs in Liberia and across Africa. Bridges of Hope's Hope Church, HICA school, and Hope Health initiatives map directly to AIM's integrated mission model.

Emerging players

• MAP International: Christian global health organization providing medicines, medical supplies, and short-term medical mission support. Comparable to Bridges of Hope's Hope Health program in mission-trip-driven medical service delivery to underserved African communities.
• Samaritan's Feet International: Faith-based nonprofit running shoe distributions and health outreach in Liberia and other African nations using short-term US volunteer mission trips. Smaller and less program-integrated than Bridges of Hope but comparable faith-based Liberian footprint and volunteer-trip model.

Broad incumbents

• Samaritan's Purse: Large evangelical nonprofit running international relief, medical teams, and education programs globally with significant West Africa presence and a strong medical mission trip recruitment model. Operates at substantially larger scale but shares the faith-based, US-donor-funded, volunteer-mobilization DNA.
• Food for the Hungry: Christian relief and development nonprofit operating child sponsorship, education, agriculture, and health programming across Africa. The integrated development model and child sponsorship fundraising mechanics closely resemble Bridges of Hope's approach.
• SIM (Serving In Mission): Large global Christian missionary organization running hospitals, schools, and church planting programs in Liberia and across Africa. The breadth and longevity of SIM's integrated education/healthcare/church model in West Africa parallels the four-vertical structure Bridges of Hope is building in Bensonville.
• World Vision: Large Christian humanitarian organization combining child sponsorship, education, healthcare, and community development in developing countries including West Africa. Operates at significantly larger scale but shares the faith-based, integrated-program international development model Bridges of Hope is pursuing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bridgesofhopewa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-hh7yRHuj4hr9enZJTO16g/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/BridgesofHopeWestAfrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/bridgesofhopewafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bridges-of-hope-west-africa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

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 Bridges of Hope