Caritas

What Caritas does

Caritas Internationalis is the official humanitarian and development confederation of the Catholic Church, founded in 1951 and coordinated by a General Secretariat in Vatican City. The confederation unites 162 autonomous national member organisations operating across more than 200 countries and territories, organised through seven regional bodies (Africa, Asia, Europa, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, North America, and Oceania) and a base of 3,000+ diocesan Caritas organisations. Its core activities span emergency response and disaster relief, long-term development and recovery, advocacy and peacebuilding, climate adaptation, refugee and migrant support, food security, water and sanitation, healthcare, and protection services. Beneficiaries include people affected by poverty, conflict, climate impacts, and displacement, reached regardless of religion or background.

The confederation operates as a federated network rather than a central service-delivery entity. Offerings include pooled funding mechanisms (Global Action Fund, Emergency Response Fund), governance frameworks (Caritas Internationalis Management Standards — CIMS), advocacy campaigns (Turn Debt into Hope, Saints & Samaritans), and shared digital infrastructure for member collaboration and training (Coatnet, Baobab, e-Learning platform). Supporting knowledge products cover climate, women's leadership, partnerships, and 70-year institutional history. Funding flows from individual donations, member contributions, and institutional partners including UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, UNOCHA, and IOM, with over 95% of funds directed to mission activities. The General Secretariat holds UN ECOSOC consultative status and is a founding member of the Sphere humanitarian standards, anchoring Caritas within the global humanitarian policy architecture.

The underlying "technology" is intentionally modest: a WordPress-based multilingual web presence, Cloudflare-protected cookies, Stripe payment processing through the Raisely donation platform, and standard social media channels. Caritas's defensible advantage derives from institutional embedding in the Catholic Church rather than proprietary software. Pricing is non-applicable — support is provided free of charge to beneficiaries based on humanitarian principles, financed by donations. Marketing emphasises field stories, statements, advocacy campaigns, and presence at UN forums, with fundraising conducted globally through the donate.caritas.org platform.

Name

Caritas

Legal name

Caritas Internationalis General Secretariat

Website

https://caritas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caritas Internationalis is the Catholic Church's global humanitarian confederation, coordinating 162 national member organisations across 200+ countries to deliver emergency relief, development programmes, and advocacy for people affected by poverty, conflict, displacement, and climate change.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and International Development

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK), Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Humanitarian emergency response
• International development aid
• Disaster relief services
• Refugee and migrant assistance
• Humanitarian advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Caritas Internationalis General Secretariat is funded by contributions from member organisations and private donations. The confederation raises funds through emergency appeals, general donations, and institutional partnerships. Over 95% of all funds raised are spent on Caritas' mission. Restricted funds support specific emergency appeals while unrestricted funds support programs where they are most needed.
2. Institutional Funding and Partnerships: Caritas members receive funding from institutional donors and partners including UN agencies (UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, UNOCHA, IOM). Many national members are operational partners with these agencies, receiving grants for humanitarian and development programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Caritas is a global Catholic humanitarian and development confederation providing emergency relief, long-term development assistance, and advocacy for justice, peace, and climate action through 162 national member organisations in more than 200 countries. Its direct deliverables include emergency response coordination, the Global Action Fund and Emergency Response Fund, the Caritas Internationalis Management Standards (CIMS), and global advocacy campaigns such as Turn Debt into Hope and Saints and Samaritans.

