YWAM Ships Kona

Name

YWAM Ships Kona

Legal name

YWAM Ships Orange County

Website

https://ywamshipskona.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Mission and Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM), Medical Assistance & Ship-to-Shore Healthcare Coordination (TLAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Missionary training programs
• Maritime medical outreach
• Bible translation services
• Volunteer mission deployment
• Discipleship training schools

Headquarters

HQ city

Kailua Kona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute tax-deductible donations to support mission operations. 100% of staff and volunteers raise their own funds. Organization offers monthly 'WaveMaker' giving program for recurring donors.
2. Discipleship Training School Tuition: DTS lecture phase tuition covers room, board, and instruction. Outreach fees cover field assignment costs including airfare. Pricing varies by program.
3. Staff Fees: Long-term staff pay fees covering food, accommodation, transport costs, outreach uniform, administration, and general ship upkeep
4. Outreach Fees: Volunteers participating in medical and marine outreach missions pay fees that cover orientation, housing, and program costs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

YWAM Ships Kona delivers Christian missionary training through Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) and University of the Nations courses, deploys medical and marine volunteers aboard vessels such as the m/v YWAM LIBERTY, and operates ship-based healthcare and Bible translation initiatives to serve isolated Pacific island communities. The organization is funded by donations and participant fees, with 100% of staff and long-term volunteers raising their own support.

Product overview

YWAM Ships Kona operates as a Christian missionary organization offering a platform of training programs and volunteer services. The core offerings include Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) as entry-level programs and University of the Nations Courses as second-level schools, along with short seminars. The organization deploys medical and marine volunteer programs aboard its vessels, particularly the m/v YWAM LIBERTY medical ship, to serve isolated Pacific island communities. Supporting initiatives include End Bible Poverty Now for Bible translation and the Flotilla Initiative for yacht-based mission outreach. Training and operations are supported by Port YWAM in Kona, Hawaii and Outpost Panama.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) Entry-level missionary training programs lasting 5-6.5 months, consisting of a 12-week lecture phase in Kona and an 8-12 week field outreach, designed for individuals pursuing missionary service.
• University of the Nations Courses Second-level training for DTS graduates, including Bible Core Course, Discipleship Bible School, Navigation and Seamanship, Transformational Development School, and Diakonos (Associate of Arts in Christian Leadership).
• Seminars Short-term intensive courses such as the Global and Community Health seminar and the Logos seminar for teaching and preaching.
• Medical Volunteer Program Short-term service placements for physicians, dentists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals aboard YWAM vessels delivering primary healthcare, dentistry, ophthalmology, and optometry services.
• Marine Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities aboard medical ships including deck operations, engineering, stewards, and trades positions for qualified mariners serving in mission outreach.
• End Bible Poverty Now (EBPN) Bible translation, distribution, and engagement initiative targeting 67 languages across 27 Pacific islands over 5 years, partnering with audio Bible providers to reach over 325,000 people without a verse of the Bible in their language.
• Flotilla Initiative Program partnering with private sailing vessel owners to mobilize mission teams to reach isolated islands throughout the Pacific Ocean not accessible by the main medical ship.
• m/v YWAM LIBERTY 65-meter, 1,753-ton medical and training ship with onboard dental and ophthalmology surgical capabilities, operating in Papua New Guinea at the invitation of the PNG government to deliver healthcare and capacity building to remote island communities.
• Port YWAM Training and logistics headquarters in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, housed in a repurposed hotel on Alii Drive with five classrooms, multiple offices, and approximately 200 staff serving as the primary training and field support facility.
• Outpost Panama Jungle island training and outreach facility on Bastimentos Island in the Caribbean Sea near Costa Rica, running on solar power with rain-catchment water system, sleeping up to 40 individuals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 936+ isolated Pacific islands identified without access to basic services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Government of Papua New GuineacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe m/v YWAM LIBERTY operates in Papua New Guinea at the invitation of the PNG government, providing medical services, supporting basic service delivery, building capacity, and addressing critical health concerns across remote island communities.
• End Bible Poverty NowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYWAM Madang partners with End Bible Poverty Now for Bible translation into 40 indigenous languages of Papua New Guinea, working in association with University of the Nations and other Bible translation ministries.
• University of the Nations (UofN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYWAM Ships Kona offers University of the Nations courses and degree programs including Bible Core Course, Discipleship Bible School, Navigation and Seamanship, and Diakonos (AA in Christian Leadership).
• YWAM Ships NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYWAM Ships Kona is part of a global network of independently operated YWAM ship ministries including YWAM Ships Aotearoa, YWAM Ships Mazatlan, YWAM Ships Switzerland, and others, sharing resources and coordination.
• Local Churches (PNG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical and mission teams work closely with local churches in Papua New Guinea who are often the main healthcare providers and community anchors for outreach activities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Doctors Without Borders (MSF): Secular medical humanitarian NGO delivering emergency care in fragile states (including Pacific island deployments). Comparable in remote-island medical delivery, though operating without religious mission framing or hospital ships.
• Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru): Global evangelical ministry with comparable staff-self-fundraising model, training schools, and donor base. Adjacent rather than ship-based but operationally similar in faith-based mobilization at scale.
• Samaritan's Purse: Evangelical relief organization with disaster response, medical programs, and World Medical Mission that places Christian healthcare professionals in overseas hospitals. Comparable donor base and medical volunteer mobilization, though ship-independent.
• Operation Mobilisation (OM): Large evangelical mission organization operating ships (Logos, Doulos) and global volunteer mobilization programs. Comparable in missionary training and ship deployment but with a much broader ministry portfolio beyond healthcare.
• Youth With A Mission (YWAM): Global parent movement with 1,200+ locations in 180+ countries running DTS programs and University of the Nations. Parent and operator of the network that YWAM Ships Kona is part of; directly comparable in training program structure and volunteer pipeline.

Direct peers

• Mercy Ships: Operates the world's largest civilian hospital ships (Global Mercy, Africa Mercy) delivering free surgical care to port cities in Africa. Direct peer in ship-based medical humanitarian delivery, though larger in scale and secular rather than evangelical in mission framing.
• Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF): Faith-based organization operating a fleet of 130+ light aircraft to deliver medical, disaster, and community services to isolated communities in remote geographies. Direct peer in accessing last-mile populations via specialized transport platforms.
• YWAM Ships Switzerland: European YWAM ship ministry that acquired m/v Island Reach in 2021 for Madagascar service. Sister peer operating the same ship-based mission model with separate geographic focus.
• YWAM Ships Aotearoa: Sister YWAM ship ministry operating in the South Pacific; received the m/v YWAM Koha from YWAM Ships Kona in 2019. Direct affiliate peer with overlapping volunteer pipelines, training schools, and Pacific island outreach.
• YWAM Ships Mazatlan: Independently operated YWAM ship ministry based in Mexico, serving Latin American coastal communities. Direct sibling peer within the YWAM Ships Network with shared training programs and volunteer mobilization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/YWAMShipsKona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ywam-ships-kona

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 YWAM Ships Kona