anselm house

What anselm house does

Anselm House is a 501(c)(3) Christian study center headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that has served the University of Minnesota community for more than 40 years. Its core product is a portfolio of in-person formation and educational programs rather than any technology platform. The flagship physical asset is Melrose Station, a 20,000 square foot campus hub opened in November 2022 at 720 Washington Ave SE on the Minneapolis campus, with a secondary St. Paul Study Center at 1337 Cleveland Ave N. Programming is anchored by the Colin MacLaurin Fellows Program, a multi-year cohort-based Christian formation program offered free to admitted UMN students (approximately 60 current Fellows plus 70+ in short courses), supplemented by the Center for Faith & Learning for graduate students and faculty, the Mentor Program, River House (a Christian residential community), a 4,000+ volume theological library, and short courses on topics such as Christianity and Medicine.

The organization is funded entirely through charitable donations and grants rather than fees. The Fellows Program is free to students, with per-fellow costs exceeding $2,500 annually, subsidized by donors. The 'From the Heart Campaign' raised over $18.3 million from 182 supporters (completed October 2023) to acquire and renovate Melrose Station, with lead gifts of $3.5 million each from retired CEOs Ken Melrose and Joel Jennings. Anselm House also participates in a $2.7 million John Templeton Foundation research consortium led by Baylor University alongside Notre Dame, Wheaton, Cornell, Penn, UNC Chapel Hill, and the University of Chicago. Day-to-day operations are supported by a staff of 15 plus 35+ campus ministry partners, and the organization is currently hiring five additional teammates. Governance is led by Executive Director Dr. Bryan Bademan (PhD, Notre Dame, in role since 2009), Managing Director Dan Olson, Program Director Dr. Andrew Hansen, and Director of the Center for Faith & Learning Dr. Arend J. Poelarends (PhD in Astrophysics, University of Utrecht).

Name

anselm house

Legal name

Anselm House

Website

https://anselmhouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Anselm House is a 501(c)(3) Christian study center serving University of Minnesota students, faculty, and the Twin Cities community since 1982, operating a campus hub, a free Fellows Program, faculty programs, and a residential community funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Educational Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI), Residential Education, Programming & Community Development (EDALACAC)

Keywords

• Christian study center
• Faith-based education
• University ministry
• Theological formation
• Fellowship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, Anselm House relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and supporters. The 'From the Heart Campaign' raised over $18.3 million from 182 supporters including gifts, commitments, and estate gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Anselm House operates as a nonprofit Christian study center serving the University of Minnesota community, providing Christian educational programs, formation cohorts, faculty engagement initiatives, theological library access, and physical hospitality and study spaces through its Melrose Station campus hub. Its offerings include the Colin MacLaurin Fellows Program, the Center for Faith & Learning, the Mentor Program, Short Courses, the River House residential community, and the Ampersand Newsletter, all designed to connect Christian faith with academic calling and the broader life of the university.

