The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia

What The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia does

The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia is a private, non-profit religious administrative body that constitutes a constituent diocese of The Episcopal Church within the Anglican Communion. Founded in 1919 according to firmographic data, the diocese provides governance, spiritual leadership, financial administration, and clergy support to approximately 50 member congregations spanning 32 counties in Southwestern Virginia and serving more than 9,500 faithful members. The organization is led by Bishop The Rt. Rev. Karin MacPhail and operates central offices at 1002 First Street SW, Roanoke, VA, alongside wholly-owned ministry facilities including Evans House (youth ministry and events) and Grace House on the Mountain (retreat ministry).

The diocese's core activities span sacramental and pastoral services, clergy ordination and deployment, governance (Annual Convention, Standing Committee, Disciplinary Board, Commission on Ministry), and financial stewardship through the Southwestern Virginia Episcopal Fund (SVEF), which administers Global Goals Grants, HEED Grants, Beirne Carter Education Grants for clergy children, Parish Revolving Loans for capital projects, and Clergy Revolving Loans for housing. Mission initiatives include Becoming Beloved Community, Evangelism, and Lifelong Discipleship programs covering children's formation, youth, campus, and adult ministry. The technology footprint is modest: a WordPress-based website (dioswva.org) built by Springthistle Technology, online giving through Wufoo forms, email newsletter ('Monday Noon Notes'), and presence on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Linktr.ee. No mobile app, public API, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The diocese generates revenue primarily through voluntary tithes and offerings from member congregations and individual faithful, with no fee-based services for core spiritual offerings. Pricing is donation-based rather than transactional. Distribution is community-led via the parish network: each of 50 congregations functions as a local point of worship, pastoral care, and community engagement across Southwestern Virginia.

Name

The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia

Legal name

The Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia

Website

https://dioswva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia is a non-profit religious administrative body governing 50 Episcopal congregations across 32 counties in Southwestern Virginia, serving 9,500+ members with spiritual leadership, clergy support, financial grant/loan programs, and diocesan missions under Bishop Karin MacPhail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC), Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Episcopal diocese
• Religious administration
• Parish governance
• Clergy deployment
• Diocesan grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Roanoke

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Individual congregation members contribute tithes and offerings during worship services. These contributions support local parish operations and fund diocesan programs and initiatives.
2. Diocesan Grants and Loans Administration: The diocese administers the Southwestern Virginia Episcopal Fund (SVEF), which provides Global Goals Grants, HEED Grants, Parish Revolving Loans, and Clergy Revolving Loans to member congregations and clergy. This includes processing applications and disbursing funds.
3. Online Giving Platform: The diocese provides an online giving platform (Wufoo form) for members to make donations and contributions electronically.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia is the regional governing body for the Episcopal Church across 32 counties in Southwestern Virginia, supporting 50 member congregations and over 9,500 faithful members. It provides spiritual leadership through its Bishop, administers clergy ordination and deployment, delivers financial support through grant and loan programs, operates ministry facilities, and coordinates mission initiatives such as Becoming beloved Community, Evangelism, and Lifelong Discipleship formation programs.

Product overview

The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia operates a collection of ministry programs and financial assistance offerings rather than a unified tech product. The organization's core digital presence consists of its website (dioswva.org) which provides information about its 501 congregations across 32 Virginia counties serving over 9,500 members. Key programmatic offerings include grant programs (Global Goals Grant, HEED Grant, Beirne Carter Education Grant for Clergy Children) and loan programs (Parish Revolving Loans, Clergy Revolving Loans) administered through the Southwestern Virginia Episcopal Fund (SVEF). The Diocese also operates ministry facilities including Grace House on the Mountain and Evans House, and provides an Online Giving Platform for digital donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Goals Grant A matching grant program supporting international mission projects of churches in Southwestern Virginia. Applications are required to focus on one of the first 8 Global Goals, and funds are administered through SVEF.
• HEED Grant Grants primarily supporting accessibility projects in Southwestern Virginia's Episcopal churches that assist aging congregants and those with other accessibility needs. Administered through SVEF.
• Beirne Carter Education Grant for Clergy Children Education grants supporting the children and families of canonically resident clergy in Southwestern Virginia, prioritized first for undergraduate students and second for secondary school students. Administered through SVEF.
• Parish Revolving Loans Loans available to Episcopal churches in Southwestern Virginia for capital projects, including parish renovations and other immediately pressing needs. Administered through SVEF.
• Clergy Revolving Loans Loans available to canonically resident clergy in Southwestern Virginia for purchasing their own home, particularly helpful for clergy new to the Diocese. Administered through SVEF.
• Online Giving Platform Digital platform enabling faithful members and parishes to make donations and contributions electronically to the diocese, facilitated through Wufoo forms.
• Grace House on the Mountain A mountain retreat ministry facility operated by the Diocese, hosting workgroups and service projects from parishes across the diocese.
• Evans House A diocesan facility used for youth ministry, clergy events, and other diocesan programs, located at the Diocesan Office in Roanoke.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Episcopal ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diocese of Southwestern Virginia is part of The Episcopal Church, a 6.5-million member province of the Anglican Communion. The diocese participates in General Convention (the governing body meeting every 3 years) and Provincial Synod (Province III).
• American Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndividual congregations partner with the American Red Cross to host blood drives, such as St. Stephen's Episcopal Church hosting drives at its Parish Hall.
• Grace House on the MountainminorOthersA diocesan affiliated institution providing ministry services, with workgroups from other churches visiting for service projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Diocese of Lexington (Episcopal): A smaller Episcopal diocese operating with a similar rural/Appalachian footprint and similar scale of parishes, clergy, and programming. Closely matched in size and demographics to the Southwestern Virginia diocese.
• Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta: Another Episcopal diocese within Province IV of The Episcopal Church, operating with the same canonical structure, governance (bishop, standing committee, diocesan convention), and programmatic mix of parishes, grants, and mission facilities. Directly comparable on operating model.
• Episcopal Diocese of Washington: An Episcopal diocese with a similar structure of multi-county parish oversight, episcopal governance, and grant/financial administration programs. Comparable as a same-denomination peer with analogous mission and operating model.
• Episcopal Diocese of Virginia: The most direct peer — another Episcopal diocese operating in the same state and The Episcopal Church structure, overseeing multiple congregations, clergy deployment, and grants/loans through analogous canonical governance. Highly comparable on structure, funding model, and programmatic offerings.

Broad incumbents

• The Episcopal Church (Denomination): The 6.5-million-member parent denomination to which this diocese canonically belongs. Not a direct competitor, but the parent body whose canonical, theological, and financial structure defines how this diocese operates.

Regional players

• Virginia Synod (ELCA): The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America regional body covering Virginia, with analogous synod governance, parish support, and clergy deployment functions. Comparable as another mainline Protestant governing body operating in the same regional market.
• Catholic Diocese of Richmond: The Roman Catholic diocese covering much of the same Virginia geography, with parallel governance structures (bishop, parish network, schools/charities) operating in a similar religious-nonprofit space. Comparable as an ecumenical counterpart serving overlapping regional populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7J4vVJfSH3iJr9TqhJ6X0w
• Facebookfacebook.com/DIOSWVA
• Instagraminstagram.com/diocese_swva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/episcopal-diocese-of-southwestern-virginia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia