The Go Fund

What The Go Fund does

The Go Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by Luke Womack, headquartered in Riverside, California. Its sole program service is the Student Debt Repayment Program, which pays 100% of qualified missionaries' student loan debt over a 10-year period of long-term service among unreached people groups. Candidates enter a three-phase, 70-step qualification process — application review, selection committee interview by six rotating volunteers, and mobilization with power of attorney assignment — and must be supported by a qualified sending agency (Radius International, Christar, ABWE, or Frontiers) with debt between $20,000 and $100,000. The Go Fund services loans directly using the avalanche method to minimize interest expense, with interest rates typically ranging from 3-10%.

The organization operates a unique 100% donation model in which all public contributions are routed exclusively to debt repayment, while a separate donor cohort (the Venture program) covers operating costs such as postage, supplies, business travel, and events, and The Foundation covers employee salaries. Missionaries applying to the program pay modest application fees of $50 (single) or $100 (married couple). The donor base is reached through Vision Dinners held across California, a monthly Ropeholder giving program ($417/month), one-time online donations via Classy.org, and stock donations via DTC. The organization had 43 missionary partners across regions including East Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, and Canada as of 2019.

The internal team stood at seven members as of 2019, including a Director of Marketing and Communications, Program Director, Director of Special Events, Program Coordinator, Office Manager, Development Associate, and Program Associate. The organization is described as a program of AIRO and shares staff and email infrastructure (airomissions.com domain) with that parent entity. No proprietary technology, patents, or AI/ML capabilities were identified; operational technology is built on commodity SaaS including Classy, Typeform, SendSafely, USEMotion, and Google Drive.

Name

The Go Fund

Legal name

The Go Fund

Website

https://thegofund.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Go Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that eliminates 100% of student loan debt for qualified long-term missionaries serving unreached people groups through a 70-step vetting process and 10-year debt repayment program funded by a 100% donation model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Missionary Debt Repayment Services

NAICS

Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF)

Keywords

• Missionary debt repayment
• Student loan assistance
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Church planting missions
• Donor engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Donations (100% Model): 100% of every public donation goes directly toward student debt repayment for missionary partners. Private donors cover operating costs separately.
2. Venture Program: A group of dedicated supporters who invest in the organization from the ground up, covering operating costs such as postage, supplies, business travel, and fundraising events.
3. The Foundation: A community of monthly supporters who give to support employee salaries, enabling The Go Fund to maintain professional staff.
4. Application Fees: Applicants for the educational loan repayment program pay modest application fees ($50 for singles, $100 for married couples) to offset costs of the 70-step selection process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Go Fund pays 100% of student debt for approved long-term missionaries serving among unreached people groups. Approved missionary partners receive full debt repayment over a 10-year service period through a structured 70-step qualification, selection, and mobilization process. The organization manages all loan servicing via a Power of Attorney model and uses strategic loan restructuring (avalanche method) to minimize interest costs.

Product overview

The Go Fund operates as a single-product nonprofit service focused on eliminating student debt for qualified missionaries serving long-term among unreached people groups. The core offering is the Student Debt Repayment Program, which partners with the Ropeholder monthly giving program to fund missionary debt elimination over 10 years of service. Additional offerings include Vision Dinners for major donor engagement and standard donation processing. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a 100% donation model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ropeholder: Monthly donor program where supporters invest directly in the Student Debt Repayment Program with recurring donations
• The 100% Model
• Venture
• The Foundation
• Champions
• The Thread

