St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee

What St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee does

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)-equivalent Catholic nonprofit organization affiliated with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the international Society of St. Vincent de Paul (founded in Paris in 1833). Its stated mission is to eliminate poverty and hunger throughout Milwaukee County, and in 2024 the organization delivered $2.2 million in goods and services to vulnerable community members through three primary programs: the Neighbors Helping Neighbors home visitation program powered by more than 600 trained volunteers, a community meal program operating six days per week at two kitchens (Harambee Kitchen in the north and Cross Roads Kitchen in the south), and a three-location thrift store retail operation (Milwaukee South on W. Lincoln Avenue, Milwaukee North on N. 76th Street, and Greenfield on S. 108th Street).

The organization runs on a hybrid revenue model combining earned income from thrift store sales of donated merchandise (including a national eBay Giving Works online storefront), cash donations processed through PayPal, vehicle donations, and planned-giving legacy gifts, alongside grants from major Wisconsin philanthropic foundations such as Bader Philanthropies, Brewers Community Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Herb Kohl Philanthropies, Forest County Potawatomi Foundation, and WE Energies Foundation. It also receives emergency funding from the national SVDP USA Rapid Response fund and operates within a strategic network that includes Hunger Task Force, Empty Bowls Milwaukee, and affiliated Catholic parishes throughout Milwaukee County. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors led by Board President Penny Krafczyk, with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director Deborah Duskey.

From a technology and infrastructure standpoint, the organization operates with minimal proprietary technology, relying instead on standard nonprofit and web tooling: a WordPress website, PayPal donation processing, eBay Giving Works for online merchandise sales, and social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Service delivery is fundamentally physical and volunteer-driven rather than platform-driven, with no public APIs, software products, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. The customer base served is the population of Milwaukee County residents experiencing poverty and food insecurity, while the revenue side depends on a relatively concentrated set of institutional donors, foundation grants, and thrift retail traffic.

Name

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee

Legal name

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee

Website

https://svdpmilw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1833

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee is a Catholic nonprofit that fights poverty and hunger in Milwaukee County through a 600+ volunteer home visitation program, two community meal kitchens, and three thrift store locations, distributing $2.2 million in goods and services in 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Meals, Nutrition & Congregate Dining Day Programs (HSABANAM)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Hunger relief programs
• Thrift store retail
• Home visitation ministry
• Volunteer charity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Thrift Store Sales: Revenue generated from sale of donated clothing, household items, and furniture at three thrift store locations throughout the Milwaukee area.
2. Donations: Monetary donations from individuals, grant partners, and corporate philanthropies supporting the nonprofit mission of fighting poverty and hunger.
3. Vehicle Donation Program: Accepts donated automobiles with proceeds benefiting Milwaukee operations.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts including estates, property, and marketable securities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee is a Catholic-affiliated nonprofit that combats poverty and hunger across Milwaukee County through three core programs: three thrift stores selling donated clothing, household items, and furniture at affordable prices; two community meal kitchens (Harambee Kitchen and Cross Roads Kitchen) serving warm, nutritious meals six days a week; and the Neighbors Helping Neighbors home visit program where over 600 trained volunteers provide basic necessities and one-on-one supportive companionship directly in the homes of individuals and families in need.

Product overview

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee operates a nonprofit social services organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include three Thrift Stores providing low-cost merchandise to the community, a Meal Program with two kitchen sites (Harambee Kitchen and Cross Roads Kitchen) serving nutritious meals six days a week, and the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Home Visit Program where volunteers provide direct assistance to families in need. The organization also manages donation collection services and coordinates over 600 volunteers across all programs. In 2024, the organization provided $2.2 million in goods and services to Milwaukee County residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Harambee Kitchen: North meal program site located at 2600 N. 2 St., Milwaukee, WI 53212. Provides to-go meals served 4:00-6:00 pm, Monday-Friday (and 5:30pm-6:15pm according to some sources).
• Cross Roads Kitchen
• Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Products and services

