C.S. Lewis Institute - Canada

What C.S. Lewis Institute - Canada does

C.S. Lewis Institute - Canada is the Canadian regional operation of C.S. Lewis Institute, a Virginia-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry founded in 1976 by Dr. James Houston and James R. Hiskey. The organization develops Christian discipleship programs, training, and resources aimed at helping individuals articulate, defend, share, and live their faith. It serves individual Christians, church pastors and leaders, and Christian families through a portfolio that includes the two-year Fellows Program, online and live study courses, publications (Knowing & Doing, Dawn Treader Magazine, Reflections, Broadcast Talks), podcasts (eX-skeptic, Questions That Matter, Knowing & Doing, Questioning Belief), global and local events such as the Summer Academy and study tours, and practical tools including Spiritual Checkup, Bible Reading Plan, and Financial/Spiritual Legacy planning. The Canada regional presence, alongside Africa, Asia, and the British Isles, is operated through local City Directors delivering programming on the ground.

The underlying technology platform is a standard nonprofit content-and-donation stack: the website (cslewisinstitute.org) serves as the primary distribution hub for resources, course enrollment, and event registration; a Blackbaud-powered Online Donor Portal provides PCI-compliant payment processing, encrypted giving history, and recurring gift management; Eventbrite handles event registration; and separate PayPal and Stewardship (UK) channels process international tax-deductible gifts. Integrations include Fidelity Investments for stock/securities gifts and a partnership with Barnabas Foundation for planned giving vehicles. There is no proprietary software product, and AI/ML capabilities are not deployed in the product surface.

The business model is donation-based rather than transactional: all resources, publications, podcasts, and educational materials are provided free to users. Revenue derives entirely from charitable contributions, with four documented streams — individual donations (one-time and recurring), stock and securities gifts, planned giving services (annuities, remainder trusts, IRA rollovers, donor-advised funds), and international donations. The institute is ECFA-accredited and holds the Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid/Guidestar. Headcount is 11-50, and governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Tim Haynes, with Joel Woodruff serving as President since 2015.

Name

C.S. Lewis Institute - Canada

Legal name

C.S. Lewis Institute

Website

https://cslewisinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C.S. Lewis Institute - Canada delivers Christian discipleship programs, training courses, and resources for spiritual formation, serving individual Christians, pastors, and families across Canada as part of a global nonprofit ministry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Education Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Christian discipleship programs
• Spiritual formation resources
• Apologetics training courses
• Religious education ministry
• Christian study courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond Hill

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable gifts from individual donors supporting the ministry. Gifts can be made via credit card, Venmo, PayPal, and ACH Direct Debit. One-time and recurring gift options available. The institute is a registered 501(c)(3) organization with Tax ID 54-1802015.
2. Stock and Securities Gifts: Gifts of appreciated stock or securities offered to donors for tax advantages. Stock gifts allow donors to avoid capital gains tax while the institute receives full fair market value. Arranged through Fidelity Investments.
3. Planned Giving Services: Comprehensive charitable gift planning including Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, IRA Charitable Rollover gifting, and Donor-Advised Funds through partnership with Barnabas Foundation.
4. International Donations: Canadian and UK tax-deductible donations accepted through separate PayPal and Stewardship (UK) channels for international supporters.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

C.S. Lewis Institute - Canada is a Christian ministry that develops wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ through a portfolio of structured programs, educational resources, and community initiatives. It offers the Fellows Program (Year 1 and Year 2 curriculum), study courses for individuals and small groups, publications (Knowing & Doing, Dawn Treader Magazine, Reflections), podcasts (eX-skeptic, Questions That Matter, Knowing & Doing), and global and local events including the Summer Academy and study tours. The ministry also provides specialized resources for pastors and church leaders, and family discipleship content (Keeping the Faith).

Product overview

C.S. Lewis Institute operates as a ministry organization offering a portfolio of Christian discipleship resources, programs, and tools. The core offering includes the Fellows Program (a structured two-year discipleship curriculum), publications (Knowing & Doing, Dawn Treader Magazine), podcasts (eX-skeptic, Questions That Matter), study courses (online and live), and events (Summer Academy, study tours). Supporting offerings include practical tools (Spiritual Checkup, Bible Reading Plan, Financial/Spiritual Legacy planning), Children & Families resources (Keeping the Faith), the Blackbaud-powered Donor Portal for managing donations, and Planned Giving Services for charitable estate planning through Barnabas Foundation partnership. The organization serves Christians seeking to develop their faith through educational content, community programs, and practical spiritual development resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fellows Program: A discipleship program for developing wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ
• eX-skeptic
• Knowing & Doing
• Dawn Treader Magazine

Products and services

• Fellows Program
• Study Courses
• Publications
• Podcasts
• Global and Local Events
• Resource Center
• Keeping the Faith (Children & Families)
• Pastors Network
• Planned Giving Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Fellows Program has produced multiple cohorts since 1999 with ongoing alumni engagement
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Barnabas FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarnabas Foundation provides comprehensive charitable gift and will planning services for CSLI supporters. Through this partnership, the institute offers Planned Giving options including Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, IRA Charitable Rollover gifting, and Donor-Advised Funds. Barnabas Foundation provides biblically-based guidance and tax-wise charitable options for donors seeking long-term planning.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Cru is a global campus ministry organization producing discipleship content, training programs, and study materials. Comparable to CSLI's Fellows Program structure and global footprint but operates at much larger scale across university campuses.
• Focus on the Family: Focus on the Family is a large established Christian organization providing family discipleship resources, podcasts, and counseling. Overlaps with CSLI's Children & Families (Keeping the Faith) offerings but serves a broader family ministry scope.

Direct peers

• Desiring God: Desiring God produces Christian articles, podcasts, conferences, and educational resources focused on joy in God and discipleship. Directly comparable mission of equipping believers through content, with overlapping audience and donor base.
• Christianity Today: Christianity Today is a leading evangelical media organization publishing articles, magazines, and podcasts. Comparable to CSLI's Knowing & Doing, Dawn Treader Magazine, and Reflections publications serving the same evangelical audience.
• RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries): RZIM focuses on Christian apologetics training, podcasts, and evangelism resources, comparable to CSLI's apologetics focus through staff like Jana Harmon and Cameron McAllister who work in adjacent apologetics spaces.
• Ligonier Ministries: Ligonier Ministries is a Reformed Christian teaching organization producing discipleship courses, conferences, and daily devotional content. Highly comparable to CSLI's theological education focus; CSLI board member Arthur Lindsley previously worked at Ligonier's Valley Study Center.
• Alpha USA: Alpha runs the widely deployed Alpha Course, a structured introduction to Christianity for small groups. Directly comparable to CSLI's online study courses and Fellows Program as a discipleship/formation curriculum.
• Veritas Forum: Veritas Forum hosts intellectual conversations about faith at universities and produces related content, closely paralleling CSLI's Fellows Program community and apologetics mission serving educated Christian audiences.
• BibleProject: BibleProject produces free animated videos and podcasts explaining the Bible and Christian theology. Overlaps directly with CSLI's free study courses and podcasts targeting intellectually engaged Christians seeking deeper faith formation.

Emerging players

• The Gospel Coalition: The Gospel Coalition produces articles, podcasts, books, and conferences focused on gospel-centered ministry and discipleship. Overlaps with CSLI's content resources and Reformed theological audience, though TGC skews more pastoral/church-facing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-s-lewis-institute

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 C.S. Lewis Institute - Canada