Edify

What Edify does

Edify is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2009 (incorporated in September 2009 as EduLeap and renamed Edify in 2010), headquartered in San Diego, California with an additional office in Boston. Its mission is to improve and expand sustainable Christ-centered education globally, and it serves education entrepreneurs operating low-fee independent Christ-centered schools in underserved communities across 16 countries — 9 in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda) and 7 in Latin America (Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru).

Edify delivers three core products to partner schools: School Training (business management, financial sustainability, pedagogical best practices, and Christ-centered teaching methodologies); School Loans/Capital (short-term, 1-3 year low-interest loans disbursed through local microfinance partners for facility construction, classroom expansion, and WASH infrastructure); and Education Technology (devices, connectivity, integration support for tools including Khan Academy, Google Workspace for Education, and the Stanford SMILE mobile learning platform). Complementary programs include the Core School Program (intensive 3-year engagement), Champion Schools (graduated peer mentors), and Discipleship Clubs. In FY2025, Edify impacted 12,083,667 students across 45,188 schools at a cost of $1.50 per student, with 80% of donations directed to programs and a 98% loan repayment rate through its microfinance partners.

The business model is donor-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams include one-time gifts, the Flourishing Collective monthly recurring giving program, church and foundation grants, and capital campaign pledges. In October 2025, Edify launched its first comprehensive campaign — the 3-year $110 million 'God Willing' campaign. Operations are delivered through a distributed in-country staff model: 200+ total employees including Country Directors and Transformation Managers in each operating country, supported by local microfinance institution partners. Leadership transitioned from co-founder Tiger Dawson (CEO 2017–2025, deceased December 2025) to Jeff Rudder (CEO and President effective May 1, 2026); co-founder Chris Crane serves as Executive Chairman of the Board.

Name

Edify

Legal name

Edify, Inc.

Website

https://edify.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Edify is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides training, low-interest loan capital, and education technology to Christ-centered low-fee independent schools across 16 countries in Africa and Latin America, reaching 12.1 million students annually through donor-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Learning, EdTech Enablement & Connectivity for Education (BPADAKAH), Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons) (EDACAJAK)

Keywords

• Christian education nonprofit
• School training programs
• Microfinance education loans
• Education technology services
• Africa latin america education

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions: Edify operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds from individual donors, church partners, and foundations to support its mission of improving Christ-centered education globally. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made as one-time gifts or monthly recurring contributions through the Flourishing Collective program.
2. 3-Year $110 Million Campaign (God Willing): In October 2025, Edify launched its first comprehensive campaign - a 3-year $110 million campaign called 'God Willing' to support organizational growth and expansion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Edify is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports Christ-centered low-fee independent schools in Africa and Latin America by providing three core offerings to school entrepreneurs: (1) School Training in business management, pedagogical best practices, and Christ-centered teaching; (2) School Loans/Capital delivered through local microfinance partners at low interest rates for school infrastructure and expansion; and (3) Education Technology including device financing, connectivity, and digital learning resources.

Product overview

Edify is a global Christian education nonprofit offering three core services to education entrepreneurs operating Christ-centered schools in Africa and Latin America: School Training (business and pedagogical training), School Loans/Capital (low-interest loans through microfinance partners), and Education Technology (devices, integration support, and digital resources). These core offerings are complemented by the Core School Program (intensive 3-year engagement), Champion Schools (graduated model schools), Discipleship Clubs (student spiritual development), Vision Trips (donor experiences), and the Flourishing Collective (monthly giving program). The organization operates across 16 countries, providing partner schools access to training, capital, and ed tech tools to improve education quality, expand facilities, and increase sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Training Business and Christ-centered training programs for school owners and teachers covering teaching skills, financial sustainability, budgeting, early childhood education, and teacher evaluation; designed to improve education quality in Christ-centered schools.
• School Loans / Capital Low-interest loans facilitated through local microfinance partners to help Christ-centered schools expand facilities, construct buildings, add classrooms, and improve infrastructure including WASH facilities; typically 1-3 year terms at or below market rates.
• Education Technology EdTech solutions including device loans from approved vendors, integration training, internet connectivity, and digital educational resources covering math, reading, science, and Christ-centered content; integrated with Khan Academy, Google Workspace for Education, and the SMILE mobile inquiry-based learning platform from Stanford.
• Discipleship Clubs Student discipleship programs fostering spiritual growth, biblical education, and character development for students attending partner schools.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SMILE (Stanford Mobile Inquiry-based Learning Environment)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2014Edify partnered with SMILE, developed by Dr. Paul Kim from Stanford University, to provide mobile inquiry-based learning technology to partner schools. This partnership began in 2014 as an education technology initiative.
• University of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013First leadership training with University of San Diego was held in Ghana in 2013. Dr. Paula Cordeiro, former Vice President of Education at Edify and Distinguished Dammeyer Professor of Global Leadership and Education at USD, continues to collaborate through Peace Innovators programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bridge International Academies: Large-scale operator of low-fee private schools across Africa and India using proprietary EdTech-enabled teacher support. Comparable in target market (low-fee private schools in emerging markets) and use of technology to enable school quality at low cost.
• World Vision: Large Christian humanitarian organization running child-sponsorship, education, and community-development programs across the developing world. Comparable donor base, faith-based positioning, and education-access mission in Africa and Latin America.
• International Youth Foundation: Global nonprofit working on education, employability, and youth engagement in developing countries. Comparable in donor-supported training programs for educators and school leaders in emerging markets.
• GEMS Education: Large private K-12 education operator with significant emerging-market presence, including faith-aligned schools. Comparable in operating schools at scale across multiple developing countries, though primarily for-profit.
• Opportunity International: Faith-based microfinance organization that provides small-business loans in developing markets. Highly comparable to Edify's loan-capital arm and was previously led by Edify co-founder Chris Crane; serves overlapping end-borrower populations in Africa and Latin America.
• Compassion International: Faith-based child-sponsorship organization with significant education and Christ-centered programming in the same geographies Edify serves. Competes for the same donor segment and overlapping school-partner relationships.

Direct peers

• Pencils of Promise: Nonprofit that builds and supports schools in developing countries through funding, teacher training, and EdTech integration. Closely comparable to Edify's integrated training-plus-Education-Technology model for low-fee schools.
• Room to Read: International nonprofit focused on literacy and gender equity in education across Africa and Asia. Comparable operating model combining school partnerships, teacher training, and EdTech content delivery to underserved communities.
• HOPE International: Faith-based microfinance and savings institution serving entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Directly comparable to Edify's loan-capital pillar, with overlapping Christ-centered mission and microfinance partner model.

Others

• Mekong Economics: Included as an adjacent/ecosystem comparator rather than a direct peer — illustrates the type of in-country development partner that helps international NGOs design and evaluate training and education programs in frontier markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/edifyorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/edifyworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edify-org
• Instagraminstagram.com/edify_org
• Xx.com/edifyworld

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Edify