CEPAD

What CEPAD does

CEPAD-USA, Inc. is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Federal EIN 93-1088705, Tennessee-incorporated) headquartered in Ooltewah, Tennessee, that functions as the principal North American fundraising and advocacy entity for CEPAD Nicaragua (the National Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua). CEPAD Nicaragua was founded in 1972 in response to the Managua earthquake, originally as a disaster-response body, and in the early 2000s pivoted to long-term sustainable community development in 47 rural Nicaraguan villages, operating through a 5-year graduation model. CEPAD-USA operates on a donation-based revenue model with no products or services sold; income is sourced from individual donors, churches, institutional partners, program-specific grants, donor-advised funds (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, TIAA, others), planned giving (bequests, charitable lead trusts), stock and securities gifts, and employer matching programs. The organization's deliverables are programs rather than technology: Family Gardening, Sustainable Agriculture, Women's Entrepreneurship (235 women annually, 14 community banks, microloans), Leadership Development (282 leaders, 47 community development committees), Pastoral Leadership (180+ pastoral leaders, 12 pastoral assemblies), and Youth Counseling Training.

The US entity itself has 1-10 employees per the firmographic record, with operations executed primarily through a volunteer board of nine directors, one part-time remote administrator (10-15 hours/week under board supervision), and contracted marketing and administrative roles. The CEO-equivalent function is the Board Chair (Harriet Hall); day-to-day donor stewardship and planned-giving inquiries are handled by a single director (Kimberly Crider), reachable by phone, email, and on social channels (Facebook, YouTube). Strategic engagement with donors is supplemented through annual 7-10 day Nicaragua trips for churches, colleges, and individuals. The organization has no proprietary technology stack, mobile apps, public APIs, or third-party platform integrations in production; its marketing assets are a Wix-hosted website (cepadusa.org), Facebook page, and YouTube channel.

The defining strategic event in the company's recent history is the August 19, 2024 revocation of CEPAD Nicaragua's legal status by the Nicaraguan government as part of a mass deregistration of approximately 1,500 NGOs. CEPAD Nicaragua's bank accounts were frozen, property seizure threatened, and CEPAD-USA subsequently suspended all fund transfers to Nicaragua and asked donors to temporarily pause contributions while exploring a successor legal entity. As of the most recent communication, the US entity remains operational while the future status of the Nicaraguan program is unresolved.

Name

CEPAD

Legal name

CEPAD-USA, Inc.

Website

https://cepadusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CEPAD-USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Ooltewah, Tennessee that raises charitable donations in the United States to fund CEPAD Nicaragua's sustainable community development programs — including agriculture, women's entrepreneurship, leadership, pastoral, and youth counseling training — across 47 rural Nicaraguan villages on a five-year graduation model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Nonprofit Community Development

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Agricultural training
• Women's empowerment
• Leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ooltewah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: CEPAD-USA receives charitable donations from individuals who support their mission to empower rural Nicaraguan communities. Donations are tax-deductible under 501(c)(3) status.
2. Church and Institutional Donations: Support from churches and other institutional donors who fund specific programs or general operations.
3. Program-Specific Grants: Funding directed to specific programs such as Sustainable Agriculture, Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, and Pastoral Leadership.
4. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Bequests, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance, charitable lead trusts, and other planned giving instruments.
5. Stock and Securities Gifts: Donations of appreciated stock and mutual funds, which provide tax advantages to donors while supporting CEPAD's work.
6. Donor-Advised Funds: Gifts through Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, TIAA, and other donor-advised fund sponsors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEPAD-USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises charitable donations in the United States to fund CEPAD Nicaragua's community development programs. These programs include Sustainable Agriculture, Women's Entrepreneurship, Family Gardening, Pastoral Leadership, Leadership Development, and Youth Counseling Training, serving 47 rural Nicaraguan villages over a 5-year graduation timeline.

Product overview

CEPAD is a nonprofit organization that operates as a portfolio of community development programs rather than a unified software product. The organization offers six core program areas: the Family Gardening Program, Women's Entrepreneurship Program, Sustainable Agriculture Program, Pastoral Leadership Program, Leadership Development Program, and Youth Counseling Training. These programs work together to address food security, economic empowerment, and community development in rural Nicaraguan villages, with CEPAD-USA serving as the U.S.-based fundraising and support arm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainable Agriculture Program
• Women's Entrepreneurship Program
• Family Gardening Program
• Pastoral Leadership Program
• Leadership Development Program
• Youth Counseling Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Farmers expand from growing average of 3 foods to average of 25 foods
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 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 primary and core.

• CEPAD Nicaragua (Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua)primaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1972CEPAD-USA was founded in 1992 to support CEPAD Nicaragua, which was established in 1972 following a major earthquake in Managua. CEPAD-USA's primary mission is to raise funds and provide technical assistance to CEPAD Nicaragua, which works directly with impoverished villages to provide training for women, farmers, youth, and pastors. CEPAD-USA publishes the English-language CEPAD Report and distributes funds for CEPAD Nicaragua's programs. Note: In August 2024, the Nicaraguan government revoked CEPAD's legal status along with 1,500 other NGOs.
• Walk in PeacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalk in Peace was established in partnership with CEPAD to rehabilitate hundreds of amputees and other victims of war, support hurricane victims, provide medical assistance, and support hundreds of young people needing educational support. Through this partnership, hundreds of thousands of dollars in aid has been channeled to Nicaragua over four decades. The partnership began after Don Mosley worked with CEPAD's Dr. Parajon to bring the Sanchez family to the US for artificial legs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MAP International: Christian global health organization providing medicines and health supplies, with significant Latin America programs. Comparable to CEPAD in faith-based identity, focus on serving vulnerable communities, and Latin America geographic emphasis.
• FINCA International: Microfinance organization providing small loans and financial services to women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Highly comparable to CEPAD's Women's Entrepreneurship Program (235 women, 14 community banks) in targeting women in rural poverty through financial inclusion.
• Food for the Hungry: Christian nonprofit organization focused on ending poverty through community development programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Highly comparable to CEPAD in faith-based orientation, geographic focus (significant Latin America presence), and integrated community development model addressing multiple root causes of poverty.
• Heifer International: Nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture, livestock provision, and community development. Highly comparable to CEPAD's Sustainable Agriculture and Family Gardening programs, with a similar model of working with farming families to build long-term food security.
• ChildFund International: Child-focused international development organization operating in 24 countries including Central America. Comparable to CEPAD in faith-inspired community development approach and Latin America focus, though focused more narrowly on children and youth outcomes.
• Cross International: Catholic-based international aid organization serving the poor in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean. Comparable to CEPAD in faith-based funding model (US donors supporting international programs), Latin America focus, and integrated community development approach.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Major international humanitarian and development organization working in conflict and crisis-affected areas globally. Comparable to CEPAD in community development mission and emergency response capabilities, though operating at vastly larger scale and with broader geographic footprint.
• Compassion International: Faith-based child sponsorship organization operating in dozens of developing countries. Comparable to CEPAD in donor model (individual recurring sponsorships from US donors) and faith-based community development approach, though focused on child sponsorship rather than rural community programs.
• World Vision: Large faith-based international development and humanitarian organization working in nearly 100 countries. Directly comparable to CEPAD in mission (community development for children and families in poverty) and faith-based orientation, though significantly larger in scale and geographic reach.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit working to build affordable housing and community infrastructure. Comparable to CEPAD in community development focus, grassroots engagement model, and faith-based founding, though concentrated on housing rather than integrated rural poverty programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcXGZYulV_6MR-KugscRsZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CEPADnica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 CEPAD