Products and services

• Student Debt Repayment Program The organization's primary offering that pays 100% of qualifying missionaries' student debt over a 10-year service period. Includes a 70-step selection process with qualification (online application, credit report review, references, phone interviews), selection (video presentation, six-member committee virtual interview), and mobilization (monthly payments, general agreement, Power of Attorney paperwork) phases. Strategic loan restructuring uses the avalanche method to minimize interest costs.
• Ropeholder Monthly Giving Program A monthly donor community that directly funds missionary partners' student debt repayment. Members give $14/day, $96/week, or $417/month equivalents and receive benefits including missionary stories, The Thread monthly newsletter, welcome package, and access to special events.
• Vision Dinners Annual in-person fundraising dinner events hosted across California cities (Redlands, Santa Ana, Fresno, Pasadena, Pleasanton, San Diego) featuring missionary testimonials, founder updates, and major donor fundraising. Six events in 2019 raised $365,955 to fund 73 years of missions work.
• Donation Processing Accepts one-time donations, monthly recurring donations via the Ropeholder program, stock donations via DTC, and check donations. Operates under the 100% Model where all public donations fund debt repayment while private donors cover operating costs separately. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Go Fund publishes financial statements and annual reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 missionaries launched to field by January 2018; grew to 43 partners by end of 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Radius InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRadius International is a missions training organization that prepares workers for long-term service among unreached people. The Go Fund refers candidates to Radius for additional training when needed and partners with Radius-trained missionaries. Brad Buser, Founder of Radius International, has publicly endorsed The Go Fund and noted their commitment to sending 'serious' missionaries to the field.
• ChristarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChristar is a mission agency focused on church planting among unreached people groups. Dr. R. Stephen Coffey, Former Director of Christar, has endorsed The Go Fund noting that workers have been able to serve among the least-reached because of The Go Fund's partnership. Dedicated application process pages exist for Christar applicants.
• ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABWE is a missions sending agency. The Go Fund has developed a specific application pathway for ABWE candidates with dedicated next steps pages. Missionaries sent through ABWE can apply to have their student debt repaid while serving long-term.
• FrontierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrontiers is a mission agency focused on reaching Muslim unreached people. Missionary Mary was sent by Frontiers to Central Africa after being referred to The Go Fund for debt repayment support. The partnership enables qualified Muslims-focused missionaries to be mobilized faster.
• AIROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIRO is The Go Fund's parent organization. The Go Fund is described as 'a program of AIRO.' The organization shares staff (Ashley Dominick listed as both AIRO and Go Fund Program Coordinator), website infrastructure, and branding. Email addresses use airomissions.com domain.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Christar: Christar is a core sending-agency partner of The Go Fund focused on church planting among unreached people groups. Dr. R. Stephen Coffey (former Director) has publicly endorsed The Go Fund, and Christar applicants follow a dedicated application pathway. Comparable evangelical missions agency model.
• Frontiers: Frontiers is a mission sending agency focused on Muslim unreached people groups and a Channel Partner of The Go Fund. Missionaries like Mary are sent by Frontiers and referred to The Go Fund for debt repayment support.
• SIM International: SIM is a large interdenominational evangelical mission agency sending workers to unreached people groups globally. SIM operates with a similar church-planting focus as The Go Fund's partner agencies and faces the same missionary debt barrier.
• ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism): ABWE is a formal Channel Partner of The Go Fund with a dedicated application pathway for ABWE candidates. ABWE missionaries are referred to The Go Fund to eliminate the student debt barrier preventing long-term field service.
• Radius International: Radius International is a missions training organization that prepares workers for long-term service among unreached people. Founder Brad Buser endorses The Go Fund, and The Go Fund refers candidates to Radius for additional training.
• Pioneers: Pioneers is an evangelical mission agency focused on church planting among unreached people groups in creative-access countries. Operates with similar missionary mobilization challenges around student debt that The Go Fund addresses.
• SEND International: SEND International is an evangelical missions agency focused on unreached people groups with operations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Comparable in missionary mobilization model and target demographic to The Go Fund's missionary partners.

Broad incumbents

• International Mission Board (IMB): The IMB is the largest US-based Protestant missions sending agency (Southern Baptist), mobilizing thousands of missionaries globally. A broad incumbent operating in the same unreached-people-group space, with much larger scale and an established debt-assistance program of its own.
• Operation Mobilisation (OM): Operation Mobilisation is one of the largest evangelical mission organizations globally, sending workers to unreached people groups. Operates with overlapping missionary mobilization goals and faces similar student debt barriers that The Go Fund addresses for smaller mission agencies.
• Wycliffe Bible Translators: Wycliffe focuses on Bible translation among language groups, including many unreached people groups where The Go Fund's missionary partners serve (e.g., Papua New Guinea). Comparable field destination set and missionary mobilization mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=NN3x_vyYuYI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 The Go Fund