Diocese of California

What Diocese of California does

The Diocese of California (DioCal) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit diocese of The Episcopal Church (a province of the Anglican Communion) headquartered at 1055 Taylor Street, San Francisco, serving the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The diocese encompasses approximately 18,000 baptized members organized across 70+ congregations in six deaneries covering San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, and portions of Santa Clara counties. Its service portfolio includes parish worship and formation, three university chaplaincies (UC Berkeley, Stanford, San Francisco State), three owned camp and retreat facilities (The Bishop's Ranch in Healdsburg, St. Columba's Inverness, St. Dorothy's Rest in Camp Meeker), the School for Deacons, the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and affiliated social services through Episcopal Community Services (serving 13,000+ homeless and impoverished neighbors annually), the Episcopal Impact Fund (trust-based philanthropy for housing and poverty), and chaplaincy services at SF General Hospital. The diocese also operates specialized ministries including the Braid Mission (foster care youth), Bayview Mission, and Good Samaritan Family Resource Center for immigrants.

The diocese's core technology stack is modest and operational rather than differentiated: a WordPress-based website (diocal.org) with Spanish-language version, video streaming for worship/Bible studies (adopted during COVID-19), and active social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo) used for community engagement. Communication is anchored by three email newsletters (weekly DioCal News & Events, bi-weekly Clergy Connect, bi-weekly Church Administrators' Newsletter). There is no evidence of proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, or distinctive technology platforms. The asset map (interactive directory of congregations) is a basic directory service.

Revenue mechanics are entirely non-commercial: the diocese is funded through traditional church tithes and offerings from 18,000 members, formula-based annual diocesan assessments from parishes, periodic capital campaigns (every 7-10 years), planned giving and legacy donations/bequests, retreat center accommodation fees, and philanthropic grants routed through the Episcopal Impact Fund. Most diocesan services and resources are provided free of charge to congregations and members; only camp/retreat programs and certain events (e.g., the Wake the Dead music concert at $25-$30 per ticket) carry explicit fees. The diocese is governed hierarchically by the Bishop, Executive Council, Standing Committee, and annual Diocesan Convention, with Austin Keith Rios serving as the Ninth Bishop of California since August 11, 2024. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Diocese of California

Legal name

The Episcopal Diocese of California

Website

https://diocal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1789

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Diocese of California is a 501(c)(3) Episcopal diocese serving approximately 18,000 baptized members across 70+ congregations in six Bay Area counties, operating parish worship, university chaplaincies, three camp/retreat centers, and affiliated social services including Episcopal Community Services and the Episcopal Impact Fund, funded by tithes, diocesan assessments, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH), Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG), Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Worship ministries
• Community outreach
• Chaplaincy services
• Faith formation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional church giving through voluntary donations from congregation members during worship services. Members contribute time, talent, and treasure to enable ministry.
2. Diocesan Assessment: Congregations pay annual assessments to support diocesan operations, budgeted through a formula based on parish costs. Detailed in budget planning packets.
3. Capital Campaigns: Periodic capital campaigns (recommended every 7-10 years) for building improvements, endowments, and visionary programs.
4. Planned Giving and Legacy Donations: Legacy giving through bequests and estate planning, including membership in legacy societies. Integrated into Christian stewardship practices.
5. Camp and Retreat Center Fees: The Bishop's Ranch (up to 100 overnight guests, 150 for meetings), St. Columba's Inverness (up to 32 guests), and St. Dorothy's Rest generate revenue through accommodation and event fees.
6. Episcopal Impact Fund Philanthropy: Trust-based philanthropy organization delivering grants for housing and poverty programs, supported by donors and the diocesan budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Diocese of California provides Episcopal religious services, pastoral care, faith formation, and community outreach to approximately 18,000 baptized members across 70+ congregations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its offerings include worship services, sacramental ministry, university chaplaincies, camp and retreat programs, chaplaincy services at SF General Hospital, social services through Episcopal Community Services, and philanthropic grantmaking via the Episcopal Impact Fund.

