Restoration Project

What Restoration Project does

Restoration Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, focused on faith-based men's formation and spiritual growth. It serves individual men, fathers, and father-child pairs across life stages, offering a portfolio of in-person wilderness experiences, published books, a podcast, a guided journal, a blog/print magazine, and an online community. Its experience programs are deliberately "small batch," with cohorts capped at 10-12 participants, and span father-son, father-daughter, and men's-only formats — including Base Camp, Man Maker expeditions, Sage Scotland for men 35-59, and Sage Ireland for men 55+, with additional international treks in Kenya and Peru.

The core offering is a proprietary formation methodology built around story-work, brotherhood, and wilderness, delivered primarily through human-facilitated live programs and authored content rather than a software platform. Content assets include Sage, Brotherhood Primer, and Man Maker Project (books authored principally by Co-Founder/CEO Chris Bruno), the Restorative Man Podcast distributed via Transistor FM, the Restorative Man Journal, the Small Batch Journal blog/magazine, and free PDF downloads used as lead magnets. The Grove Collective, hosted on Circle.so, is the only digital product surface and functions as an online community hub for ongoing member engagement. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML component, no mobile app, and no API; the organization relies on Squarespace for its website and standard podcast/audiobook distribution channels.

Revenue and donor support come from four streams: per-participant experience fees (e.g., $6,000 for the Sage Ireland 10-day program), book and audiobook sales through Amazon and direct channels, Grove Collective membership (pricing not publicly disclosed), and tax-deductible donations via a web giving portal. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via restorationproject.net, supplemented by Amazon marketplace and the podcast/audiobook ecosystem. Leadership includes Co-Founder/CEO Chris Bruno (also a licensed professional counselor and founder of ReStory Counseling), Executive Director Jesse French, Chief of Resources & Experiences Cody Buriff, Director of Legacy Partner Development Kevin Armstrong, and Director of Restorative Experiences Jeremy Williamson. The organization is an independent entity, affiliated with the broader RESTORY™ Universe network alongside sister ministries Fierce & Lovely and Restory.life.

Name

Restoration Project

Legal name

Restoration Project

Website

https://restorationproject.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Restoration Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 in Fort Collins, Colorado, that delivers faith-based men's formation through small-batch wilderness experiences, authored books, a podcast, a journal, and an online community called the Grove Collective. It serves fathers with children and adult men across multiple life stages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based Men's Ministry / Wilderness Formation Programs

NAICS

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

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Holistic & Alternative Therapy Retreats (Naturopathy, Energy Work) (THAGAMAI), Wilderness & Backcountry Lodges (Remote/Off-Grid) (THAGAIAB), Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Men's faith formation
• Wilderness father-child experiences
• Masculine spiritual development
• Men's ministry nonprofit
• Retreat and expedition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

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

Revenue model

1. Experience Fees: Revenue from multi-day wilderness experiences including Base Camp (father-child), Man Maker expeditions, Sage Scotland/Ireland trips, and men's retreats. These are premium-priced experiences ranging from $6,000 for international trips.
2. Book Sales: Sales of published books including Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage, Brotherhood Primer, and Man Maker Project through Amazon and potentially direct sales.
3. Grove Collective Membership: Online community membership providing access to courses, podcasts, expert interviews, forums, and exclusive content for ongoing member engagement.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from supporters, facilitated through their website donation portal. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Restoration Project runs multi-day, small-cohort wilderness formation experiences for fathers with sons, fathers with daughters, and men aged 35+, paired with published books, a weekly podcast, a guided journal, and the Grove Collective online community. Their methodology integrates outdoor adventure with faith-based masculine formation, sold as packaged experiences, media content, and ongoing membership.

