Franciscan Missionary Union

What Franciscan Missionary Union does

The Franciscan Missionary Union is a Catholic non-profit organization headquartered in New York City, affiliated with Holy Name Province and operating for nearly 90 years (founded circa 1925-1935) to support Franciscan missionaries in locations including China, Bolivia, Peru, Jamaica, Kenya, South Africa, Cuba, and Turkey, as well as domestic mission sites such as rural Georgia parishes. The organization is led by Executive Director Fr. David Convertino, O.F.M., supported by a five-person staff, and operates under a religious non-profit corporate structure without external equity involvement.

Its core offerings comprise short-term mission trips (to destinations including South Africa, Cuba, Washington DC, and Turkey), grant programs that fund Holy Name Province missionaries, and the Sister Parish initiative that pairs U.S. parishes with developing-world parishes. Supporting programs include an online donation portal (give.fmunion.org), planned giving and legacy gift services, mass card orders via The Franciscan Store, and the "My Mission Experience" testimonial platform. The technology stack is minimal: a WordPress site (Outreach Pro theme, Genesis Framework) with standard donation processing; no proprietary software, mobile apps, or AI/ML capabilities are referenced.

The business model is donation-driven: revenue flows from individual charitable contributions, parish partnerships, planned/legacy giving, and mass card sales, channeled through the website, email ([email protected]), and social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). Customer/beneficiary segments are individuals of faith seeking mission experiences, partner parishes in the U.S. and developing world, and Franciscan educational institutions (Alvernia, Bonaventure, Siena, University of St. Francis). The go-to-market approach is community-led, leveraging the Holy Name Province Franciscan network and faith-based referral relationships rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Franciscan Missionary Union

Legal name

Franciscan Missionary Union

Website

https://fmunion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Franciscan Missionary Union is a New York-based Catholic non-profit, affiliated with Holy Name Province, that funds Franciscan missionaries abroad and runs short-term mission trips, a Sister Parish program linking U.S. and developing-world parishes, and donation and planned-giving services for individual Catholic donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Nonprofit Missionary Support

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAE

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International)

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

SECONDARYBPAGAJAG

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling)

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

SECONDARYBPAGAKAE

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Religious nonprofit services
• Missionary support programs
• Faith-based donations
• Parish partnerships
• Franciscan missions

Headquarters

HQ city

New York City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Franciscan Missionary Union relies on donations from individuals and parishes who wish to support Franciscan missionary work globally. The organization operates a donation portal on give.fmunion.org and encourages supporters to become active partners in their mission work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Franciscan Missionary Union is a nonprofit organization that provides financial grants and programmatic support to Holy Name Province Franciscan missionaries. It offers short-term mission trips, the Sister Parish initiative connecting U.S. and developing-world parishes, and donation and planned-giving services that enable individuals and parishes to fund and participate in Franciscan missionary work.

Product overview

Franciscan Missionary Union is a non-profit missionary organization that provides a portfolio of interconnected programs enabling people of faith to live out their call to mission. The core offerings include grant programs supporting Franciscan Missionaries abroad, short-term mission trips to destinations including South Africa, Cuba, Washington DC, and Turkey, and the Sister Parish initiative connecting parishes across developing and developed nations. Supporting services include donation processing, mass card ordering through The Franciscan Store, and planned giving options. The organization operates under Holy Name Province and has been serving for nearly 90 years, supporting mission work in locations such as China, Bolivia, Peru, Jamaica, Kenya, and rural Georgia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mission Trips Short-term mission trip programs offering individuals opportunities to experience life in solidarity with communities in South Africa, Cuba, Washington DC, and Turkey, including religious educational trips focused on Islam and early Christianity.
• Grant Programs
• Sister Parish Initiative
• Donation Support
• Mass Card Orders
• Planned Giving