Product overview

The Diocese of California is a religious organization within the Episcopal Church serving the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The diocese does not offer a commercial product in the traditional sense; rather, it provides a portfolio of ministry services including approximately 72 congregations organized into six deaneries, Episcopal chaplaincies at three Bay Area universities, three camp and retreat centers, various community outreach programs, and communication newsletters for clergy and laity. The Episcopal Impact Fund delivers philanthropic services, and the diocese operates governance structures including an annual Diocesan Convention and Strategic Vision implementation process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Camp and Retreat Centers Three owned retreat and conference facilities that provide overnight accommodations, meeting spaces, meals, and summer camp programs for spiritual retreats, group events, and educational gatherings across the Bay Area and beyond.
• University Chaplaincies Episcopal campus ministry programs at three Bay Area universities providing spiritual home, progressive Christian community, and pastoral support for students, faculty, and staff.
• Episcopal Impact Fund Diocesan-affiliated philanthropic organization that delivers trust-based grantmaking, advocacy, and faith-based affordable housing development to expand access to dignified housing and break the cycle of poverty in the Bay Area.
• Sojourn Chaplaincy Healthcare chaplaincy program at San Francisco General Hospital providing spiritual and emotional support to patients, loved ones, and hospital staff.
• Episcopal Community Services Social services nonprofit affiliated with the diocese that provides supportive housing, shelter, and meal programs to people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty in San Francisco.
• School for Deacons Theological education program providing formation and training for Episcopal deacons, equipping them to bridge the Church and the world through service and pastoral ministry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ individuals served annually across Bay Area
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Episcopal Impact FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiocesan-affiliated organization delivering trust-based philanthropy to expand access to dignified housing and break cycles of poverty. Works through grantmaking, advocacy, volunteer initiatives, and faith-based affordable housing development. Executive Director Canon Christina Alvarez leads the organization.
• Church Divinity School of the PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheological education institution located in Berkeley at 2451 Ridge Road. Joint location with School for Deacons. Prepares leaders for Episcopal ministry.
• School for DeaconscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffordable, innovative program for education and formation of deacons who bring the needs, hopes, and concerns of the world to the Church. Located at 2451 Ridge Road #114, Berkeley.
• Episcopal Community ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of San Francisco's most impactful providers of services for people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty, serving 13,000+ neighbors annually with supportive housing, shelter, and meal programs.
• Cal Episcopal (UC Berkeley Chaplaincy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpiscopal campus ministry at UC Berkeley offering spiritual home to students in the Episcopal and Anglican tradition. Center for critical inquiry between academic and spiritual life.
• Stanford Canterbury FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry supported by the diocese and dedicated to Episcopal campus ministry at Stanford University. Funds chaplain to support students, faculty, and staff. Partners with ELCA for Progressive Christians at Stanford.
• EcHouse at San Francisco StateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgressive Christian campus ministry serving SF State community. Reopened Spring 2025 after three-year hiatus. Partners with Presbyterian, Methodist, and UCC Churches. Serves 90+ guests every other Tuesday through food ministry.
• Sojourn Chaplaincy at SF General HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpiritual and emotional support for patients, loved ones, and staff at SF General Hospital since 1982. Practice of 'staying with for a time.'
• The Bishop's RanchcoreOthersOwned retreat and conference center at 5297 Westside Road, Healdsburg. Provides meeting facilities, lodging, meals for non-profit, religious, and educational groups up to 100 overnight guests.
• St. Columba's InvernesscoreOthersOwned retreat house at 12835 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Inverness. Historic Episcopal mission with meditation path, largest Thomas Merton collection on West Coast, outdoor amphitheater. Accommodates up to 32 guests.
• St. Dorothy's RestcoreOthersOwned camp and retreat center at Camp Meeker. Welcomes children, youth, and adults to experience God's creation through summer camps and retreats. Acres of reclaimed redwood forest.
• Society of St. Francis - San Damiano FriaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVowed Franciscan Brothers in the Episcopal Church, part of worldwide Anglican Franciscan community. Living contemplation and active service to vulnerable communities.
• Community of St. FrancisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational community of women belonging to the Anglican Communion seeking to live the Gospel after St. Francis of Assisi.
• Braid MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding community around youth who have been in foster care through mentoring, Cards of Hope, and support for youth, caregivers, and social workers.
• Clausen HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldest multi-programmatic agency providing life-changing services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Alameda County. Founded in the Episcopal Church.
• Good Samaritan Family Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilingual emergency services and continuum of support for immigrants, parents, children, teens, and educators in San Francisco.
• Ohlhoff Recovery ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner60+ years at forefront of addiction treatment in Northern California. Full continuum of care from non-medical detox to short and long-term residential, and intensive outpatient programming.
• Bayview MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelcoming community and safe haven for all generations in Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Diocese of Chicago (Episcopal): Mid-size Episcopal diocese with similar progressive theological profile and urban footprint; a direct peer in structure, programs, and community ministry offerings.
• Presbytery of San Francisco (Presbyterian Church USA): Regional Presbyterian governing body serving the City and County of San Francisco; another mainline Protestant governing structure with progressive theological alignment and direct geographic overlap with DioCal.
• Diocese of Los Angeles (Episcopal): Major U.S. Episcopal diocese operating with a similar convention, deanery, and parish structure across Southern California; the closest direct peer to DioCal in scale, geography, and demographic mix.
• Diocese of New York (Episcopal): Largest Episcopal diocese in the U.S., sharing identical governance structure, denominational identity, and parish-based model as the Diocese of California; directly comparable as a regional Episcopal governing body.
• Diocese of Massachusetts (Episcopal): Historic Episcopal diocese serving a comparable urban-suburban, well-educated population base in New England; operates the same parish-and-deanery governance model as the Diocese of California.

Broad incumbents

• The Episcopal Church (National Church): National parent body of the Diocese of California; provides canonical oversight, governance standards, and program resources—broader in scope but a direct parent/incumbent in the same denominational ecosystem.
• Diocese of Oakland (Catholic): Catholic diocese covering Alameda and Contra Costa counties—an overlapping geography with DioCal's deaneries; comparable as a regional denominational governing body with parishes and social service programs.
• Archdiocese of San Francisco (Catholic): The dominant Catholic governance body serving the same Bay Area counties; broader in scale and resources but comparable as a religious governing body with parishes, schools, and charitable ministries in the same geography.
• Sierra Pacific Synod (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America): ELCA regional governing body covering Northern California and Nevada; comparable as another mainline Protestant synod with congregations, retreat facilities, and social service arms serving the same Bay Area geography.
• California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church: Regional governing body for United Methodists across California and Nevada; operates a parallel denominational structure with congregations, camps, and community ministries that overlap geographically with DioCal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DioceseCalifornia
• Facebookfacebook.com/DioCalifornia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/episcopal-diocese-of-california
• Instagraminstagram.com/diocalifornia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Diocese of California