What African Sisters Education Collaborative does

ASEC (African Sisters Education Collaborative) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that delivers educational programs to Catholic sisters across 11 sub-Saharan African countries. Founded in 1999 by four Pennsylvania-based congregations of women religious together with the presidents of their affiliated Catholic colleges, ASEC addresses a structural gap in which 48% of the roughly 40,000 Catholic sisters in its service area hold no higher education credentials, despite serving in professional roles as teachers, nurses, bursars, and administrators in poor rural communities. The organization has cumulatively served more than 10,900 sisters, with alumni reported to have reached 11.2 million people and generated over $88.6 million in downstream community grants.

ASEC's portfolio comprises six interconnected programs that function as an education pipeline: the Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) delivers three-year technology and leadership training through monthly workshops; the Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA) program provides access to diploma, undergraduate, and master's degrees through a hybrid online/onsite model with US and African partner universities; the Scholarship Program funds secondary and higher education credentials; Service Learning places US students alongside sisters in Africa; the Research Initiative operates a central data repository on women religious in Africa and produces published works such as 'Voices of Courage' and 'Transformative Partnerships'; and Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) strengthens the internal capacity of national conferences and congregations. The technology layer is a mix of program curricula, an online/onsite academic delivery model, and a small digital presence (eight social platforms, website, monthly email newsletter), with no proprietary software platform disclosed.

ASEC is funded primarily through individual donations and foundation grants, with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation as the anchor funder (including a $3.85 million HESA grant in 2013 and ongoing SLDI support). Program sponsorship is offered at $5,000 per year per sister for SLDI and $7,300 per year per sister for HESA, while individual donation tiers range from $20 per week to $1,000 per year. Operations are supported by 34 staff across the US headquarters and 11 country offices in Africa, each led by a Country Director drawn from a local religious congregation.

Name

African Sisters Education Collaborative

Legal name

African Sisters Education Collaborative

Website

https://asec-sldi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASEC is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers education programs to Catholic sisters across 11 sub-Saharan African countries through six initiatives including leadership training, higher education access, and scholarships, having served over 10,900 sisters since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Scranton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ASEC operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and religious organizations. Donation tiers range from $20 per week to $1,000 per year for sponsorship.
2. Foundation Grants: Major funding from Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for SLDI and HESA programs. Additional grants from GHR Foundation, Connelly Foundation, and Franciscan Sisters of Chicago.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ASEC provides a multi-program education pipeline for Catholic sisters in sub-Saharan Africa, spanning technology and leadership training (SLDI), higher education degrees (HESA), secondary and tertiary scholarships, service learning trips, research capacity building, and institutional capacity building for religious congregations. The organization delivers its programs through US-based coordination from Scranton, PA, and in-country operations across 11 African countries staffed by dedicated Country Directors and Program Coordinators, in partnership with 23+ colleges and universities.

Product overview

ASEC is a nonprofit organization operating a multi-program educational platform for Catholic sisters in Africa. The portfolio includes six interconnected programs: Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI) provides technology and leadership training; Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA) enables access to college degrees; Scholarship Program funds secondary and higher education; Service Learning facilitates cross-cultural exchange trips; Research Initiative builds research capacity; and Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) strengthens religious institutions. Programs work together as an education pipeline where sisters can progress from one program to another, such as Scholarship recipients moving into HESA or SLDI graduates advancing to higher education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SLDI (Sisters Leadership Development Initiative): Provides technology, administration, and finance training through three one-month workshops over three years
• HESA (Higher Education for Sisters in Africa)
• Scholarship Program
• Service Learning
• Research Initiative
• ICB (Institutional Capacity Building)

Products and services

• Sisters Leadership Development Initiative (SLDI)
• Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA)
• Scholarship Program
• Service Learning
• Research Initiative
• Institutional Capacity Building (ICB)

Quantifiable outcome

• Each educated sister serves approximately 10,811 individuals
• +4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Chestnut Hill CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding Catholic universities; offers hybrid online/onsite programs for sisters through HESA; partners with African institutions for degree delivery.
• Marywood UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding Catholic universities; ASEC offices established at Marywood; offers hybrid online/onsite programs for HESA.
• Neumann UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding Catholic universities; part of governance structure with representation on ASEC Board.
• Rosemont CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding Catholic universities; offers online/onsite hybrid degree programs for sisters through HESA partnerships with multiple African institutions.
• Sisters of St. Joseph of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding congregations; together with Chestnut Hill College provides Board representation.
• Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of ScrantoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding congregations; together with Marywood University provides Board representation.
• Sisters of St. Francis of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding congregations; together with Neumann University provides Board representation.
• The Society of the Holy Child JesuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding congregations; together with Rosemont College provides Board representation.
• Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Georgetown University for Visiting Scholar program; collaborative research projects; annual International Consultative Research Conference co-hosted.
• Tangaza University College (Kenya)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Kenya.
• Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution; doctoral scholarship program site for PhD studies.
• Veritas University Abuja (Nigeria)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Nigeria.
• Catholic University College of GhanamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Ghana.
• St. Augustine University of TanzaniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Tanzania.
• Catholic University of MalawimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Malawi.
• Uganda Martyrs UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Uganda.
• University of Kisubi (Uganda)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Uganda.
• National University of LesothomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Lesotho.
• Catholic University of CameroonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Cameroon.
• Zambia Catholic UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHESA partner institution for higher education delivery in Zambia.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves20 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ASECSLDIHESA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Asec-sldiOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ASEC.SLDI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asec-sldi
• Instagraminstagram.com/asecsldihesa
• Pinterestpinterest.com/asecsldi
• TikToktiktok.com/@asecsldi?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about African Sisters Education Collaborative