CACE

What CACE does

CACE (The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education) is a faith-based educational consulting organization that supports Christian K-12 schools through advisory services, professional development, and proprietary pedagogical frameworks. It was established as a vision of the Sid & Carol Verdoorn Foundation, Dordt University, and a network of Christian school thought leaders, and it operates as a project of Dordt University from its headquarters at 700 7th St. NE, Sioux Center, Iowa. The organization reports 11–50 employees and is privately held.

CACE's core offerings fall into two streams. The first is fee-for-service consulting delivered through Senior Fellows: Strategic Planning, Leadership Search, Business Operations, and Marketing Research / Enrollment Management (the latter capability absorbed via the integration of Charter Oak Research). The second is a portfolio of proprietary frameworks and programs — Teaching for Transformation (TfT), practiced in 100+ schools worldwide with codified throughlines and Formational Learning Experiences; Coaching for Transformation (CfT); the Christian Deeper Learning framework and annual conference; the Practicing Faith Survey assessment tool; and the year-long 'Teach Like a Human' professional development course. Supporting content assets include the Digical Education and Hallway Conversations podcasts, the CACE Roundtable blog, and an ESA Resources hub tied to Iowa school-choice policy.

The go-to-market is relationship-led and event-driven: direct outreach to school administrators and boards, annual conferences, webinars, podcasts, and newsletter-based content marketing. CACE monetizes through bespoke consulting engagements, cohort-based professional development, and grant funding from the Sid & Carol Verdoorn Foundation. Customer segments are Christian K-12 schools, school administrators, and Christian school teachers; recent operational moves include an August 2026 partnership taking on administrative leadership of Heartland Christian Schools. Geographic reach is described as global with active participation from schools in the U.S., Canada, and at least nine countries represented at CDL gatherings.

Name

CACE

Legal name

The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education

Website

https://cace.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CACE provides strategic planning, leadership search, business operations consulting, and proprietary pedagogical frameworks (notably Teaching for Transformation) to Christian K-12 schools and their administrators, operating as a project of Dordt University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Consulting Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Christian education consulting
• School strategic planning
• Leadership search services
• Educational professional development
• Enrollment management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Center

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: CACE generates revenue through providing consulting services to Christian schools including strategic planning, leadership search, business operations, and marketing research/enrollment management. These are fee-for-service professional engagements tailored to individual school needs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CACE (The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education) provides fee-for-service consulting and professional development to Christian K-12 schools, including strategic planning, leadership search, business operations, and marketing research and enrollment management. It also develops and licenses proprietary educational frameworks such as Teaching for Transformation (TfT), Coaching for Transformation (CfT), and Christian Deeper Learning, and runs year-long professional development cohorts such as 'Teach Like a Human.'

Product overview

CACE (The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education) is an educational consulting and professional development organization that operates as a project of Dordt University. The organization offers a portfolio of consulting services including Strategic Planning, Leadership Search, Business Operations, and Marketing Research and Enrollment Management. These are complemented by educational programs such as Teaching for Transformation (TfT), Coaching for Transformation (CfT), and Christian Deeper Learning frameworks. CACE also provides professional development courses like 'Teach Like a Human,' operates podcasts (Digical Education and Hallway Conversations), maintains resource hubs for ESA information, and facilitates the Christian Deeper Learning Conference series. The organization positions itself as a network supporting Christian schools worldwide through consulting, resources, and professional learning communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Teaching for Transformation (TfT): A design framework for creating authentic, formational learning experiences rooted in a transformational worldview, practiced in over 100 schools worldwide.
• Coaching for Transformation (CfT)
• Christian Deeper Learning
• CACE Roundtable
• Digical Education Podcast
• Hallway Conversations Podcast

