Bethlehem Farm, Inc.

What Bethlehem Farm, Inc. does

Bethlehem Farm, Inc. is a Catholic faith-based nonprofit volunteer community founded in 2005 and based on a 48-acre property in Talcott, West Virginia. The organization operates four interconnected programs: week-long service-retreats for Catholic high school and college groups, year-round and summer volunteer positions (Caretaker and Summer Servant programs), a Rural Home Repair Program serving low-income households in Summers, Monroe, and Greenbrier Counties, and the Green Neighbors Solar Program offering interest-free loans averaging $20,000-$30,000 for residential and church/nonprofit solar installations. The home repair and solar programs together address rural Appalachia's housing and energy affordability challenges through volunteer labor and renewable energy financing.

The underlying technology platform is physical rather than digital, centered on self-sustaining campus infrastructure: a 25kW net-zero solar electric system with battery backup (2020), 100% solar hot water (2020), a 32,000-gallon rainwater catchment system (2023), the San Damiano Center for Sustainability (learning center with composting toilets and root cellar), and the Danny Keith Maintenance Garage (112'x54' tool barn, wood shop, and vehicle bay completed in 2021). These systems enable the farm to operate off-grid for electricity while modeling the sustainable practices taught to volunteers.

Bethlehem Farm's revenue model blends donations (including a $450,000 Rebuild My Church Capital Campaign), $350-per-person service-week participation fees, material cost recovery from home repair recipients (with no-interest loans and 25% down payment terms), the annual Chicago Winter Benefit fundraiser, and material processing fees on online payments. Go-to-market is community-led within Catholic networks — recruitment flows through dioceses, Catholic schools (Notre Dame, Loyola Chicago, Delbarton, Ursuline New Orleans, Alvernia, Eastern Mennonite, Cristo Rey, Xaverian Brothers, and others), and faith-based word-of-mouth — with co-development partners including the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters on sustainability initiatives.

Name

Bethlehem Farm, Inc.

Legal name

Bethlehem Farm, Inc.

Website

https://bethlehemfarm.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bethlehem Farm, Inc. is a Catholic nonprofit volunteer community in Talcott, West Virginia that runs week-long service-retreats, a low-income Rural Home Repair Program, and the Green Neighbors Solar Program, while modeling sustainable living through net-zero solar and rainwater systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Volunteer and Community Service Programs

NAICS

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

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work Exchange & Farmstay Programs (WWOOF/HelpX-Style) (EDAIAGAK), Rural/Farmstay-Style Hostels (THAGAGAK), Farm Stays & Agritourism Lodges (THAMADAH)

Keywords

• Faith-based volunteer programs
• Service retreat experiences
• Low-income home repair
• Residential solar loans
• Sustainable living education

Headquarters

HQ city

Alderson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and organizational donations form a primary revenue stream. The organization runs annual capital campaigns (Rebuild My Church Capital Campaign targeting $450,000) and accepts various donation levels including monthly giving options.
2. Service Week Participation Fees: Groups pay participation fees for service-retreat weeks. The 2020 fee was $350 per person including a $50 deposit. Fees cover operational costs of hosting volunteer groups.
3. Annual Winter Benefit: Annual celebration/fundraiser event held in Chicago featuring auction items to raise funds for operations.
4. Material Cost Recovery (Home Repair Program): Home repair recipients pay for material costs. No-interest loans for supplies can be arranged with 25% down payment required before work begins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic faith-based nonprofit volunteer community that operates week-long service-immersion retreats for high school, college, adult, and family groups at its 48-acre property in Talcott, WV. It delivers hands-on home repair services to low-income residents of Summers, Monroe, and Greenbrier County, and administers the Green Neighbors Solar Program providing interest-free loans for residential and church solar panel installations. The organization also runs longer-term Caretaker and Summer Servant residential volunteer programs that maintain the property and teach sustainable practices including organic gardening, composting, rainwater harvesting, and renewable energy use.

