Caritas

What Caritas does

Caritas Community Resource Center (Caritas Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1974 in Beloit, Wisconsin, that provides food assistance and material support to residents facing economic hardship in the Greater Beloit area. It operates four core programs: a Food Pantry distributing USDA MyPlate-aligned groceries sufficient for three days of meals, a Diaper Bank providing diapers up to size 6 along with wipes and baby products, a Community Garden offering plots with plants and seeds to local residents, and Birthday Bags supplying celebration materials for children under 10. The service footprint spans Beloit, Clinton, Orfordville, Brodhead, Sharon, South Beloit, Rockton, Roscoe, and 11 surrounding townships across Rock County, WI and Winnebago County, IL.

The organization operates with a lean staff of three part-time employees and one full-time Executive Director, supported by approximately 100 community volunteers. It has no proprietary technology products; services are delivered in person at the 2840 Prairie Avenue headquarters during scheduled hours (Monday-Wednesday 10:00 am-2:15 pm, Thursday 10:00 am-12:00 pm), with supplemental programs including Fresh Produce Saturdays (11:00 am-1:00 pm) and a monthly home-delivery service for seniors on the west side of Beloit. Caritas does not charge beneficiaries for any services; its revenue model rests entirely on monetary donations processed through PayPal, in-kind food contributions, and planned estate gifts from individuals, churches, businesses, and local service organizations.

Caritas's go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial: outreach is conducted via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, while food drives are coordinated through collection barrels at partner churches and community sites. Founded by five ministers taking a clinical pastoral education class, it is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors currently led by President John Winkelmann, Vice President Jackie Jackson, and Executive Director Larisa Chmielewski. Its ecumenical church network—16 congregations by 1977—remains the primary channel for donations and volunteer mobilization, complemented by corporate and civic partners including Culvers, Ecolab, First CCU, Seiberling, The Apple Hut, the Beloit Evening Lions Club, and the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce Business Women's Joint Welcoming Committee.

Name

Caritas

Legal name

Caritas Inc.

Website

https://caritasbeloit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Caritas Community Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food pantry and community resource center in Beloit, Wisconsin, serving food-insecure residents across the Greater Beloit area through food, diaper, community garden, and birthday bag programs supported by donations and volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAA

Food Assistance & Food Banks

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Community food pantry
• Diaper bank services
• Community garden program
• Humanitarian aid services
• Food insecurity support

Headquarters

HQ city

Beloit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: Caritas accepts financial gifts through PayPal and other donation methods. Donors can make monetary gifts in honor of someone special, with acknowledgment sent to the honoree.
2. Food Donations: Community members and organizations donate food items which are redistributed to those in need through the food pantry.
3. Estate Gifts: Caritas accepts planned giving and estate gifts, providing resources for the organization's future operations while allowing donors to leave a legacy reflecting their values.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Caritas Community Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a food pantry, diaper bank, community garden, and birthday bag program. It provides essential food, hygiene, and household items at no charge to individuals and families experiencing hardship in the Beloit, Wisconsin area. The organization also facilitates senior home delivery, hosts food drives, and distributes fresh produce on Saturdays.

Product overview

Caritas Community Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides a unified community assistance program focused on food security and family support. The organization operates four interconnected core services: a Food Pantry that distributes USDA-aligned nutritious foods to families in need, a Diaper Bank that provides baby essentials to low-income families, a Community Garden that offers garden plots for residents to grow their own produce, and Birthday Bags that supply celebration materials for children in the household. These services work together to address immediate material needs while promoting self-sufficiency and community engagement among neighbors in the Greater Beloit, WI area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Pantry
• Diaper Bank
• Community Garden
• Birthday Bags
• Senior Home Delivery Service
• Saturday Fresh Produce Distribution

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,513 people served by food pantry in 2013; 8,103 helped with clothing
• +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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Culvers (Beloit)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant partner supporting Caritas through community partnerships. Logo displayed on Caritas community partners page.
• EcolabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner with historical connection through former executive director Donna Ambrose who previously worked at Ecolab. Logo displayed on community partners page.
• First CCUminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal credit union partner supporting Caritas. Logo displayed on community partners page.
• SeiberlingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity business partner. Logo displayed on community partners page.
• Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce Business Women's Joint Welcoming Committee (GFWCBJWC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber-affiliated women's business group partner. Logo displayed on community partners page.
• The Apple HutminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner supporting Caritas. Logo displayed on community partners page.
• Beloit Evening Lions ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerService organization partner supporting community initiatives. Logo displayed on community partners page.
• Area Churches (Ecumenical Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas was founded by five ministers in 1974 and grew to include 16 churches. Churches serve as food donation collection sites, with the organization described as 'the most ecumenical organization in Beloit.' Community Action Program helped provide volunteers.
• River of Life United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginally housed office component at this church location during early years of operation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Madison: Multi-service faith-based social services organization covering southern Wisconsin including Beloit, offering overlapping food and family support programs and competing for the same donor and grant pool.
• The Salvation Army of Beloit: National charitable organization with a Beloit branch providing emergency food, clothing, and seasonal assistance to the same low-income demographic. Comparable service menu and donor base.
• Feeding America (nationwide network): National umbrella network of food banks with regional members in Wisconsin and Illinois. Sets the standards and supply-chain backbone against which local pantries like Caritas operate and source food.

Emerging players

• National Diaper Bank Network: National umbrella and advocacy organization for diaper banks, a program Caritas runs as part of its service portfolio. Represents the peer ecosystem and potential partner/scaling channel for Caritas's diaper distribution vertical.

Direct peers

• Beloit Meals on Wheels: Local nutrition-services organization in Beloit delivering meals to seniors, serving an overlapping senior-low-income segment of Caritas's clientele.
• Hunger Task Force (Milwaukee): Wisconsin-based anti-hunger organization operating food pantries and food distribution programs with a comparable neighborhood-level service model and USDA MyPlate-aligned nutrition approach.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin: Regional food bank distributing food to pantries and meal programs across southern Wisconsin, including the Beloit service area, with which Caritas partners or is co-located. Operates the same core model of sourcing and redistributing food to households facing hunger.
• St. Vincent de Paul of Beloit: Parish-based charitable organization in Beloit serving the same geographic footprint with food, clothing, and household assistance — a direct local peer in addressing material poverty in the community.

Regional players

• Northern Illinois Food Bank: Regional food bank serving 13 counties in northern Illinois including Winnebago County (which Caritas also touches on the Illinois side of the Stateline). Directly comparable distribution and pantry partner model.

Others

• Ecolab Foundation (community giving): Named as a Caritas community partner through the former executive director. Engaged in the same corporate-philanthropy and local-community-giving space that funds Caritas's operations, making it a meaningful adjacent funder rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CaritasBeloitWI
• Facebookfacebook.com/caritasbeloit
• Instagraminstagram.com/CaritasBeloitWI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Caritas