Products and services

• Strategic Planning A consulting engagement that guides Christian schools through creating a strategic roadmap, assessing marketing, enrollment, financial management, governance, climate, and teaching practices.
• Leadership Search A multi-step leadership search process to help Christian schools find effective leaders for principal or head-of-school positions through appreciative inquiry, guided interviews, and onboarding.
• Business Operations Christian school operational services providing business expertise to help schools embody their mission, maintain academic quality, manage enrollment accessibility, and implement HR policies.
• Marketing Research and Enrollment Management Data-driven marketing research and enrollment management services including custom research, market analysis, demographic databases, enrollment strategy development, and communication model creation.
• Teaching for Transformation (TfT) A design framework for creating authentic, formational learning experiences rooted in a transformational worldview, including core practices such as Storyline, Throughlines, and Formational Learning Experiences (FLEx). Adopted by over 100 schools worldwide.
• Coaching for Transformation (CfT) A framework connecting athletic department mission with institutional mission, providing coaches with intentionality tools and continuous support for transformation.
• Christian Deeper Learning A working paper and program defining deeper learning approaches in Christian education, supported by resources, conference presentations, and professional development on implementing deeper learning frameworks.
• Teach Like a Human Professional Development A year-long learning experience with eight modules, monthly coaching, and collaborative design work focused on playful practices and serious faith in the age of AI, rooted in each school's mission.
• Practicing Faith Survey A survey tool for measuring faith practices within Christian school communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ schools worldwide using Teaching for Transformation framework
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Heartland Christian SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2026Heartland Christian Schools entered partnership with CACE placing it under CACE's administrative leadership. CACE will provide professional development and educational resources. Full integration expected by November 2026.
• Dordt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCACE is a project of Dordt University, with shared vision for advancing Christian education. Executive Director Tim Van Soelen holds faculty status at Dordt University. The partnership provides institutional backing, faculty connections, and graduate education program integration.
• Langley Christian SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKevin A. Mirchandani serves as K-12 Director of Instruction & Faith Formation at Langley Christian School while contributing to CACE through blog posts on leadership and change management in Christian education.
• Baylor University Center for School LeadershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErik Ellefsen serves as Director of Networks and Improvement at Baylor University's Center for School Leadership while contributing as Senior Fellow to CACE. Partnership involves leadership development and research collaboration.
• CardusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChad Dirkse and Lynn Swaner serve as Senior Fellows for Cardus, a non-partisan think tank. Lynn Swaner serves as President, US at Cardus. Partnership involves research and dialogue on Christian education.
• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTia Gaines serves on the Board of Trustees for ACSI while contributing to CACE. Partnership supports advocacy and professional development for Christian schools internationally.
• Teaching for Transformation Schools NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 100+ schools worldwide practicing Teaching for Transformation framework. Schools implement TfT core practices and participate in network learning communities, conferences, and professional development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI): Global association serving over 25,000 Christian schools with accreditation, professional development, and advocacy. ACSI is the dominant incumbent in CACE's core market of Christian K-12 schools, and a CACE Senior Fellow (Tia Gaines) sits on its Board of Trustees, signaling direct overlap in audience and programming.
• National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA): The largest US faith-based K-12 organization, serving ~1.6 million Catholic school students with PD, advocacy, and consulting. Operates at significantly larger scale than CACE but in an adjacent faith-based education niche with overlapping consulting and professional development offerings.

Direct peers

• EL Education: Nonprofit that partners with K-12 schools on deeper learning, character, and project-based pedagogy through PD and curriculum. A CACE Senior Fellow (Steven Levy) consults with EL Education, and CACE's Christian Deeper Learning framework is explicitly modeled on similar design principles, making it a close methodology peer.
• Baylor University Center for School Leadership: University-based center producing research, leadership development, and convenings for K-12 school leaders. A CACE Senior Fellow (Erik Ellefsen) directs its Networks and Improvement work, and the center collaborates with CACE on leadership research, putting it in direct programmatic overlap.
• Christian Schools International: Faith-based K-12 school association providing professional development, curriculum, and networking to member schools. Directly comparable to CACE in mission and audience; a former CACE Senior Fellow (Dan Beerens) was VP of Learning Services here, illustrating overlapping scope.
• Cardus: Non-partisan think tank producing research and convening leaders on faith-based education, including the Converge conference. CACE's Senior Fellows include Cardus's US President (Lynn Swaner), and the two organizations co-develop research and dialogue on Christian school sustainability.
• DB Consulting: Independent education consulting practice founded by CACE Senior Fellow Dan Beerens, serving Christian schools on instructional improvement and leadership. Comparable as a solo/small Christian-school consulting competitor, though without CACE's institutional scale or proprietary frameworks.

Others

• Charter Oak Research (acquired by CACE): Pre-acquisition marketing research and enrollment management firm now integrated into CACE operations. Relevant because it illustrates CACE's inorganic growth playbook and the prior independent competitor that CACE absorbed.
• Dordt University Education Department: CACE's parent institution, which houses graduate and undergraduate education programs serving the same Christian educator audience. Functions as both a partner and an adjacent provider of credentialed training, with faculty status and graduate program integration creating close programmatic ties.

Emerging players

• EdChoice: Nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on school choice, including ESAs, vouchers, and tax-credit scholarships. CACE's ESA Resources hub mirrors EdChoice's role in educating faith-based schools on choice policy, making it a thematic peer in the same audience funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cacecenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CACE