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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FriarWorksminorOthersPartner link referenced on Franciscan Missionary Union website. FriarWorks is likely related to Holy Name Province initiatives supporting Franciscan friars.
• Holy Name ProvincecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Name Province is an evangelical and missionary fraternity of Franciscan Friars ministering in the Eastern United States and abroad. The Franciscan Missionary Union provides support to missionaries of Holy Name Province and operates within their broader mission framework.
• Alvernia University Mission and MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Office of Mission & Ministry at Alvernia University provides opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage in community of faith, service, and peace and social justice. Rooted in Franciscan spirituality and Catholic tradition, they sponsor activities across five pillars: Catholic Ministry, Ecumenical & Interfaith Ministry, Peace & Social Justice, Alternative Breaks, and Spiritual Life.
• Bonaventure University Franciscan Center for Social ConcernscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe center aids community members in need or suffering from injustice, joins regional efforts addressing social and environmental concerns, fosters consciousness focused on human and spiritual needs, and works toward structural changes for a more just society.
• Holy Name Province Vocation OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssists men discerning God's calling to consecrated religious life as a Franciscan Friar with Holy Name Province. The vocation office fosters Christian discipleship by collaborating with those served and standing in solidarity with the alienated, immigrant, and poor.
• Siena College Franciscan Center for Service and AdvocacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPromotes and upholds the Franciscan mission of Siena College by engaging students and community in various service and advocacy programs, particularly among the poor and marginalized. Offers extensive volunteer and advocacy opportunities with various agencies in the Capital Region.
• St. Mary's ParishminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA unique Christian community rooted in Catholic and Franciscan traditions where religious and laity strive to be equal partners in ministry. They seek to live and proclaim the gospel through outreach, evangelization, and joy-filled worship.
• St. Peter Claver Catholic ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA multicultural parish graced with God's presence where everyone is important and valued. They seek to nourish faith through God's Word and the Eucharist, serving as credible witnesses and companions on the faith journey.
• University of St. Francis Office for Service and Social ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2010 to meet community needs of the most vulnerable. Addresses issues including hunger, homelessness, poverty, and illiteracy through service opportunities, reciprocal community partnerships, and faculty training for service learning.
• The Franciscan StoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Franciscan Store handles Mass Card Orders for the Franciscan Missionary Union, providing a retail channel for religious merchandise and cards.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Maryknoll Mission Society: Maryknoll is a Catholic missionary society that sends U.S. missionaries abroad, runs short-term mission trips, parish twinning programs, and is funded by donations and planned giving — directly comparable to Franciscan Missionary Union's core model.
• Salesian Missions: Salesian Missions funds Don Bosco missionaries working with poor youth globally and runs donor-supported mission programs — same religious-order-mission structure as Franciscan Missionary Union.
• The Society for the Propagation of the Faith: One of the Pontifical Mission Societies, this organization mobilizes Catholic donations to support missionaries worldwide, paralleling Franciscan Missionary Union's grant and donor stewardship role within its own Franciscan province.
• Comboni Missionaries USA: A Catholic missionary congregation with U.S. fundraising arm supporting missionaries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; comparable in mission-trip, donor support, and grant-making activities.
• Missionhurst Mission Society: A Catholic mission society sending missionaries from the U.S. abroad and supported by lay donations, mission appeals, and planned giving — closely mirrors the Franciscan Missionary Union model.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): CRS is the U.S. Catholic Church's official overseas relief and development agency, operating on donations from Catholic parishioners for global mission work; vastly larger but operates in the same donation-funded Catholic mission ecosystem.
• Catholic Extension Society: Catholic Extension supports missionary dioceses and parishes in underserved U.S. regions through donor-funded grants — operates in the same parish-grantmaking niche as Franciscan Missionary Union, though with a domestic focus.

Emerging players

• Jesuit Volunteer Corps: Catholic lay volunteer program sending individuals on domestic and international service missions; comparable to Franciscan Missionary Union's short-term mission trip experience, though with full-time volunteers rather than short-term trips.
• FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students): A Catholic missionary organization engaging college students in faith and service; comparable via its educational-institution partnerships and short-term mission programming, though focused on evangelization rather than international development.

Others

• Holy Name Province (Order of Friars Minor): The parent Franciscan province whose missionaries the Union supports; comparable as a Franciscan Catholic organization in the same Eastern U.S. ecosystem, though organized around friar vocations rather than donor stewardship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Franciscan-Missionary-Union-363876387101737
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franciscan-missionary-union
• Instagraminstagram.com/franciscanmissionaryunion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Franciscan Missionary Union