Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries

What Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries does

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries is a Vancouver-headquartered non-profit organization founded in 2018 with a mission to equip the global Christian Church to support mental health and wellbeing. It operates as a registered charity in three jurisdictions — Sanctuary Mental Health Society in Canada (primary), Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries in the US as a 501(c)(3) (EIN 87-3735624), and Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries UK (charity #1191490) — with offices in Vancouver, Bellingham (US mailing), and Farnham (UK). The organization does not sell products or services; it produces and distributes mental health curriculum and content entirely free of charge to churches, faith communities, and individuals.

The core product is The Sanctuary Course, an eight-session video-based curriculum developed with mental health professionals, theologians, and people with lived experience, accompanied by a Catholic edition (in English and Spanish) and a 2025-launched Youth Series for ages 11-15. Supplementary offerings include the Sanctuary Podcast, the Sanctuary Songs album produced with The Porter's Gate, devotional content on the YouVersion Bible App, and curated resources such as 'When A Loved One Dies By Suicide.' The underlying technology stack is modest: an online resource portal (portal.sanctuarymentalhealth.org) for self-serve course access, email marketing via Mailchimp, and distribution through partner platforms including Life.Church Open Network, YouVersion, and FORMED. There is no proprietary AI or ML component; the organization is a content and curriculum producer rather than a technology company.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary giving — primarily individual donations via the Alongside monthly donor club and grant funding from foundations, with the Murdock Trust explicitly named. A current Christmas fundraising campaign targets $300,000. The go-to-market is product-led and community-driven, relying on partner platform distribution, ambassador relationships with clinicians and theologians, organic word-of-mouth within faith communities, and content marketing through the blog, podcast, and social channels. Since 2018, the organization reports 365,000+ people engaged across 100+ countries, with 71,010 course participants logged in 2024 and 1.9 million content encounters through YouVersion.

Name

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries

Legal name

Sanctuary Mental Health Society

Website

https://sanctuarymentalhealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries is a Vancouver-based non-profit, founded in 2018, that produces and distributes free mental health curriculum (The Sanctuary Course and variants) to churches and faith communities across 100+ countries, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based mental health education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN)

Keywords

• Mental health education
• Church resources
• Faith-based curriculum
• Counseling training
• Youth mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Sanctuary receives donations from individual supporters through an online giving portal. Donors can give one-time or set up recurring monthly donations through the Alongside monthly donor club program. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit in the US (EIN 87-3735624), registered charity in Canada (#84176 9284 RR0001), and registered charity in the UK (#1191490).
2. Foundation and Trust Funding: The organization receives funding from foundations and charitable trusts. The Murdoch (Murdock) Trust is explicitly mentioned as a funder. This represents institutional charitable giving rather than commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries develops and distributes free video-based curricula and accompanying resources that equip Christian churches and faith communities to support individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Its core offerings include The Sanctuary Course (eight-session foundational course), The Sanctuary Course for Catholics (English and Spanish), The Sanctuary Youth Series (ages 11–15), podcasts, devotionals, and music, all made available at no cost via an online portal and partner platforms.

Product overview

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries operates as a non-profit resource ministry offering a portfolio of free digital and downloadable mental health resources for churches and faith communities. The core product is The Sanctuary Course, an eight-session course available in multiple formats including the standard version, a Catholic edition (in English and Spanish), and a Youth Series for ages 11-15. Additional offerings include the Sanctuary Songs album (produced with The Porter's Gate), the Sanctuary Podcast featuring interviews with mental health professionals and theologians, devotionals distributed through the YouVersion Bible App, and curated content series such as Sanctuary Spotlight. The organization is funded by donations through its Alongside monthly donor program and various grant-making organizations. All primary resources are provided free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Sanctuary Course: Primary eight-session course designed to equip churches to become sanctuaries for individuals with mental health challenges
• The Sanctuary Course for Catholics
• The Sanctuary Youth Series
• Sanctuary Songs
• Alongside

