Wesley Foundation at Purdue

What Wesley Foundation at Purdue does

Wesley Foundation at Purdue is a 501(c)(3) United Methodist campus ministry serving students at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, with roots dating to 1916/1917. It delivers worship services, small-group fellowship, bible studies, service projects, trip ministries, and student housing, supported by approximately 5 full-time staff and 13-14 student leaders. Sunday worship attendance averages roughly 20-25 students; the winterization program annually serves 400 local households with 1,400 volunteers.

The organization's revenue model rests on tax-deductible donations from individuals, United Methodist congregations, and major gifts, supplemented by an active capital campaign ("A Legacy of Welcome," targeting $1.5M). A 34-suite student-housing product, leased at $875-$925 per month plus $120 utilities, is scheduled to launch with the new Kettler Family Wesley Student Center in August 2026, introducing a recurring rental revenue stream. Service offerings are sold free to students (subsidized by donations), with housing priced at rates that cross-subsidize the ministry's broader programmatic work.

In spring 2024, the foundation divested its historic State Street building to Purdue University in exchange for new land at 122 Waldron Street and approximately $3 million in financial support, enabling construction of an expanded facility that also houses a shared-space partnership with the Purdue Baptist Student Foundation. Recent major gifts include a $100,000 contribution from Mike and Lesley Butler and a $20,000 contribution from Wabash First United Methodist Church, both directed at the capital campaign.

Name

Wesley Foundation at Purdue

Legal name

Wesley Foundation at Purdue

Website

https://wesleyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wesley Foundation at Purdue is a 501(c)(3) United Methodist campus ministry serving Purdue University students through worship, small groups, service projects, trip ministries, and student housing, funded primarily by donations and an upcoming housing rental revenue stream.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations from Churches and Individuals: Wesley Foundation relies entirely on donations from churches and individuals, as the United Methodist Conference ended its financial support in 2011. The organization receives support from various church partners and alumni donors.
2. Student Housing Rental Income: Rental income from the new Wesley Student Center housing 34 suites for Purdue students starting August 2026. Monthly rent ranges from $875-$925 plus $120 utilities per person.
3. Capital Campaign Donations: The 'A Legacy of Welcome' campaign aims to raise $1.5 million to fund the new Wesley Foundation Student Center and expand ministry on campus.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wesley Foundation at Purdue is a United Methodist-affiliated campus ministry that delivers worship services, small groups, recreation, trip ministries, service projects, and student housing to Purdue University students. It operates as an inclusive "home away from home," serving students of all denominations, faiths, races, and identities through faith-based community programming and 34 furnished housing suites opening August 2026.

Product overview

Wesley Foundation at Purdue is a campus ministry offering a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected programs centered around faith, community, and student development. The core offering is the Wesley Foundation Student Center, a 108-year ministry transitioning to a new facility at 122 Waldron St. with 34 Wesley Suites student housing units. Key programmatic offerings include Worship Services (Sunday and Tuesday), Friday Fellowship dinners and events, Small Groups (FROGs, Bible Breakdown, Love Always Wins, Covenant Groups), Recreation Programs (Wallyball, Ultimate Frisbee), Trip Ministries (retreats, mission trips to Africa, Colorado retreats, outdoor adventures), and the flagship Winterization service project serving 400 households with 1,400 volunteers. Student Leadership is developed through the Council on Ministries with elected positions. The organization also conducts the 'A Legacy of Welcome' $1.5 million capital campaign for the new building. All offerings are delivered through inclusive, welcoming community-building approach supporting students of all backgrounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wesley Foundation Student Center
• Wesley Suites Student Housing
• Worship Services
• Friday Fellowship
• Recreation Programs
• Trip Ministries
• Winterization Service Project
• Small Groups

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered significant, core and major.

• Wabash First United Methodist ChurchsignificantGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 April 2025Made a $20,000 gift to support Wesley's campus ministry and new Student Center. Through this gift, the Student Center's conference room will be named for Wabash First United Methodist Church. This partnership affirms a shared commitment to students and represents a meaningful naming opportunity.
• Baptist Student FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Wesley Foundation currently shares space with Baptist Student Foundation at 200 N. Russell St. while the new Wesley Student Center is under construction. This temporary arrangement allows both organizations to maintain campus presence during the transition period.
• St. Thomas Aquinas, Baptist Found, and Purdue Collegiate MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Winterization program is carried out in partnership with other campus ministries including St. Thomas Aquinas, Baptist Found, and Purdue Collegiate Ministry. These partnerships enable the largest service project on campus.
• Purdue UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024In spring 2024, Wesley Foundation's Board agreed to sell the building and land at 435 W. State Street to Purdue University. In exchange, Wesley received new land at 122 Waldron Street and financial support to build a larger, more sustainable campus ministry building.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Purdue Collegiate Ministry: A Purdue University campus ministry organization explicitly named as a co-partner on the Winterization service project, operating alongside Wesley Foundation on the same campus with comparable faith-based student programming.
• St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center at Purdue: Catholic campus ministry at Purdue University that partners with Wesley Foundation on the Winterization service project. Operates the same on-campus ministry and student engagement model from a different denominational perspective on the same campus.
• Wesley Foundation at Indiana University: United Methodist Wesley Foundation at peer in-state Big Ten university with the same faith-affiliated campus ministry programming and student housing model. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and student demographic, with potential for cross-learning and joint programming.
• Baptist Student Foundation at Purdue: Shares interim office space at 200 N. Russell St. with Wesley Foundation while the new Wesley Student Center is under construction, and co-partners on the Winterization service project. Same role on the same campus (denominational campus ministry serving Purdue students), making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Wesley Foundation at the University of Illinois: A sister United Methodist Wesley Foundation at a peer Big Ten university, offering the same mix of worship, small groups, student housing, recreation, and trip ministries. The same organizational model operating in a comparable university context, making it a natural benchmarking peer.

Broad incumbents

• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): One of the largest U.S. interdenominational campus ministry organizations, with active chapters at major universities including Purdue. Comparable mission of evangelism, discipleship, and missions but with national/international resources and infrastructure far exceeding a single-campus Wesley Foundation.
• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: A large, established interdenominational evangelical campus ministry with a national footprint and presence at hundreds of U.S. universities including Purdue. Overlaps directly with Wesley's worship, small group, and missions programming but operates at a much broader scale.

Emerging players

• Navigators: An international Christian ministry with a collegiate discipleship focus that operates on a more focused, smaller-group model than Wesley. Overlaps on small groups, mentoring, and Bible study but with a narrower programmatic surface area.

Market position

Strengths6 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WesleyFoundationPurdue
• Instagraminstagram.com/wesleyatpurdue
• Xx.com/wesleyfound
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wesley-foundation-at-purdue

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wesley Foundation at Purdue