ministries foundation

What ministries foundation does

Accola is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 93-3620880) headquartered at 1884 Randolph Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota, serving immigrant communities in the Twin Cities. Founded in 2022 through a strategic visioning process led by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St Paul Province and the Ministries Foundation Board, Accola consolidates three long-running CSJ ministry programs under a single organization: Learning In Style School (adult English-language, computer, and citizenship education for immigrants); Sarah's... an Oasis for Women (safe, trauma-informed housing for immigrant women survivors of violence, displacement, and trauma—operating for 30 years); and Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality (workshops and community gatherings on the intersection of spirituality and social justice). A fourth program, the Accola Response Fund, provides emergency support for families affected by ICE activity.

The organization's business model is donation-based, with revenue streams including one-time and recurring individual donations (processed via Blackbaud, PayPal, and mail), stock gifts processed through StockDonator, grant funding managed by a dedicated Donor & Grants Manager, and multi-year commitments from Impact Circle major donors. Accola does not sell products or charge beneficiaries—services are delivered free of charge. The marketing and community-engagement stack combines organic social (Facebook, Instagram), an Info Center blog, email newsletters, volunteer application pipelines, and an annual fundraising event (Midsummer at Sarah's). Operations are supported by approximately 22 named staff and a Board of Directors, with Matt Halley serving as President and the former Ministries Foundation now functioning as Accola's Advancement Office.

Technology infrastructure is limited to standard nonprofit operational tools: Blackbaud for donation processing, PayPal and StockDonator for payments, Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity for basic website analytics, and a Wix-hosted web presence. There is no proprietary technology product, no AI/ML capability, and no app or API offering. The organization holds no patents or trademarks and reports no regulatory actions or M&A activity. Its primary partner ecosystem includes a strategic mutual relationship with St. Mary's Health Clinics (another CSJ-founded 501(c)(3)) and minor educational collaborations with Blake School.

Name

ministries foundation

Legal name

Accola

Website

https://csjministriesfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Accola is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Saint Paul, Minnesota, operating adult immigrant education, women's trauma housing, and spirituality programs for Twin Cities immigrant communities, funded entirely through donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

Keywords

• Immigrant education services
• Supportive housing programs
• Community spirituality programs
• Nonprofit social services
• Women's trauma support

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Accola generates revenue primarily through individual donations, both one-time and recurring. Donors can give online via credit card or PayPal through Blackbaud's secure system, by mail with checks made out to Accola, over the phone with the Development Database Administrator, or through stock donations. The organization also has an Impact Circle for multi-year donor commitments that provide stable, predictable funding.
2. Stock Donations: Donors can make stock donations to avoid capital gains tax on appreciated stock. The organization uses StockDonator to process these donations.
3. Grants: Accola receives grant funding, with a Donor & Grants Manager position listed on staff.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ministries Foundation (operating as Accola) is a nonprofit organization that delivers three core programs for immigrant and refugee communities in the Twin Cities: adult English-language, computer, and citizenship education through Learning In Style School; trauma-informed safe housing and support for immigrant women survivors through Sarah's... an Oasis for Women; and workshops, classes, and community gatherings linking spirituality with social justice through Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded primarily through individual donations, multi-year donor commitments, and grants.

Product overview

Accola operates as a unified nonprofit organization offering three interconnected programs that address immigrant community needs holistically. The core programs are Learning In Style School (adult education in English, computers, and citizenship), Sarah's... an Oasis for Women (trauma-informed safe housing for women), and Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality (spiritual enrichment and social justice learning). Together, these programs form an integrated approach to welcoming neighbors, cultivating community, and fostering justice through education, safe housing, and spiritual connection. Accola grew out of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet tradition and is a newly independent nonprofit organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Learning In Style School: Provides quality education in English, computers, and citizenship for adult immigrants.
• Sarah's... an Oasis for Women
• Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality
• Accola Response Fund

Products and services

• Learning In Style School Provides adult immigrants with quality education in English, computers, and citizenship, including digital literacy and workforce readiness components; serves adult learners in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
• Sarah's... an Oasis for Women Offers safe, dignified housing with trauma-informed support services for a diverse community of immigrant women who are survivors of violence, displacement, and trauma; based at the Saint Paul headquarters.
• Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality Provides workshops, classes, and community gatherings that explore and promote the intersection of spirituality and the pursuit of social justice; serves community members in the Twin Cities.
• Accola Response Fund Provides immediate emergency support, including groceries and monetary assistance, for families and individuals in immigrant communities affected by increased ICE activity.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting, strategic and minor.

• BlackbaudcoreTechnology or IntegrationBlackbaud is used as the payment processor for Accola's secure online donation system, enabling credit card and PayPal donations through their platform.
• StockDonatorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationStockDonator is used to process stock donations, allowing donors to make contributions of appreciated stock while avoiding capital gains tax.
• Microsoft ClaritysupportingTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Clarity is used to track and analyze how visitors use Accola's website, providing insights to improve website functionality and user experience.
• Google AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics tracks and reports website traffic, with data shared with other Google services to monitor site usage.
• MicrosoftsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft products (including Clarity) collect and use website visitor data per Microsoft's privacy terms.
• St. Mary's Health ClinicsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Mary's Health Clinics is a separate 501(c)3 organization also founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Accola maintains a strong working relationship with St. Mary's and provides administrative and fundraising support on a contractual basis. Board and executive leadership of each organization meet regularly to discuss mission alignment and strategic partnerships.
• Blake SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Blake School visited Learning In Style School to collaborate on an art project, demonstrating educational partnership and community collaboration.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: National federation of Catholic Charities agencies providing immigrant services, housing, and social services. Directly comparable as a faith-based nonprofit serving similar populations, though at much greater scale and geographic breadth than Accola.
• International Rescue Committee: Major international humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement and immigration services across the U.S. including the Twin Cities. Comparable mission and beneficiary population but operates at much greater scale and with federal refugee resettlement contracts.

Direct peers

• CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio): Twin Cities-based Latino-led nonprofit providing education, workforce development, and social services to immigrant communities in Minnesota. Directly comparable in geography, mission (immigrant education and support), and beneficiary population.
• Neighborhood House: Saint Paul-based settlement house providing immigrant services, adult education, and community programs since 1897. Directly comparable as a Saint Paul-headquartered immigrant-services nonprofit serving similar populations with similar program types.
• Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota: Minnesota-based faith-affiliated nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, housing, and family services. Directly comparable as a faith-rooted Minnesota nonprofit serving immigrant and refugee populations with similar program offerings.
• HIAS: Jewish-American nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and humanitarian aid. Comparable as a faith-rooted refugee-services organization with similar beneficiary focus and legal-services capacity (Accola has DOJ Accredited Representatives).

Regional players

• The Advocates for Human Rights: Minneapolis-based human rights organization providing immigration legal services, refugee advocacy, and pro bono support. Comparable as a Twin Cities nonprofit serving immigrants with legal and social services, though focused more on legal/advocacy than direct housing and education.

Emerging players

• Centro de los Derechos del Migrante: National migrant worker advocacy organization. Comparable mission focus on immigrant populations facing exploitation and trauma, though operating in a different geographic and service-delivery model than Accola.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/accolamn
• Instagraminstagram.com/accolamn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sisters-of-st.-joseph-ministries-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 ministries foundation