Msaada Architects

What Msaada Architects does

Msaada Architects is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1980 and headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, that delivers architectural, engineering, and master planning services to ministries, faith-based mission organizations, and NGOs operating primarily in developing countries. The firm maintains offices in Haiti and Kenya, with Ethiopia listed as a planned location, and reports more than 900 completed projects spanning 47 countries over its 45-year history.

The service portfolio covers the full project lifecycle — concept design, schematic design, construction documentation, and master planning — delivered for clients such as churches, schools, orphanages, medical facilities, and community centers in low-resource contexts. Technical work is performed by a small in-house team of licensed architects and engineers supplemented by field consultants, with project delivery adapted to tropical and resource-constrained environments.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: charitable donations from individuals and partner ministries, combined with professional service fees charged to a subset of ministry and nonprofit clients on a project basis. Pricing is largely subsidized or pro bono, consistent with the mission orientation. Leadership comprises Executive Director Andy Ripp, founder Poul Bertelsen, and Chairman W. Jerry Murray, supported by roughly 13 named staff across design, engineering, and field operations functions.

Name

Msaada Architects

Legal name

Msaada Architects

Website

https://msaadaarchitects.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Msaada Architects is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that provides architectural, engineering, and master planning services to ministries, faith-based NGOs, and mission organizations across 47 countries, with offices in the United States, Haiti, and Kenya.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare Facility Construction (Hospitals, Clinics, Labs) (IMAFACAD), Religious & Cultural Building Construction (Places of Worship, Museums, Libraries) (IMAFACAH), Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Nonprofit architectural firm
• Ministry facility design
• Construction administration services
• Master planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Findlay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Msaada operates primarily through donations and charitable contributions from individuals, churches, and organizations. The website encourages one-time and recurring gifts to support initial planning and design services for ministries pursuing capital development projects.
2. Architectural and Engineering Professional Services: Msaada provides comprehensive architectural and engineering services including concept design, construction documents, master planning, design development, and construction administration. Services are offered to ministry partners dedicated to uplifting lives through facility development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Msaada Architects provides full architectural design, master planning, construction documents, and construction administration services to ministries, faith-based organizations, and humanitarian NGOs undertaking facility development projects in developing regions. Services span healthcare, education, worship, housing, and community sectors and include specialty support such as 3D renderings, schematic design, and fundraising packages that help ministry partners secure donor funding. The firm integrates local building practices with emerging technologies to deliver culturally appropriate, sustainable, and cost-effective facilities.

Product overview

Msaada Architects is a non-profit architectural firm that provides architectural and engineering design services to ministry and community development organizations globally. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, the firm operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with offices in Haiti, Kenya, and soon Ethiopia. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including Architectural Design Services, Master Planning, Fundraising Package Development, Construction Documents, and Construction Management. Projects are categorized into specialty service areas: Healthcare Facility Design, K-12 Education Facility Design, Higher Education Facility Design, Housing Design, Worship Facility Design, and Community Facility Design. The firm integrates local building practices with emerging technologies to deliver efficient and cost-effective facilities that are culturally relevant to the communities they serve.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full architectural design and construction administration services tailored to ministry and community development projects worldwide, including concept design, design development, construction documents, and construction administration.
• Master Planning Comprehensive site assessment, master planning, and programming services to help organizations define project requirements and develop realistic schedules and cost estimates.
• Fundraising Package Development 3D renderings, schematic designs, and fundraising packages including video to help organizations inspire donors with a clear project vision.
• Construction Documents Complete construction documentation including architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), civil engineering, and interior design with furniture and equipment coordination.
• Construction Management Construction phase services including contractor pre-qualification, bidding/tendering, construction monitoring, payment application review, and owner's representative services.
• Healthcare Facility Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 900+ projects completed in 47 countries over 45 years of service

