NATIONAL LUTHERAN OUTDOORS MINISTRY ASSOCIATION INC

What NATIONAL LUTHERAN OUTDOORS MINISTRY ASSOCIATION INC does

National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association Inc (NLOMA) is a private nonprofit professional association founded in 1972 (originally as LCMS-OM, renamed in 1979) and affiliated with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Headquartered operationally in La Grange, Texas, with a 5-person staff, NLOMA serves 23 Lutheran camp and retreat centers across the United States and a broader community of Lutheran outdoor ministry professionals.

NLOMA's core offerings include a four-tier membership program (Level A $500, Level B $300, Level C $100, Level D $25), an annual professional conference (with 2026 registration at $425-$600 per attendee), its signature Joint Recruitment program that places 500+ summer staff applicants annually across 20+ partner camps, an informal fall gathering called NLOMA RUMP, the Emerging Leaders Grant and Personal and Professional Growth Grant programs, a public camp directory, employment services, and online donation processing. The organization's technology infrastructure is built on the third-party UltraCamp platform, which handles membership enrollment, conference registration, donation processing, and camp employment applications.

NLOMA generates revenue through annual membership dues, conference registration fees, and donations. It is governed by a board of directors led by President John Busch, with no institutional investor or parent company ownership. Its primary customer segments are Lutheran camp organizations, camp professionals and leaders, emerging leaders considering ministry careers, and summer staff candidates.

Name

NATIONAL LUTHERAN OUTDOORS MINISTRY ASSOCIATION INC

Legal name

National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association Inc

Website

https://nloma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NLOMA is a nonprofit professional association serving 23 Lutheran camp and retreat centers across the United States, offering membership, an annual conference, centralized summer staff recruitment (Joint Recruitment), grants, and a public camp directory. It is affiliated with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

Keywords

• Outdoor ministry association
• Summer camp recruitment
• Religious camp directory
• Ministry professional development
• Lutheran camp support

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees at four tiers (Level A $500, Level B $300, Level C $100, Level D $25) providing access to professional development, Joint Recruitment benefits, networking, and conference discounts.
2. Donations: NLOMA accepts donations through their website and at partner camp locations, supporting the ongoing mission of advancing Lutheran outdoors ministry.
3. Conference Registration: Annual conference registration fees ranging from $425-$600 per person for double/single occupancy, with additional fees for Joint Recruitment participation and non-members.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NLOMA is a national nonprofit membership association that supports Lutheran outdoor ministry by delivering tiered annual memberships, a centralized Joint Recruitment program placing more than 500 summer staff each year across 20+ partner camps, an annual professional conference, an informal fall retreat (RUMP), grant programs for emerging and existing leaders, a public camp directory, an employment job board, and online donation processing. Its offerings are aimed at Lutheran camp professionals, the 23 partner camps and retreat centers affiliated with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and summer staff candidates seeking ministry employment.

Product overview

NLOMA (National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association Inc) is a professional association serving Lutheran camp and retreat center operators. The organization operates as a unified membership-based platform offering professional development, centralized summer staff recruitment (Joint Recruitment), annual conferences, informal gatherings (NLOMA RUMP), grant programs (Emerging Leaders Grant and Personal and Professional Growth Grant), a camp directory, employment services, and donation processing. NLOMA connects over 20 partner camps through its Joint Recruitment program, placing over 500 summer staff annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NLOMA Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 summer applicants placed annually through Joint Recruitment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Christopher Camp and Conference CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2026Host venue for NLOMA Conference 2026 (Feb 15-18) in Seabrook Island, SC. Provides lodging, conference facilities, and food services for the annual gathering of Lutheran outdoor ministry professionals.
• Camp WartburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Host venue for NLOMA RUMP 2025 (Oct 20-23) in Waterloo, IL. Provides facilities, lodging, and recreational activities for the informal fall gathering of Lutheran outdoors ministry friends.
• Lutheran Church—Missouri SynodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNLOMA supports the work of the LCMS on local, regional, and national levels by raising awareness and appreciation for the value of outdoors ministry in the church and its mission.
• Thrivent Financial for LutheransminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNLOMA serves as an advocate representing outdoors ministry before Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, providing a voice for partner camps with this financial partner.
• Lutheran Colleges and UniversitiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistorical partnership for summer staff recruitment. NLOMA initially traveled to Lutheran colleges and universities to recruit summer staff, eventually leading to the development of the Joint Recruitment process.
• UltraCampcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party platform used for conference registration, membership enrollment, donation processing, and camp employment applications.
• 23 Partner CampscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner23 Lutheran camp and retreat centers across the country participating in NLOMA's Joint Recruitment, professional development, and networking programs. Includes camps in IL, MI, AL, IA, TX, WI, NE, IN, OK, MN, ID, AR, MO, CO, ND, MT, NC, MA, WA, AZ.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Camp Association: The largest national umbrella association for all camps (faith-based, secular, private, nonprofit). ACA's accreditation, standards, and professional development programs overlap with NLOMA's mission but at a much broader, non-denominational scale.
• Outdoor Industry Association: Trade association representing outdoor recreation industry participants. Comparable as a membership-based association serving outdoor-recreation professionals, but operating at much larger commercial scale and broader scope than NLOMA.
• Lutheran Services in America: National network of Lutheran health and human service organizations affiliated with both LCMS and ELCA. Comparable as a Lutheran-affiliated membership association coordinating services across member organizations, though focused on social services rather than outdoor ministry.

Others

• Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility: Faith-based coalition of institutional investors. Comparable as a religious-affiliated membership organization that coordinates collective action across member institutions, though operating in a fundamentally different domain (finance vs. outdoor ministry).
• Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability: Accrediting body for evangelical Christian nonprofits. Comparable to NLOMA as a faith-based nonprofit membership association providing standards, accountability, and member services, though at a much larger institutional scale.

Direct peers

• Association of Camp Nursing: Specialty professional association serving healthcare providers working in camp settings. Comparable to NLOMA as a niche camp-focused professional association offering membership, conferences, and resources.
• Christian Camp and Conference Association: National professional association for Christian camps and conference centers that provides accreditation, training, conferences, and resources — directly analogous to NLOMA's role within the Lutheran outdoor ministry niche.

Regional players

• Youth Camping Association of New York and New Jersey: Regional camp association serving youth camps in NY/NJ. Comparable to NLOMA as a camp-focused membership organization, but confined to a specific geographic region rather than operating nationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nlomacamps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-lutheran-outdoors-ministry-association-inc

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 →

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