Product overview

Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic faith-based nonprofit offering a suite of service programs centered on week-long service-retreats for youth groups, alongside longer volunteer positions (Caretakers and Summer Servants). The organization operates two primary community service programs: the Rural Home Repair Program providing low-income home repair to area residents, and the Green Neighbors Solar Program offering interest-free loans for residential and church solar installations. These programs are supported by Farm infrastructure including the San Damiano Center for Sustainability (learning center for gardens and animal care) and the Danny Keith Maintenance Garage (tool barn/wood shop/picnic shelter). The Farm also completed a 25kW solar panel system achieving net-zero electricity usage and installed a 32,000-gallon rainwater containment system in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Service-Retreats (Week-Long Immersions)
• Rural Home Repair Program
• Green Neighbors Solar Program
• Caretaker Program
• Summer Servant Program
• Group and Church Retreats

Quantifiable outcome

• Net-zero electricity usage achieved through 25kW solar installation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wheaton Franciscan SisterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership on sustainability projects including San Damiano Center construction, solar panel installations (25kW system and solar hot water), and rainwater containment system. The Sisters have provided funding and support for environmental initiatives aligned with Catholic social teaching on care for creation.
• Catholic Volunteer NetworkminorOthersMember of national network connecting Catholic volunteer opportunities and organizations. Listed as member program providing visibility and network connections.
• West Virginia Council of ChurchesminorOthersAffiliation with ecumenical organization representing Protestant and Catholic churches in West Virginia. Director Eric Fitts serves as Christian Churches Together in Appalachia member.
• DiocesecoreOthersFormer landlord relationship with Diocese for property lease, now property owner after purchase in 2019. Ongoing relationship regarding Catholic identity and mission alignment.
• Coalition for Home RepairminorOthersMember of coalition connecting home repair organizations across the country. Listed as member program providing network connections.
• Top Dog ConcreteminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal concrete contractor from Fayetteville, WV led by Harry Bowles. Provided concrete work for maintenance garage slab including 6 truckloads of concrete, finishing, and trench drains.
• Cash MasonryminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMasonry contractor from Covington, VA led by Steve Cash. Laid cinder block knee wall for maintenance garage foundation with 3 courses around perimeter.
• Solak BuilderscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary contractor for San Damiano Center construction. Provided foundation work, block work, site preparation, and demolition of old garden tool shed.
• Diocesan SeminariansminorOthersDiocesan seminarians occasionally serve at the farm for formation experiences, such as Nick Cochran working with Fr. Arthur Bufogle.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Broad incumbents

• Heifer International: Global nonprofit addressing hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture, livestock, and community-based learning. Comparable 'sustainable practices + education' curriculum angle at the San Damiano Center, though operating internationally and at much larger scale.
• Habitat for Humanity: Large nonprofit operating volunteer-driven home construction and repair for low-income families globally. Overlaps with Bethlehem Farm's Rural Home Repair Program in mission (housing affordability + volunteer labor) but is orders of magnitude larger and not faith-specific.

Others

• Catholic Volunteer Network: Membership network of Catholic volunteer and mission programs. Bethlehem Farm is an explicit member, making this an umbrella peer rather than a competitor, useful for benchmarking best practices and recruiting partner groups.

Direct peers

• Mercy Volunteer Corps: Catholic nonprofit placing young adults in year-long service positions with organizations serving people experiencing poverty. Comparable faith-based volunteer pipeline model, including the long-term residential volunteer concept used by Bethlehem Farm's Caretaker and Summer Servant programs.
• Christian Appalachian Project: Kentucky-based faith-rooted nonprofit running home repair, volunteer housing, and family services across rural Appalachia. Closely comparable operating model combining volunteer labor, low-income home repair, and community programs in an adjacent Appalachian geography.
• Jesuit Volunteer Corps: Catholic lay volunteer program placing recent graduates in full-time service with organizations serving the poor and marginalized. Comparable faith-driven, year-long volunteer placement structure and Catholic identity aligned with Bethlehem Farm's Caretaker community.
• Appalachian Service Project: Faith-based nonprofit that organizes volunteer home repair and construction trips for low-income families across Appalachia. Directly comparable mission (housing repair + faith formation + volunteer immersion) and region, though it operates across multiple Appalachian states rather than a single county cluster.
• Franciscan Mission Service: Catholic nonprofit organizing domestic and international service-immersion experiences rooted in Franciscan spirituality. Comparable week-long and longer-term retreat/service model focused on faith formation and community engagement.
• Capuchin Franciscan Volunteer Corps (Cap Corps): Catholic year-of-service program rooted in Capuchin Franciscan spirituality that places volunteers with service organizations serving people in need. Comparable Catholic, residential, mission-immersion volunteer structure akin to Bethlehem Farm's Caretaker program.

Regional players

• Appalachian Voices: Regional nonprofit advocating for environmental stewardship and sustainable economic development in central and southern Appalachia. Comparable regional sustainability and education orientation, though focused on advocacy rather than direct service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6KB7Ihd1YYo
• Facebookfacebook.com/BethlehemFarmWV
• Xx.com/BethlehemFarm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bethlehem-farm-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Bethlehem Farm, Inc.