• Thrift Stores Three thrift store locations (Milwaukee South at 2320 W. Lincoln Avenue, Milwaukee North at 8010 N. 76th Street, and Greenfield at 4476 S. 108th Street) selling donated clothing, household items, and furniture at affordable prices to budget-conscious and low-income shoppers, with proceeds funding charitable programs.
• Meal Program (Harambee Kitchen & Cross Roads Kitchen) Community meal program operating at two kitchen locations (Harambee Kitchen at 2600 N. 2 St. and Cross Roads Kitchen at 931 W. Madison St.) providing warm, nutritious to-go meals served 5:30pm-6:15pm, six days per week (Sunday-Friday at Cross Roads and Monday-Friday at Harambee) to children and adults experiencing food insecurity.
• Neighbors Helping Neighbors Home Visit Program Home visitation program where more than 600 trained volunteers establish one-on-one supportive relationships with individuals and families in need, providing basic items such as food, clothing, and furniture, along with companionship and care. In 2024, volunteers delivered more than $2.2 million in goods and services to vulnerable community members throughout Milwaukee County.
• Donation Services Accepts monetary donations via the PayPal donation platform, vehicle donations, and donated clothing, household items and furniture with free truck pickup service within Milwaukee County; also offers planned giving and legacy gift options including estates, property, and marketable securities to support the charitable mission.
• Volunteer Program Organizes and coordinates more than 600 volunteers who support thrift store operations, meal program assistance, and home visitation services, with opportunities for varied skills and schedules; issues documentation of volunteer hours for school, court, W-2, FSET, and GATES program compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.2 million in goods and services provided to vulnerable community members in 2024

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Archdiocese of MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based partnership providing spiritual guidance, parish connections, and organizational support. SVDP operates through affiliated Catholic parishes throughout Milwaukee County.
• Empty Bowls MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative effort raising awareness and funds to fight hunger in the Milwaukee community.
• Hunger Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilwaukee-based anti-hunger organization providing food resources and advocacy.
• Milwaukee Empty BowlscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity arts-based fundraising initiative supporting food security programs.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational parent organization providing guidance, resources, and emergency funding to local councils.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hunger Task Force: Milwaukee-based anti-hunger organization providing food resources and advocacy, named as a current partner of SVDP-MKE. Both organizations serve food-insecure Milwaukee County residents through distinct but overlapping hunger-relief programs and compete for the same donor and grant pool.
• Catholic Charities of Milwaukee: Affiliated Catholic social services organization serving Milwaukee County with case management, food assistance, housing, and family support. Operates in the same faith-based nonprofit space as SVDP-MKE and draws on overlapping parish networks and donor bases.
• Salvation Army of Greater Milwaukee: Faith-based nonprofit operating meal programs, food pantries, thrift stores, and emergency assistance in Milwaukee. Competes directly with SVDP-MKE for donor dollars, volunteer hours, and clients across overlapping service categories.
• Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin: Regional food bank serving eastern Wisconsin including Milwaukee County, sourcing and distributing food to member pantries and meal programs. Overlaps with SVDP-MKE's meal program operations and competes for hunger-relief funding.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Other US Councils: Other local SVDP councils (e.g., SVDP Chicago, SVDP Cincinnati) operate identical thrift store, meal, and home visitation models under the same national affiliation. They share the SVDP brand, governance model, and program structure with SVDP-Milwaukee.
• Goodwill of Southeastern Wisconsin: Operates thrift retail stores in the Milwaukee area whose proceeds fund job training and community programs. Directly comparable to SVDP-MKE's three-location thrift store model and competes for both donation supply and budget-conscious shoppers.
• Milwaukee Rescue Mission: Provides emergency shelter, meals, and recovery services to Milwaukee's homeless and hungry population. Overlaps with SVDP-MKE's meal program and food assistance services and operates in the same donor and volunteer market.
• Hope House of Milwaukee: Faith-based nonprofit serving Milwaukee's homeless and hungry through shelter and meal programs. Mirrors SVDP-MKE's mission of food insecurity alleviation and operates in the same regional nonprofit ecosystem.

Emerging players

• United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County: Regional philanthropic umbrella that funds and coordinates many of the same nonprofit social services as SVDP-MKE. Engagement is more adjacent than competing, but United Way influence over donor-directed giving affects SVDP-MKE's fundraising yields.
• Habitat for Humanity Milwaukee: Faith-affiliated nonprofit serving Milwaukee County low-income residents with housing-focused programs. Shares the faith-based, volunteer-driven operating model with SVDP-MKE and competes for some of the same parish-based volunteers and grants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@st.vincentdepaulsocietyofm9190
• Facebookfacebook.com/svdpmilw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-st-vincent-de-paul-milwaukee
• Instagraminstagram.com/svdpmilwaukee
• Xx.com/StVincentMilw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 St. Vincent de Paul Society of Milwaukee