Products and services

• The Sanctuary Course Flagship eight-session video course designed to equip Christian churches to become sanctuaries where individuals with mental health challenges feel safe, supported, and a sense of belonging. Each session explores mental health topics drawing on insights from mental health professionals, church leaders, and people with lived experience. Provided free via the online resource portal.
• The Sanctuary Course for Catholics Eight-session course exploring mental health and illness through a Catholic lens, with films featuring stories of Catholics living with mental health challenges and insights from archbishops, theologians, and psychologists. Available in English (The Sanctuary Course for Catholics) and Spanish (The Sanctuary Course para Católicos). Distributed via the Sanctuary portal and the FORMED Catholic platform.
• The Sanctuary Youth Series Free video-based resource centering on the pressing questions young people (ages 11-15) ask about faith and mental health, such as what the Bible says about mental health and how to help a friend. Designed for use in small groups, youth ministries, and school settings.
• Sanctuary Songs Music album about mental health and faith created in partnership with The Porter's Gate. Centers around the lived experience of people often marginalized in churches and models life-giving ways for congregants to discuss mental health challenges. Available via streaming platforms.
• Sanctuary Podcast Podcast featuring interviews and discussions on mental health and faith, including dedicated seasons on mental health, faith, COVID-19, trauma, pastoral ministry, and practical spiritual practices. Features ambassadors, mental health professionals, and theologians.
• Alongside Monthly Donor Club Monthly donor program inviting supporters to join a community of people passionate about supporting mental health and wellbeing in churches; members provide recurring monthly contributions to fund operations and mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 365,000+ people reached since 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Flourishing Congregations InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Research partnership to understand how Canadian congregations respond to mental health challenges. Sanctuary partnered with the Flourishing Congregations Institute to survey 969 participants from Canadian churches in early 2024, resulting in the 'Mental Health and Illness in Canadian Congregations (2024)' report published in November 2024.
• Regent CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Regent College, a graduate school of theological studies in Vancouver, BC. Partnership appears to involve content collaboration and academic credibility for Sanctuary's theological framework.
• University of AberdeenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Partnership provides theological and academic credibility, with Professor John Swinton (Chair in Divinity) serving as a Sanctuary Ambassador.
• Life.Church Open NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partnership through the Life.Church Open Network platform, which provides Sanctuary resources to a broader network of church partners and users within the faith community technology ecosystem.
• YouVersion Bible AppcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContent partnership featuring Sanctuary devotionals in the YouVersion Bible App, including the 'Belonging and Mental Health' reading plan. This partnership has reached 1.9 million people with Sanctuary content.
• FORMEDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partnership for Catholic content through the FORMED platform, which distributes The Sanctuary Course para Católicos (Spanish version) to Catholic parishes and individuals.
• The Porter's GateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative music partnership to create Sanctuary Songs, an album about mental health and faith. The album centers around lived experiences of people often marginalized in churches and models healing ways for congregations to discuss mental health challenges.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Celebrate Recovery: A faith-based 12-step recovery program operating inside churches, addressing hurts, habits, and hangups including mental health. Highly comparable in mission (church-based mental/emotional health support) and free-resource distribution model.
• Church Health: Faith-based nonprofit in Memphis integrating whole-person healthcare with church community, including mental health services and congregational resources. Comparable in faith-health integration mission, though operates more as a healthcare provider.
• American Bible Society: Operator of the YouVersion Bible App, Sanctuary's largest distribution partner reaching 1.9M people with devotional content. Direct distribution partner and adjacent in faith-content mission.
• Mental Health Ministries: Interfaith organization creating educational resources for faith communities addressing mental illness. Highly comparable in mission and free-resource distribution model, though interfaith rather than specifically Christian.
• Stephen Ministries: Provides training and resources that equip congregations to provide Christian caregiving to people experiencing mental health, grief, and other life difficulties. Comparable audience (churches) and mission of equipping laity for pastoral support.

Broad incumbents

• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Large interdenominational Christian ministry with global reach and content resources for churches and youth. Comparable in producing free, faith-based educational content distributed globally through church networks.
• Christianity Today: Major Christian media organization producing faith-based content including coverage of mental health and church ministry. Comparable in serving evangelical Christian audiences with educational content, though broader in scope.
• Saddleback Church Mental Health Initiative: Large megachurch with structured mental health awareness and support programs including the 'Wholly Healthy' initiative. Comparable in equipping churches for mental health ministry, though Sanctuary offers a more scalable, denomination-agnostic curriculum.

Emerging players

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: Campus ministry organization serving college students with faith-based programming. Comparable audience segment (youth/young adults) and adjacent mission of faith formation, particularly relevant given Sanctuary's Youth Series.
• Fuller Theological Seminary: Graduate theological institution with a Thrive Center for Church Counseling and Mental Health that integrates theology with mental health practice. Overlaps with Sanctuary on the theology/mental-health intersection but focuses on professional training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sanctuarymh
• Facebookfacebook.com/sanctuarymentalhealth
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/sanctuarymentalhealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanctuarymentalhealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries