IONA COMMUNITY (THE)
The Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical Christian movement, founded 1938 in Glasgow, operating Iona Abbey and Camas retreat centres on Scottish islands alongside Wild Goose Publications, serving ~2,280 global Members, visitors, and readers through worship, retreats, and resources.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What IONA COMMUNITY (THE) does
The Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical Christian movement founded in Glasgow in 1938 by Rev George MacLeod, currently led by Ruth Harvey and registered as a Scottish charity (Charity No: SC003794; Company No: SC096243). It operates two physical centres — Iona Abbey on the Isle of Iona and the Camas Outdoor Centre on the Isle of Mull — which function as retreat, pilgrimage, worship, and hospitality venues offering residential programme weeks, themed retreats, and day visits. The organization is governed by approximately 280 full Members with a wider community of more than 2,000 Associate Members, Young Adults, and Friends spread across Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
Its portfolio of sub-brands includes Wild Goose Publications (a publishing arm selling books, e-books, and liturgical resources via ionabooks.com), the Wild Goose Resource Group (creative worship, liturgy, and music development), Iona Community Learn (training and formation resources), Coracle and eCoracle (bimonthly magazine and newsletter), Daily Worship (online worship following the Abbey pattern), the Prayer Circle (global prayer network), Common Concern Networks (issue-based advocacy on environment, migration, LGBTQ+, peace, Israel/Palestine, racism, and interfaith relations), and Iona Youth. The Abbey site is preserved in cooperation with the Iona Cathedral Trust and Historic Environment Scotland.
The business model is donation- and activity-funded rather than commercial: primary income streams are charitable donations and legacies, guest payments at Iona Abbey and Camas, Wild Goose Publications book sales, and on-site retail at the Welcome Centre shop. The organization operates as a membership-based community with regional and Family Group gatherings worldwide, distributing its offering through both physical visitor engagement and online channels (Daily Worship, ionabooks.com, newsletters, and social media).
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IONA COMMUNITY (THE)
- Legal name
- Iona Community
- Website
- https://iona.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical Christian movement, founded 1938 in Glasgow, operating Iona Abbey and Camas retreat centres on Scottish islands alongside Wild Goose Publications, serving ~2,280 global Members, visitors, and readers through worship, retreats, and resources.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious community and retreat services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)
Keywords
Where IONA COMMUNITY (THE) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Giving: Primary funding source: donations, gifts in Will, and charitable contributions from supporters worldwide. The organization states 'for nearly 90 years, our work has been funded through donations, gifts in Will, book sales and guests at Iona Abbey.'
- Guest Accommodations and Hospitality: Revenue from visitors staying at Iona Abbey and Camas Outdoor Centre on Mull. Guests pay for accommodation and programs when staying in the Abbey.
- Book and Publication Sales: Wild Goose Publications sells books, e-books, and resources published by the community. This includes liturgy booklets, poetry, and theological materials.
- Retail Sales: The Welcome Centre and Shop on Iona sells books, gifts, and merchandise to visitors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Iona Community is an ecumenical Christian charity that operates retreat and hospitality centres (Iona Abbey, Camas on Mull, and a Glasgow base), runs worship, prayer, learning, youth, and justice-and-peace programmes, and produces books and worship resources through its Wild Goose Publications imprint and Wild Goose Resource Group. Its offer combines residential pilgrimages and retreats with publishing, retail, membership, and donation-supported community life.
Product overview
The Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical Christian movement offering a portfolio of spiritual, educational, and hospitality services. The core offerings are the Iona Abbey Centre and Camas Outdoor Centre retreat facilities on the Scottish islands of Iona and Mull. Supporting these are the Wild Goose Publications publishing arm and Wild Goose Resource Group creative team, which produce worship resources, liturgies, and books. Additional products include Iona Community Learn (training resources), Daily Worship online prayer resources, the Prayer Circle global prayer network, Coracle & eCoracle publications, and Common Concern Networks for social justice issues. The organization also provides membership programmes including Iona Youth for young adults. Together these form a complete ecosystem for Christian formation, spiritual practice, and justice-focused community building.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wild Goose Publications: Christian publishing division producing books, e-books on faith, justice, peace, and worship resources
- Wild Goose Resource Group
- Camas Centre
- Iona Community Learn
- Coracle & eCoracle
- Iona Youth
Products and services
- Iona Abbey Centre (MacLeod Centre and Abbey)
Quantifiable outcome
- Daily worship available online for global community members through Daily Worship program
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use IONA COMMUNITY (THE)
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT)coreThe Iona Community announced a new partnership with the Joint Public Issues Team on MLK Jr. Day (January 2026), coinciding with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. JPIT is a cross-denominational organization working on public policy and advocacy.
