Christine Center

What Christine Center does

The Christine Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit spiritual retreat center (FEIN #39-1679243) founded October 11, 1980 by Sister Virginia Barta, OSF, and operated continuously for 45+ years on a 251-acre woodland sanctuary in Willard, Wisconsin (W8303 Mann Road). Rooted in Franciscan principles—contemplation, hospitality, compassion, simplicity, transformation, and care for the Earth Community—the center welcomes people of all faiths, spiritual paths, and nationalities. Sister Johanna Seubert, FSPA, has served as Resident Partner in Mission since 1986 and is recognized as the "second foundress." The center is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) and is governed by an independent Board of Directors under Executive Director Jonathan Elmergreen.

The center offers a diversified portfolio of lodging products (6 modern hermitages, 9 rustic hermitages, 3 multi-bedroom cabins, 7 main-building guest rooms, and seasonal camping), a vegetarian meal service ($55/day package or $17-$20 individual meals), group and personal retreat programs, extended sabbaticals (3+ weeks at $289-$640/week), one-on-one spiritual guidance sessions ($75/hour sliding scale), an art studio (St. Hildegard Soul-Studio), meeting space rentals, and an on-site bookstore (Spirit Jewel). Twice-daily weekday meditations (8:45am and 5:00pm CT) are offered in person and via Zoom. Programs are delivered directly by the center and through partnered (50/50 revenue split) and hosted agreements with external facilitators, including recurring Diamond Approach and Mindfulness Community of Milwaukee retreats. A new Pilgrimage to Assisi (October 2026) extends offerings internationally.

The business model combines earned revenue (lodging, meals, program fees, spiritual guidance, meeting space, art-studio rentals, sabbaticals, pilgrimages) with philanthropic revenue (one-time gifts, recurring monthly donations, IRA QCDs, stock gifts, planned giving, and the $5,000+ Founder's Circle). The center explicitly acknowledges that program revenue alone is insufficient to cover operating expenses, requiring ongoing donor support. Operations are lean (15 paid employees) and supplemented by volunteers who receive lodging and meals in exchange for service. Distribution is primarily direct (phone, email, online registration) with word-of-mouth, an e-newsletter, and partner facilitator networks as the principal demand-generation channels.

Name

Christine Center

Legal name

The Christine Center Inc.

Website

https://christinecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Christine Center is a 45-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit spiritual retreat center on a 251-acre sanctuary in Willard, Wisconsin, offering lodging, meals, guided programs, sabbaticals, spiritual guidance, and pilgrimages to interfaith seekers, sustained by a mix of program fees and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spiritual Retreat Services

NAICS

All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Spiritual retreat services
• Meditation programs
• Interfaith retreat center
• Contemplative lodging
• Spiritual guidance sessions

Headquarters

HQ city

Willard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Lodging and Retreat Fees: Revenue from renting hermitages, guest rooms, rustic cabins, and campsites. Fees vary by accommodation type (modern hermitage, cabin bedroom, rustic hermitage, guest room) and day of week (weekend vs. weekday). Includes weekend and weekday pricing with private and shared occupancy rates.
2. Meal Service: All-inclusive meal package at $55/day, or individual meals at $18 breakfast, $20 lunch, and $17 supper. Buffet-style vegetarian meals included in retreat packages.
3. Program Registration Fees: Revenue from structured group retreat programs facilitated by internal staff or external program leaders. Registration is managed either through partnered agreements (50/50 fee split) or hosted agreements (group pays for space/meals/lodging).
4. Art Studio Rental and Materials: St. Hildegard Soul-Studio rental fees ranging from $20-$40 for personal use, group studio rental at $200-$300/day, and personal ritual making at $20-$40. Art box rentals also available.
5. Spiritual Guidance Sessions: One-on-one spiritual guidance sessions with companions including Sister Johanna Seubert and CaSandra May, priced at $75/hour on a sliding scale. Available in-person at the center or via phone/Zoom.
6. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Major donations via check, credit card, recurring monthly gifts, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), gifts of stock, in-kind contributions, and employee matching gift programs. Founder's Circle recognizes donors contributing $5,000+ cumulatively. Planned giving (bequests, beneficiary designations) is also a revenue stream.
7. Sabbatical Rentals: Extended stays of 3+ weeks in hermitages or guest rooms at weekly rates ($640/week modern hermitage, $509/week guest-cabin room, $289/week rustic hermitage). Includes optional meal plan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Christine Center is a nonprofit interfaith spiritual retreat center operating on a 251-acre woodland sanctuary in Willard, Wisconsin. It rents diverse lodging (modern hermitages, multi-bedroom cabins, rustic cabins, guest rooms, and campsites), provides buffet-style vegetarian meals, and delivers structured programs including twice-daily group meditations, personal retreats, guided group retreats, sabbaticals (3+ weeks), spiritual guidance sessions, and pilgrimage experiences for individual spiritual seekers.

Product overview

The Christine Center is a spiritual retreat center offering a comprehensive suite of lodging, program, and wellness services designed to support spiritual deepening and personal transformation. The center operates a campus with diverse accommodations including six modern hermitages (Ahimsa, Gabriel, Guadalupe, Peace, Raphael, Uriel), three multi-bedroom cabin options (Basil, Rumi, Mary's Villa), seven Main Building guest rooms, nine rustic hermitages, and camping facilities. Meal services provide vegetarian cuisine with dietary accommodations. Core programs include personal retreats, sabbaticals (3+ weeks), guided retreats, twice-daily meditation sessions, spiritual guidance, and pilgrimage programs. The St. Hildegard Soul-Studio offers creative arts facilities, while the Bela Maroti Library provides spiritual reading resources. The center also offers venue hosting services for external facilitators and group programs, with partnered and hosted agreement options. Additional services include scholarships, volunteer programs, and various donation/planned giving options. Located on 251 acres in Willard, Wisconsin, the center serves seekers from all faiths and spiritual paths, welcoming over 45 years of operation since 1980.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Retreats
• Personal Retreats
• Sabbatical Programs
• Spiritual Guidance Sessions
• Daily Meditation Sessions
• Pilgrimage Programs
• Scholarship Program
• Lodging — Hermitages, Guest Rooms, Cabins, and Camping
• Meal Service
• St. Hildegard Soul-Studio for Creative Arts and Ritual
• Partnered Program Hosting
• Hosted Group Services
• Meeting Space Rental
• Volunteer Program
• Donation and Planned Giving
• Founder's Circle Membership
• Spirit Jewel Bookstore and Gifts

Quantifiable outcome

• Twice-daily weekday meditations (8:45am and 5:00pm) are offered free of charge as a gift to the community, building ongoing engagement and demonstrating the center's commitment to accessible spiritual practice.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mindfulness Community of MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mindfulness Community of Milwaukee, founded in 1998, is a core recurring program partner that brings annual mindfulness retreats to the Christine Center, including the Four Foundations of Mindfulness retreat and the Earth Holder Sangha. The community's president, Paul Norton, also serves on the Christine Center Board of Directors. Dr. Paul Norton teaches mindfulness at the center and facilitates the Death Café monthly program.
• Diamond Approach — Midwest Groups (UMW 1, 2, 3, 4)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diamond Approach (Ridhwan School) has been present at the Christine Center since 1996 when Sr. Johanna first introduced it. Multiple ongoing Diamond Approach groups (UMW Groups 1-4) hold regular retreats at the center, with Groups 1-3 meeting continuously since their founding. The center is described as the venue and spiritual home for these groups' practice. Teachers include Jim Lockridge, Kathleen Graham, and Kara Vangen.
• Metta TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetta Trust is a community of privately owned lands and dwellings adjacent to the Christine Center. Board member Henry Eisenhauer is a member of Metta Trust and has built a geodesic dome home on his land within the community. The proximity and shared spiritual values create a natural alliance, though the relationship appears informal and neighborly rather than formal.
• Holy Family ParishminorOthersFr. Emmanuel Famiyeh of Holy Family Parish celebrates Mass monthly in the Mary of the Angels Chapel at the Christine Center. This provides a Catholic liturgical dimension to the center's interfaith offerings.
• Viterbo UniversityminorOthersSeveral board members and program facilitators are affiliated with Viterbo University, including Debra Murray (former professor and FSPA Affiliate), Emily Dykman (Professor of Religious Studies and Theology), and Valerie Haberman (M.A. in Servant Leadership from Viterbo). These connections create informal academic and Franciscan community ties.
• FSPA (Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSPA is the sponsoring religious community behind the center's founding and ongoing mission. Multiple FSPA Sisters have served at the center over the years (Sr. Johanna Seubert, Sr. Margaret Wagner, Sr. Cecilia Corcoran). The FSPA affiliate program allows laypeople affiliated with the order to participate in center governance. Several board members are FSPA Affiliates.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christine-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Christine Center