Product overview

Caritas is a global confederation of 162 Catholic humanitarian and development organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories. The confederation is structured at parish, diocesan, national, and regional levels (seven regions: Africa, Asia, Europa, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, North America, and Oceania), coordinated by a General Secretariat in Vatican City. The organisation's core offerings include humanitarian emergency response via the Emergency Response Fund and Global Action Fund, long-term development programs, advocacy campaigns (Turn Debt into Hope, Saints & Samaritans), and capacity-building through the Caritas Internationalis Management Standards (CIMS). Supporting infrastructure includes e-Learning and community platforms (Coatnet, Baobab), while knowledge products include publications on climate, partnerships, and women's leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Action Fund A pooled donation fund that supports Caritas programs where resources are most needed, enabling coordinated humanitarian response across the 162-member confederation.
• Emergency Response Fund A dedicated fund for emergency appeals providing immediate relief funding for natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide, coordinated through Caritas member organisations.
• Turn Debt into Hope Campaign A global advocacy campaign calling for fair debt relief for nations, enabling communities to reclaim resources for schools, healthcare, and climate preparedness, aligned with Pope Francis's legacy.
• Saints and Samaritans Campaign A storytelling initiative showcasing Caritas staff and volunteers as 'everyday saints' whose extraordinary compassion transforms lives across global communities.
• Caritas Internationalis Management Standards (CIMS) A statutory framework for all 162 Caritas members covering laws and ethical codes, governance and organisation, programme and finance accountability, stakeholder involvement, and resource management.
• e-Learning Platform Online learning platform offering multi-language courses such as Introduction to Safeguarding for staff and member-organisation training across the confederation.
• Coatnet Platform Networking and collaboration platform referenced for use among Caritas member organisations to coordinate activities and share knowledge.
• Baobab Platform Community platform for Caritas member organisations to share resources, knowledge, and collaborate on humanitarian and development activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly half a billion people reached each year through the global network
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Geneva Graduate InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Geneva Graduate Institute for joint report 'Assessing the Impact of Sanctions on Humanitarian Work' launched at UN Human Rights Council.
• ACT AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint advocacy work with ACT Alliance on humanitarian and development issues.
• World Council of Churches (WCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Ecumenical partnership for joint advocacy, including interfaith calls for peace in Sudan.
• United Nations ECOSOCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), providing a place in key UN processes and global policy discussions.
• Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of SCHR, participating in leading humanitarian networks and policy platforms.
• International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of ICVA, participating in humanitarian coordination and policy work.
• Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in IASC reference groups, contributing to inter-agency humanitarian coordination.
• Sphere StandardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Sphere, contributing to shape standards of humanitarian principles and technical guidance worldwide.
• Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of CHS Alliance, committed to humanitarian accountability standards.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany national and diocesan Caritas members are operational partners with UNICEF, working on child-focused humanitarian and development programs.
• UNHCRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Caritas members operate as operational partners with UNHCR for refugee protection and assistance.
• World Food Programme (WFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Caritas members partner with WFP on food security and nutrition programs.
• UNOCHAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas members work in partnership with UNOCHA for humanitarian coordination and emergency response.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IOM on migration management and support for migrants and displaced persons.
• International Catholic Centre of GenevacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the International Catholic Centre of Geneva for faith-based humanitarian engagement.
• World Evangelical Alliance (WEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with WEA for joint advocacy at UN Human Rights Council.
• Caritas PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Philippines President Bishop Gerry Alminaza represents Caritas in advocacy for environmental justice, including the Verde Island Passage oil spill accountability.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cordaid: Netherlands-based Caritas Internationalis member organisation. Direct peer operating in humanitarian response, health, and economic justice with comparable Catholic identity and institutional partnerships.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): US-based member of the Caritas Internationalis confederation operating global humanitarian and development programs. Directly comparable as a sister national Caritas organisation with similar mission, programs, donor base, and institutional partners.
• Trócaire: Ireland's overseas development agency and Caritas Internationalis member. Direct peer with comparable Catholic identity, humanitarian and development programming, and donor-base overlap.
• Oxfam International: Global confederation of NGOs working on poverty, humanitarian response, and advocacy. Comparable as a federated model serving similar beneficiary populations with overlapping programs in disaster response, food security, and inequality advocacy.
• Save the Children International: Global NGO focused on children's rights, humanitarian response, and development. Comparable operating model in emergencies, institutional UN partnerships, advocacy campaigns, and donor-funded programming across similar geographies.
• CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development): England and Wales member of the Caritas Internationalis confederation. Direct national-organisation peer with the same mission, programs, donor-base overlap, and confederation governance.
• ACT Alliance: Coalition of 150+ faith-based organisations working in humanitarian, development, and advocacy. Comparable as a faith-based ecumenical network with overlapping priorities, joint advocacy campaigns, and similar beneficiary focus.
• World Vision International: Christian faith-based humanitarian and development organisation operating in nearly 100 countries. Comparable as a faith-rooted INGO with similar community-based programming, child-focused interventions, and disaster response capabilities.

Others

• UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): UN agency mandated to lead refugee response globally. Comparable as a key institutional partner and counterpart in serving displaced persons, but operates under a UN intergovernmental mandate rather than as an NGO confederation.

Broad incumbents

• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): The world's largest humanitarian network with 191 national societies. Comparable to Caritas as a global federated humanitarian organisation with national-society model, broad disaster response and development mandate, and similar institutional UN partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iamcaritas
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IAmCaritas
• Facebookfacebook.com/IAmCaritas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritas-internationalis
• Instagraminstagram.com/iamcaritas

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Caritas