Hand in Hand Ministries

What Hand in Hand Ministries does

Hand in Hand Ministries, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in Kentucky (EIN 61-1352889) and founded in 1999 by Wayne Fowler and Father Joe Fowler. The organization addresses the housing, education, and healthcare needs of economically vulnerable families in three countries: the United States (Kentucky, including the Portland neighborhood of Louisville and Auxier in eastern Kentucky), Belize, and Nicaragua. Its core programs are Building for Change (housing construction and repair, with 522+ homes built since 2002, primarily 16'x20' houses in Belize plus roof, floor, bathroom, accessibility, and ramp projects in Appalachia and Louisville), Pathway to Change (a wrap-around education program serving at-risk students in Nicaragua and Belize, which grew from 3 students in 2004 to 76 enrolled in 2023 with 62+ cumulative graduates), Health Care (HIV/AIDS outreach in Belize, food support, nutritional assistance, and accessibility ramps), and Immersion Trips that channel volunteer labor and trip fees into the three core programs across four to five service venues.

The organization's business model is a hybrid of charitable contributions and fee-for-service participation. Revenue comes from individual donations routed through Pushpay (one-time, recurring, and trip payments), the Monthly Investors Club, the Legacy Society ($1,000+/year pledges founded 2004), the newer Forever Legacy planned giving program (founded 2022), corporate and foundation grants (notably Heritage Bank and Belize Bank as long-tenured Building for Change partners, plus Kroger Community Rewards), and immersion trip participation fees collected privately through Pushpay portals. Government filings (Form 990) and audited financials for 2023 are linked but not disclosed in the source data. Marketing and donor acquisition are event-driven, relying on immersion trips, the annual Legacy Breakfast, school and church referrals, email newsletters, and an active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

The underlying technology is a standard nonprofit stack: a WordPress-class website at myhandinhand.org, Pushpay for donation and trip-payment processing, and mainstream social channels. There are no proprietary software products, APIs, mobile apps, AI/ML systems, or patents disclosed. Operations are delivered through four physical offices (Louisville HQ, Auxier regional, Belize City operations support, and a Nicaragua operations center serving Managua and León). The leadership team is founder-anchored with a planned 2025 transition from Executive Director Marla Cautilli to incoming Executive Director Luke Chase; on-the-ground program leadership is provided by country-level directors such as Belize Director Abel Vargas and Building for Change Director Rashida Bethran.

Name

Hand in Hand Ministries

Legal name

Hand in Hand Ministries, Inc.

Website

https://myhandinhand.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hand in Hand Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers safe housing, education, and healthcare programs to economically vulnerable families in Kentucky, Belize, and Nicaragua, funded by donations, corporate grants, and fees from volunteer immersion trips.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian and Charitable Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Affordable housing construction
• Humanitarian education programs
• Community health services
• International mission trips
• Nonprofit charitable services

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that relies primarily on donations from individuals, monthly investors, Legacy Society members (pledging $1,000+ annually), and planned giving through the Forever Legacy program. Donations support housing construction, education programs, and healthcare initiatives.
2. Immersion Trip Fees: Participants pay fees to join immersion trips to Belize, Appalachia, Louisville, and Nicaragua, which cover trip expenses and contribute to program costs. The website features a 'Make Trip Payment' portal through Pushpay.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Partnerships with corporate sponsors like Heritage Bank and Belize Bank fund specific programs such as the Building for Change home construction. Kroger Community Rewards program provides additional corporate giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hand in Hand Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides safe housing construction through the Building for Change program, quality education via the Pathway to Change program, healthcare services, and cross-cultural immersion trips for supporters. The organization operates field programs in Louisville/Kentucky (Appalachia), Belize, and Nicaragua, partnering with economically vulnerable communities to deliver integrated humanitarian support.

Product overview

Hand in Hand Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings people together to instill hope by meeting the housing, education, and healthcare needs of economically vulnerable populations. The organization operates several integrated programs: Immersion Trips to Appalachia, Belize, Louisville, and Nicaragua that allow volunteers to serve alongside communities; the Building for Change housing construction program that has built over 522 homes; the Pathway to Change education program supporting students in Nicaragua and Belize with wrap-around services; and Health Care programs including HIV/AIDS support and wheelchair ramp construction. The organization also facilitates giving through Monthly Investors Club, Legacy Society, and Forever Legacy planned giving programs. All programs are volunteer and donor-supported, with no software product or API offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Building for Change Program: Housing program that builds homes for families in Belize and Nicaragua, with homes also built through home repair programs in Appalachia and Louisville.
• Pathway to Change
• Immersion Trips
• Legacy Society
• Forever Legacy

Products and services

• Building for Change Program
• Pathway to Change Program
• Health Care Programs
• Immersion Trips
• Monthly Investors Club
• Legacy Society
• Forever Legacy

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ homes built through Building for Change program since 2002
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Saint Xavier University (Chicago)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2024University group participated in immersion trip to Belize, May 5-11, 2024. Built home for local family as part of group service project.
• Belize BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor and partner for 13+ years. Belize Bank staff volunteer their time and resources to build homes through the Building for Change program. Have built approximately 14 homes together. Chairman Filippo Alario stated commitment to continue partnership for years to come.
• Heritage BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time partner donating homes through the Building for Change program. Donated home #6 of 12 total homes as part of 20th Anniversary commemoration. Provides both funding and volunteer labor for home construction.
• Rutgers-Newark (Office of Student Life and Leadership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner hosting alternative winter break service trips to Louisville/Portland neighborhood. Students worked on demolition, reconstruction, and community/youth outreach projects.
• Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic school partner that brings students on annual immersion trips to Belize. Students build homes alongside local families and participate in cultural activities.
• Trinity High School (Louisville)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic high school whose students assist with service projects through House service activities. Built safety and accessibility ramps in West Louisville.
• Western Kentucky UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for multicultural retreat. WKU students did community service including cleaning community garden and landscaping in Portland neighborhood.
• Catholic Charities of LouisvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization where Rutgers students practiced English with immigrants, and distributed food assistance through Sister Visitor Center.
• Delta FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal mentorship organization where Rutgers students volunteered at after-school program connecting with at-risk youth athletes.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Rewards program allows shoppers to support Hand in Hand by linking their loyalty card to the charity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian organization addressing poverty through integrated programs in housing, education, and health. Comparable service model and international Central American footprint, though operating at much greater scale.
• World Vision: Large Christian humanitarian organization operating child sponsorship, education, and health programs across the developing world. Comparable donor base, faith-based positioning, and integrated housing/education/health model, though at much larger scale.
• Catholic Relief Services: Official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community, operating programs across Central America in housing, education, and health. Comparable mission and geographic footprint, with substantially larger institutional funding.

Direct peers

• Samaritan's Purse: Evangelical Christian relief organization running international housing, education, and medical programs with strong volunteer engagement — parallels Hand in Hand's faith-based international development model.
• Compassion International: Faith-based child sponsorship organization operating in Central America (including Nicaragua) with education and wrap-around services comparable to Hand in Hand's Pathway to Change program.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit focused on building affordable housing for low-income families, with volunteer-driven construction trips abroad. Directly comparable to Hand in Hand's Building for Change home-building model and immersion trip revenue channel.

Regional players

• Matthew 25: Ministries: Cincinnati-based faith-based humanitarian organization providing disaster relief, food, and housing aid domestically and internationally. Comparable Kentucky-region roots, faith-based model, and donor fundraising architecture.

Emerging players

• Outreach International: Faith-rooted international community development organization with long-term partnerships in Central America. Comparable small-staff, multi-country model with emphasis on community-driven development rather than direct service delivery.
• Homes For Our Troops: Nonprofit building specially adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans. Comparable home-construction model, volunteer-driven build trips, and donor base (a former Hand in Hand volunteer now works there).
• Cross International: Catholic ministry providing housing, education, and emergency aid in developing countries including Central America. Comparable faith-based positioning and integrated program model, with similarly modest scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/handinhandministries
• Facebookfacebook.com/myhandinhand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hand-in-hand-ministries
• Instagraminstagram.com/handinhandphoto
• Xx.com/ukhandinhand

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Hand in Hand Ministries