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arcot Lutheran ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership spanning 20 years and 12 phases of construction on the Arcot Lutheran Church School Project, comprising 92 schools with 1,000 classrooms serving 40,000 students in Tamil Nadu, India.
• Catholic Relief ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on multiple Haitian reconstruction projects including Hopital St. Francois de Sales rebuild after the 2010 earthquake and Ravine Vasquez Community Redevelopment in Port-au-Prince.
• Friends of ShiraticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Shirati KMT Hospital in Tanzania, including Emergency Department and Maternity Center expansion projects.
• Healing HaiticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Grace Village project providing homes for 44 orphaned children, including school, dormitory, church, dining hall, clinic, and guesthouse.
• Healing Hands for HaiticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Rehabilitation Center and Prosthetics and Orthotics Teaching Workshop, funded by International Committee of the Red Cross Special Fund for the Disabled.
• Samaritan's PursecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Kijabe Medical Centre expansion and Tenwek Hospital projects, supporting healthcare facilities in Kenya.
• World VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry partner organization collaborating on various development projects worldwide.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for Healing Hands for Haiti Rehabilitation Center project through Special Fund for the Disabled.
• Lutheran Partners in Global MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Central African Republic and Arcot Lutheran Church Community College.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Reconciliation Lutheran Church Community Center in South Sudan through Global Missions.
• Good Shepherd Sustainable Learning FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Good Shepherd Academy in Cameroon, a residential school focused on sustainable agricultural practices.
• Extollo InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership developing master plan and multiple buildings at Extollo's Bercy headquarters, plus house plans and second campus development in Haiti.
• The Lutheran World FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Gossner College in India serving students from Bihar.
• Mission Aviation FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on staff housing project in Pignon, Haiti using multiple alternative house plans.
• Dan Church AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry partner organization in Act Alliance Denmark supporting various projects.
• Bread for the WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry partner organization.
• CBMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry partner organization.
• Educate TanzaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting educational projects in Tanzania.
• World ReliefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Malawi Heart Centers project alongside Westwood Community Church.
• Lifesong for OrphansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Tanzania Children's Rescue Center in Mwanza.
• Peace House FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Peace House Academy, a 640-student boarding secondary school in Arusha, Tanzania.
• African Inland Church - CURE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on AIC CURE Children's Hospital at Kijabe Medical Center in Kenya.
• Touch FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry partner organization.
• The Salvation ArmyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry partner organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a major global architecture practice with deep healthcare and education expertise. It is comparable as a competitor for large healthcare facility mandates in emerging markets, though it operates commercially and does not focus on the non-profit, mission-driven, or developing-world segment Msaada specializes in.
• Gensler: Gensler is one of the world's largest architecture and design firms with significant healthcare, education, and workplace practices. It is a broad incumbent comparable in industry category but with a fundamentally different commercial model, scale, and client base than Msaada's non-profit, mission-driven practice.
• HDR Inc. HDR is a large global architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with extensive healthcare, education, and civic infrastructure practices. It competes with Msaada for institutional healthcare and education mandates in developing markets, but as a broad incumbent with commercial pricing and a much larger delivery footprint.

Direct peers

• Shelter Associates: Shelter Associates is a non-profit architecture organization working on housing, sanitation, and community infrastructure for low-income communities in South Asia. It is comparable to Msaada for its non-profit structure, focus on underserved communities, and integrated design-to-construction service model.
• Article 25: Article 25 is a UK-registered non-profit architecture charity that designs and builds schools, health clinics, and housing in the developing world. It shares Msaada's non-profit delivery model and ministry/international-development focus, though it primarily serves the African continent from a UK base.
• Architects Without Borders (USA): Architects Without Borders is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization providing pro-bono architectural services for underserved communities. It overlaps with Msaada's mission of using architecture for humanitarian and community-development outcomes, though its delivery is volunteer-based rather than staff-based.
• MASS Design Group: MASS Design Group is a non-profit architecture and design firm focused on health, education, and justice infrastructure, with significant work in Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti. It overlaps with Msaada on healthcare facility design, Haiti-based projects, and the integration of research and impact measurement into design practice.
• Engineering Ministries International (EMI): EMI is a non-profit Christian engineering, architecture, and planning organization that designs facilities for ministries and non-profits in the developing world. It is the closest direct peer to Msaada, sharing the same faith-based, mission-driven, and donation-supported model serving international ministry clients.

Emerging players

• Kéré Architecture: Kéré Architecture is an award-winning practice led by Diébédo Francis Kéré that designs schools, health facilities, and civic buildings across Africa using local labor and materials. It shares Msaada's focus on contextually appropriate, community-rooted design in the developing world, though it operates as a commercial firm with global profile.

Others

• Habitat for Humanity International (Architecture & Construction): Habitat for Humanity is a global non-profit that designs and builds affordable housing, with significant in-house architectural capacity. It is adjacent to Msaada in the international non-profit development space and shares the donation-supported model, though its scope is limited almost entirely to housing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/msaadaarchitects.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msaada-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/msaadaarchitects7

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Msaada Architects