Product overview

Restoration Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of faith-based men's formation resources and experiences. The portfolio includes live wilderness expedition experiences (father-son, father-daughter, and men's-only programs), published books (Brotherhood Primer, Man Maker Project, Sage), a digital community (Grove Collective), a podcast (The Restorative Man Podcast), a guided journal (Restorative Man Journal), and a blog/magazine (Small Batch Journal). The experiences are described as 'small batch' — intentionally limited in size to allow for depth — and are centered on masculine formation through story-work, brotherhood, and wilderness. The products collectively support men across life stages: young fathers, midlife men, and legacy builders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Father-Son Experiences Wilderness expeditions designed for dads and their sons (typically ages 8-15), including Man Maker Base Camp, Backpacking, Rafting, and Canoe Canada trips, creating space for connection, faith formation, and identity transmission.
• Father-Daughter Experiences Wilderness adventures for fathers with their daughters (typically ages 10-15), including Fierce & Lovely Base Camp, Backpacking, and Table Rock Adventure trips focused on character formation and father-daughter connection.
• Men's Experiences Multi-day men-only wilderness experiences including The Journey (Horse Packing), Sage Experience: Scotland (for men aged 35-59), and Sage Experience: Ireland (for men aged 55+), focused on masculine formation and midlife navigation, with limited cohort sizes such as 10 men for the Ireland trip at $6,000 per participant.
• Grove Collective Membership Subscription-based digital online community for men offering courses, expert interviews, podcasts, forums, and ongoing brotherhood connections as the primary post-experience retention and engagement mechanism.
• Brotherhood Primer (book) Book by Chris Bruno offering a guided journey for men seeking to uncover their story, confront barriers, and build brotherhood with other men.
• Man Maker Project (book and experience) Book by Chris Bruno and associated father-son experience focused on fathers initiating their sons into masculinity, supporting the Man Maker line of programs.
• Sage (book) Book titled 'Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage' by Chris Bruno targeting men navigating midlife and the second half of life, available in print and audiobook formats, paired with the Sage Scotland and Sage Ireland wilderness experiences.
• Restorative Man Journal Guided journal designed to help men slow down, tell the truth, and reconnect with their story through honest reflection and spiritual formation.
• The Restorative Man Podcast Weekly podcast featuring real conversations about faith, family, purpose, and masculine growth, distributed via Transistor FM and available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and Audible.
• Small Batch Journal (blog and print magazine) Print magazine and accompanying blog featuring stories of lives changed, families transformed, and legacies created, gathered over 15 years of Restoration Project's history.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RESTORY™ UniversecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestoration Project is a proud member of the RESTORY™ Universe, a network or affiliation of related organizations focused on restoration and formation. This connection positions them within a broader ecosystem of ministry organizations sharing similar missions.
• Fierce & LovelycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on equipping women to parent out of story. Sister ministry to Restoration Project with complementary focus on feminine formation and mothering. Website link provided: fierceandlovely.org
• Restory.life (Thrive)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization offering resources for marriage enrichment. Part of the broader Restory network helping couples and individuals thrive in relationships.
• Restory.life (RP Men)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing men's mental health resources. Referenced as partner organization's option for men's mental health support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Artisan: Faith-based community organization that hosts men's formation experiences and content, including retreats and brotherhood programming. Emerging player with overlapping themes of masculine formation and faith-based community, though not exclusively focused on wilderness.
• Iron Sharpens Iron: Faith-based men's ministry producing conferences and resources for spiritual growth and brotherhood. Comparable audience of Christian men and mission of formation, with a more event-and-conference-centric delivery model.
• F3 Nation: Nationwide network of free, peer-led men's workout groups emphasizing brotherhood, leadership, and personal growth. Comparable in building men's brotherhood communities, though secular and fitness-anchored rather than faith-based and experience-anchored.

Direct peers

• C12 Group: Faith-based peer advisory and formation organization serving Christian business leaders through groups, retreats, and content. Comparable in targeting Christian men for formation and brotherhood, with a premium membership model and structured gatherings.
• Wild at Heart: Faith-based ministry founded by John Eldredge focused on men's hearts and spiritual formation, including wilderness-based experiences and retreats. Direct comparability to Restoration Project in combining Christian worldview, men's formation, and outdoor adventure programming.
• Man in the Mirror: Nonprofit organization serving men through church-based programs, books, and resources for spiritual growth. Comparable to Restoration Project in faith-based men's formation content and community-building focus, though it leans more church-distribution than wilderness-experience.
• Fierce & Lovely: Sister ministry to Restoration Project within the Restory™ Universe, focused on feminine formation and mothering. Highly comparable operating model and faith-based formation framework, with a complementary (not competitive) audience.

Broad incumbents

• The Boone Center for the Family: Faith-based family formation research and program organization producing retreats, conferences, and curricula for marriages, parenting, and men's development. Comparable in faith-based family formation and men's programming, with an academic/research-adjacent delivery model.
• Promise Keepers: Long-standing national men's Christian ministry producing stadium events, conferences, and small-group resources. Comparable in faith-based men's formation mission, with broader event-based distribution and a larger historical reach than Restoration Project.

Regional players

• Center for Adventure: Outdoor-based adventure and formation organization combining wilderness expeditions with personal/spiritual growth programming. Comparable in the use of wilderness as a formation setting, though with a more secular and youth-outdoor-education bent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/healknowrestore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@restorationproject
• Facebookfacebook.com/RestorationProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/restoration-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Restoration Project