- Week of Prayer for World PeacecoreThe Iona Community was there at the beginning of WPWP in 1974 when George MacLeod was among faith leaders who signed 'A Call to Prayer for World Peace.' Interfaith Relations and Peace CCNs now collaborate with WPWP.
- Interfaith AlignmentcoreCollaboration with Interfaith Alignment and the Week of Prayer for World Peace to produce daily prayers from eight different faith traditions. The partnership brings together leaders from Jewish, Baha'i, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Indigenous, and Pagan traditions.
- Iona Cathedral TrustcoreThe Iona Community works in close cooperation with the Iona Cathedral Trust and islanders to ensure the Abbey is accessible to all. The Trust was given Iona Abbey in 1899 and works with the community on preservation and access.
- Historic Environment ScotlandminorHES cares for the fabric of Iona Abbey and the Nunnery and opens the Abbey site to the public. They offer guided tours of the ecclesiastical buildings.
- National Trust for ScotlandminorNTS is a conservation charity which protects Scotland's heritage. They work with the island community to preserve and protect heritage, coastline and landscape of Iona.
- Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT)minorMICT works to improve the social, economic, and environmental strengths of the islands of Mull and Iona.
- Wellspring CommunitycoreParallel, values-aligned community in Australia with strong and deepening relations. Collaborated on Creation Care pilgrimage across Australia in 2023, sharing resources and supporting one another while remaining distinct communities.
- Iona Parish ChurchminorPart of the Church of Scotland parishes of Iona linked with Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon and the Ross of Mull.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Corrymeela Community: Northern Ireland-based Christian community dedicated to peace-building, reconciliation, and hospitality — directly comparable focus on justice/peace work, ecumenical membership, and residential retreat experience.
- Lee Abbey: UK-based Christian retreat and conference community offering residential programmes focused on spiritual formation and discipleship — comparable mission, residential guest model, and ecumenical Christian positioning.
- Launde Abbey: Diocesan retreat house in Leicestershire offering Christian retreat, quiet days, and residential programmes for individuals and groups — comparable UK retreat/hospitality model with residential guest business.
- Taizé Community: Ecumenical monastic community in Burgundy, France, focused on prayer, reconciliation, and youth gatherings — the closest functional analogue to the Iona Community, with a similarly dispersed membership and global young-adult pilgrimage model.
- St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre: Welsh Jesuit retreat house offering individually guided and themed retreats with a residential guest model — directly comparable spiritual-retreat offering, denominationally rooted residential programme, and UK geographic footprint.
- Wellspring Community: Australia-based intentional Christian community explicitly inspired by and partnered with the Iona Community — shares the dispersed-membership, justice-and-peace model and has run joint Creation Care pilgrimages.
- Scargill House: Christian retreat and conference centre in the Yorkshire Dales offering residential programmes, community life, and spiritual formation — comparable scale, UK retreat-house model, and faith-based residential hospitality.
- Monastery of Bose: Ecumenical monastic community in northern Italy combining contemplative life, hospitality, and theological hospitality/retreat programmes — comparable ecumenical monastic model, guest accommodation, and spiritual-formation mission.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) social profiles
Digital presenceIONA COMMUNITY (THE) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about IONA COMMUNITY (THE)
What does IONA COMMUNITY (THE) do?
The Iona Community is an ecumenical Christian charity that operates retreat and hospitality centres (Iona Abbey, Camas on Mull, and a Glasgow base), runs worship, prayer, learning, youth, and justice-and-peace programmes, and produces books and worship resources through its Wild Goose Publications imprint and Wild Goose Resource Group. Its offer combines residential pilgrimages and retreats with publishing, retail, membership, and donation-supported community life.
Is IONA COMMUNITY (THE) a public or private company?
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was IONA COMMUNITY (THE) founded?
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) was founded in 1938. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is IONA COMMUNITY (THE) based?
IONA COMMUNITY (THE) is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does IONA COMMUNITY (THE) make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Giving is the primary driver. The others are guest Accommodations and Hospitality, book and Publication Sales and retail Sales.
Who are IONA COMMUNITY (THE)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Corrymeela Community, Lee Abbey, Launde Abbey, Taizé Community, St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre, Wellspring Community, Scargill House and Monastery of Bose.
Does IONA COMMUNITY (THE) have an API?
No public API is recorded for IONA COMMUNITY (THE).
What industry is IONA COMMUNITY (THE) in?
IONA COMMUNITY (THE)'s product category is Religious community and retreat services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAC, Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAL, Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8600.