Living Water Adopt-a-child

What Living Water Adopt-a-child does

Living Water Adopt-a-Child is a 501(c)(3) Christ-centered non-profit ministry founded in 1980 by Mack and Peggy McKeown in Guatemala. The organization delivers child sponsorship, school feeding, medical/dental care, and discipleship programs to impoverished children and families in Guatemala and Albania. Its operational footprint comprises 18 programs and 14 planted churches across both countries, including 12 feeding centers in Guatemala's Quiché region and 6 programs in Albania operating through 5 churches. As of recent reporting, the ministry serves 6,300+ children, with another 3,000+ children on the waitlist. Administrative offices support operations from the United States (Pensacola, FL), United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany, with no proprietary technology platform and no disclosed AI capabilities.

The core offering is the Child Sponsorship Program at $40 per month per child, funding food, medical/dental care, pastoral support, and connection with local churches. Supplementary programs include the Blessing Fields agricultural project in Guatemala (launched 2017), the Women in Need (WIN) sponsorship for widows (2019), and the M25 program serving the elderly and individuals with special needs. Seasonal revenue is generated through the Christmas Giving program, the M25 Gift Catalog, and a Workplace Giving initiative for corporate donors. Distribution runs through a self-serve website portal, mission trips, and an extensive church partnership network in the U.S. and Canada, including Northridge Church (Pensacola, FL) and Gateway Church (Victoria, Canada). Strategic content and service partners include Christianity Explored Ministries, ABC Family Health Center, and the Albanian Bible Society.

The financial model is donation-driven rather than revenue-generating. Funding is sourced from recurring monthly sponsorships, general donations, church-partnership contributions, and seasonal gift programs, with operations supported by 11–50 employees. Recent expansion activity (Elbasan Albania in 2021, Chulumal and Jocotenango in 2023) and the introduction of new sponsorship products indicate ongoing programmatic scaling, while the 3,000+ waitlist suggests that growth is constrained primarily by sponsorship acquisition rather than field capacity.

Name

Living Water Adopt-a-child

Legal name

Living Water Adopt-a-Child

Website

https://www.livingwateradoptachild.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Living Water Adopt-a-Child is a 501(c)(3) Christ-centered non-profit founded in 1980 that runs child sponsorship, feeding, medical, and discipleship programs serving 6,300+ impoverished children and families in Guatemala and Albania through 18 programs and 14 churches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit child sponsorship ministry

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Child sponsorship programs
• Humanitarian aid services
• Feeding programs ministry
• Medical dental clinics
• Christian nonprofit ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Pensacola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Child Sponsorship: Monthly recurring donations of $40 per child sponsorship. Covers food, medical/dental care, connection with local churches, and pastoral support for children in Guatemala and Albania.
2. General Donations: One-time and recurring financial gifts from donors supporting the ministry's humanitarian work, feeding programs, medical clinics, and church planting efforts.
3. Church Partnership Contributions: Church partners contribute financially through mission trips, sponsorships, and special fundraising efforts. Northridge Church raised $15,000 through bake sales.
4. Christmas Fund/Gifts: Seasonal giving program where donors provide Christmas gifts ($25-$100) and special food parcels for children in Guatemala and Albania.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Living Water Adopt-a-Child is a Christ-centered non-profit ministry that delivers child sponsorship, nutrition, healthcare, and discipleship programs to impoverished children and families in Guatemala and Albania. Its anchor offering is the monthly Child Sponsorship Program at $40/child, which funds feeding programs, medical/dental clinics, church-based pastoral care, and youth ministry. Supporting programs include the Blessing Fields sustainable agriculture project, the Women in Need (WIN) widow sponsorship program, the M25 program for the elderly and special needs, and church planting across 14 sites.

Product overview

Living Water Adopt-a-Child is a Christ-centered non-profit ministry (not a technology product) offering child sponsorship as its primary program. The core offerings include Child Sponsorship Programs ($40/month), Feeding Programs with food parcels and hot meals, Medical & Dental Clinics, and Blessing Fields agricultural projects. Supporting programs include the Women in Need (WIN) Program and M25 Program for widows and those with special needs, Churches & Youth Centers for spiritual development, Missionary Internship Program for training future ministry leaders, and Mission Trips for sponsor visits. Additional giving programs include Christmas Giving, M25 Gift Catalog, Support Our Pastors, and Workplace Giving. The ministry operates administrative offices in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Germany, serving children in Guatemala (12 feeding programs, 9 churches) and Albania (6 programs, 5 churches).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women in Need (WIN) Program: A sponsorship program for widows and vulnerable women in Guatemala and Albania.
• M25 Program
• Blessing Fields Project

