Leadership Education at Duke Divinity

What Leadership Education at Duke Divinity does

Leadership Education at Duke Divinity is a non-profit program operating under Duke Divinity School and Duke University, founded in 2008 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. The organization runs the Forum for Congregational Life, a coordination and resource hub serving Christian congregations, pastors, and church leaders across the United States. Its core function is to coordinate three grant programs funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. — Thriving in Ministry, Thriving Congregations, and Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns — by forming learning communities of grantees, hosting conferences and workshops, and sharing resources across the network.

The organization distributes a content portfolio anchored by The Congregations Project storytelling initiative and three publications (Faith & Leadership, Alban Weekly, and Practicing Our Faith), supplemented by an email newsletter, social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), and direct website distribution. Two direct grant programs — Reflective Leadership Grants for individual/team leaders and Capacity Building Grants for Christian institutions — are currently closed to new applications. No proprietary technology stack or platform architecture is disclosed; the operational surface consists of standard website CMS, e-newsletter infrastructure via app.e2ma.net, and Airtable-based forms for grant submissions.

The business model is grant-funded and mission-oriented rather than revenue-generating. The organization does not charge for its programs or services, does not disclose pricing, and operates under the institutional umbrella of Duke University with primary funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. Funding concentration on a single foundation partner is the defining revenue mechanic, with no disclosed alternative revenue streams, pricing models, or third-party funding sources identified in the input data.

Name

Leadership Education at Duke Divinity

Legal name

Duke University

Website

https://leadership.divinity.duke.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leadership Education at Duke Divinity operates the Forum for Congregational Life, a non-profit program under Duke Divinity School that coordinates Lilly Endowment Inc. grants, publishes faith-leadership content, and convenes learning communities for U.S. Christian congregations and pastors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Leadership Development

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations (BPAGAJAK)

Keywords

• Theological education services
• Congregational leadership programs
• Ministry coordination programs
• Faith-based publications
• Leadership development grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Primarily funded through Lilly Endowment Inc. grants, the Forum hosts coordination programs for grantees including Thriving in Ministry, Thriving Congregations, and Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Forum for Congregational Life operates as a coordination and resource hub within Duke Divinity School, hosting Lilly Endowment-funded coordination programs (Thriving in Ministry, Thriving Congregations, Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns) that build learning communities among grantees. It also runs grant programs (Reflective Leadership Grants, Capacity Building Grants), publishes Faith & Leadership, Alban Weekly, and Practicing Our Faith, and operates The Congregations Project storytelling platform that amplifies stories of faith, resilience, and innovation in congregational life.

Product overview

The Forum for Congregational Life at Duke Divinity functions as a coordination and resource hub for congregational leadership, operating a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core initiative is The Congregations Project, a storytelling platform that collects and amplifies stories of faith and innovation. This connects to three publications—Faith & Leadership, Alban Weekly, and Practicing Our Faith—which share research and insights with Christian leaders. Three coordination programs (Thriving in Ministry, Thriving Congregations, and Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns) serve as learning community networks for Lilly Endowment grantees. Two grant programs (Reflective Leadership Grants and Capacity Building Grants) provide funding support to organizational leaders and teams. The overall structure is a resource-and-coordination platform rather than a single product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Congregations Project: A project that finds and amplifies true stories of faith, resilience and innovation in congregational life to inspire others.
• Thriving in Ministry
• Thriving Congregations
• Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns

Products and services

• The Congregations Project

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Duke Divinity SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution providing academic affiliation, brand credibility, and institutional infrastructure. Duke Divinity School hosts the Forum for Congregational Life under Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent university providing institutional affiliation and brand recognition. Logo appears on Forum website confirming institutional relationship.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/congregationsproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadership-education-at-duke-divinity
• Instagraminstagram.com/congregationsproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leadership Education at Duke Divinity