Product overview

Anselm House is a Christian study center serving the University of Minnesota that offers a portfolio of educational and community programs rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include Melrose Station (a physical campus hub for hospitality and study), the Colin MacLaurin Fellows Program (a multi-year Christian formation curriculum), the Center for Faith & Learning (supporting faculty and graduate students), the Ampersand Newsletter (quarterly publication), the Mentor Program, River House (residential community), a theological library, Dr. Fred Smith Research Awards, and Short Courses. These programs work together to connect Christian faith and knowledge across the university community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Melrose Station A 20,000 square foot state-of-the-art hub of connection for the University of Minnesota community, offering hospitality, study space, coffee, meals, and community gatherings at the corner of Washington and Oak in Minneapolis.
• Colin MacLaurin Fellows Program A multi-year co-curricular program of Christian formation for University of Minnesota undergraduates and graduate/professional students, combining community, theological formation, and the historic resources of the Christian tradition through cohort dinner discussions, retreats, and mentorship. Free of charge to admitted students through donor support.
• Center for Faith & Learning A hub for graduate students and faculty seeking to connect faith, knowledge, and all of life, offering public lectures, dissertation assistance, and initiatives to shape integrated leaders in every academic field for Christian service.
• Anselm House Mentor Program A program connecting professionals from the broader community with University of Minnesota students, providing career information and spiritual insights to bridge college, career, and family.
• River House A Christian living and learning community that weaves together Christian formation, academic study, and daily life for current Fellows at the University of Minnesota.
• Theological Library A library of over 4,000 classic Christian books available to students, including works by Athanasius, Augustine, Dante, Thomas a Kempis, Dorothy Sayers, Flannery O'Connor, and C.S. Lewis.
• Short Courses Educational courses covering topics such as Christianity and Medicine, Justice in the Christian Tradition, and How to Read the Bible, offered to students and community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 80 UMN constituents daily at Melrose Station
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2023Host institution where Anselm House operates as a center for Christian studies, serving the UMN community of 50,000+ students, faculty, and staff
• Baylor UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022Led by Dr. Perry Glanzer and Dr. Sarah Schnitker of Baylor University. Research project titled 'The Role of Meta-Identity in Developing Moral Communities Within Higher Education' examining virtue formation at Christian study centers at secular universities.
• Lumen Christi Institute (University of Chicago)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022One of five Christian study centers participating in the Baylor/John Templeton Foundation research study on virtue formation
• North Carolina Study Center (UNC Chapel Hill)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022One of five Christian study centers participating in the Baylor/John Templeton Foundation research study on virtue formation
• Chesterton House (Cornell)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022One of five Christian study centers participating in the Baylor/John Templeton Foundation research study on virtue formation
• Collegium Institute (University of Pennsylvania)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022One of five Christian study centers participating in the Baylor/John Templeton Foundation research study on virtue formation
• University of Notre DameminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022One of three institutions of Christian higher education providing comparative data for the Baylor virtue formation research study
• Wheaton College (IL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2022One of three institutions of Christian higher education providing comparative data for the Baylor virtue formation research study

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Cru is one of the largest campus ministry organizations in the U.S., active at UMN and most other universities. Comparable as a Christian presence serving the same UMN student population, though its programmatic emphasis differs from Anselm House's intellectual-formation model.
• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: InterVarsity is a large, established campus ministry organization operating across hundreds of U.S. universities. It is comparable to Anselm House as a Christian organization serving UMN students but operates at much broader scale and with a more evangelical (rather than mainline/formation-focused) approach.

Others

• Consortium of Christian Study Centers: The Consortium of Christian Study Centers is the industry body that Anselm House and other peer study centers belong to. It is the key network and convening organization for the Christian study center movement at secular universities, making it the closest ecosystem-level peer.
• Wheaton College: Wheaton College is a leading Christian liberal arts college and co-participant in the Baylor/Templeton research study providing comparative data. It is comparable to Anselm House in mission (Christian intellectual formation) but operates as a full residential undergraduate institution rather than a study center embedded in a secular university.

Direct peers

• Collegium Institute (University of Pennsylvania): Collegium Institute is a Christian study center at UPenn offering intellectual formation, faculty programs, and student community. Directly comparable to Anselm House in mission and structure, and a fellow participant in the Baylor/Templeton research study on moral communities.
• North Carolina Study Center (UNC Chapel Hill): The NC Study Center at UNC Chapel Hill serves students and faculty with Christian formation, theological resources, and intellectual community. It is directly comparable to Anselm House as a peer Christian study center at a public research university and fellow Baylor/Templeton research participant.
• Chesterton House (Cornell): Chesterton House is a Christian study center at Cornell University, directly comparable to Anselm House as both serve university communities with Christian formation programs, theological libraries, and lecture series. They are also formal co-participants in the Baylor/Templeton research study on virtue formation.
• Lumen Christi Institute (University of Chicago): Lumen Christi is a Catholic Christian study center at the University of Chicago providing formation, lectures, and community for students and faculty. Directly comparable to Anselm House as a peer in the Christian study center movement and co-participant in the Baylor/Templeton research initiative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AnselmHouseUMN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdPpwmNbzE85Ve5oRnAjX-g
• Facebookfacebook.com/AnselmHouseUMN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/15198415
• Instagraminstagram.com/AnselmHouseUMN

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about anselm house