Products and services

• Child Sponsorship Program Monthly recurring sponsorship at $40/child covering food, essential medical and dental care, connection with a local church, and regular pastoral support for impoverished children in Guatemala and Albania.
• Feeding Programs Nutritious meals and food parcel distribution programs serving children and families across 12 feeding programs in Guatemala and additional programs in Albania, with pandemic-era food parcel delivery now covering 10 feeding programs in Albania.
• Medical & Dental Clinics Mobile and stationary medical and dental clinics providing essential healthcare to children and families in Guatemala and Albania, including partnerships with ABC Family Health Center. The 2023 Guatemala medical and dental campaign treated 2,030 patients.
• Blessing Fields Project Sustainable agricultural project in Guatemala's Quiche region producing crops and raising poultry (100+ chickens for eggs and meat) to supply feeding programs and provide food for local families.
• Women in Need (WIN) Program Sponsorship program providing food parcels, spiritual support, and assistance with basic needs to widows and vulnerable single mothers in Albania and Guatemala.
• M25 Program Program caring for widows, the elderly, and individuals with special needs living in extreme poverty, providing food, home repairs, and pastoral support.
• Missionary Internship Program Year-long discipleship program for young believers to serve in Guatemala, gaining ministry experience and developing missionary calling (e.g., Jake Collier's internship).
• Mission Trips Short-term mission trips to Guatemala and Albania allowing sponsors and supporters to visit sponsored children and serve alongside local staff in ministry activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,300+ children served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Gateway Church Victoria, CanadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 June 2023Gateway Church from Victoria, British Columbia supports LWAAC in Guatemala with mission trips and building the Kingdom of God.
• Victory Church Boca Raton, FloridaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Church member Gabriela Barbir donated a special Bible for the new Chulumal center foundation in Guatemala.
• Northridge ChurchcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 December 2022Pensacola, Florida church sent 13-person mission team to Guatemala. Donated $15,000 (raised through bake sale), laptop, and guitar. Participated in Christmas celebrations serving 750+ children.
• ABC Family Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2022Partnership for regular medical clinics in Albania. Healthcare provider partnership to deliver essential medical care to impoverished communities.
• Christianity Explored MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-year partnership to translate and distribute evangelism and discipleship materials in Albania. Christianity Explored (CE) course, Soul (youth version), and Discipleship Explored (DE) materials translated into Albanian. 155 churches using materials, 585 leaders trained, 250 people have accepted Christ through these resources.
• Albanian Bible SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides free Bibles for distribution at evangelism activities and church meetings in Albania's rural communities.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ChildFund International: International child sponsorship organization serving children in 23 countries with monthly sponsorship and community development programs. Direct peer in business model and child-sponsorship GTM.
• Kids Alive International: Christian child-care organization providing residential care, sponsorship, and family support for at-risk children in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Operates in similar geographies and uses comparable sponsorship + discipleship model.
• Holt International: Christian organization focused on international child welfare, including sponsorship, foster care, and adoption services. Shares the Christ-centered child welfare positioning and operates sponsorship models in Latin America and Eastern Europe where LWAAC works.
• Food for the Hungry: Christ-centered humanitarian organization running child sponsorship, feeding programs, and community development — a strong overlap with LWAAC's feeding + discipleship approach, though FH operates at much larger scale.
• Children's HopeChest: Child sponsorship organization pairing U.S. sponsors with vulnerable children in 9 countries, with an explicit Christ-centered mission and focus on community transformation — closely mirrors LWAAC's sponsorship-to-church-planting pipeline.
• Gospel for Asia: Christ-centered ministry running child sponsorship and missionary support programs primarily in South Asia. Closely matches LWAAC's monthly sponsorship + evangelism model, though operating in different geographies.
• Compassion International: The largest Christ-centered child sponsorship organization, sponsoring over 2 million children globally through a similar monthly sponsorship model with holistic physical, educational, medical, and spiritual programming. Most directly comparable peer in mission and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Samaritan's Purse: Large evangelical relief organization (known for Operation Christmas Child) running child-focused humanitarian programs globally. Broader portfolio than LWAAC but shares donor demographic and Christ-centered mission framing.
• World Vision: One of the largest Christian humanitarian organizations globally, operating child sponsorship, emergency relief, and long-term community development across 100+ countries. Larger and more diversified than LWAAC but shares the evangelical Christian sponsorship DNA.

Emerging players

• Latin America Child Care: Christ-centered child sponsorship ministry operating specifically across multiple Latin American countries including Guatemala. The strongest geographic and demographic overlap with LWAAC's Guatemala program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AACLivingWater
• Instagraminstagram.com/lwadoptachild
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adopt-a-child

Compliance1 record

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 Living Water Adopt-a-child