What Caritas does

CARITAS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 in Richmond, Virginia, that operates an integrated continuum of care addressing homelessness, substance use disorders, and unemployment across the Greater Richmond region. Its five core programs are: Emergency Shelter (men's and women's), The Healing Place (a long-term, peer-driven, 12-Step residential recovery program delivered free of charge, typically completed in 6-8 months), CARITAS Works (a six-week, 160-hour workforce development curriculum covering computer literacy, communication, conflict management, and emotional intelligence), 47 VARR-certified Recovery Residences, and the Furniture Bank (which serves families transitioning from crisis via 50+ referral partner agencies). Services are delivered across two campuses — the CARITAS Center at 2220 Stockton Street and the Men's campus at 700 Dinwiddie Avenue — and reach beneficiaries through the Homeless Connection Line, direct program phone lines, and a Greater Richmond Continuum of Care coordinated entry system.

The organization's revenue model is characteristic of a regional human-services nonprofit: individual donations (online, mail, stock, planned giving), corporate sponsorships and event sponsorships (The Healing Plate gala, 43rd Street Festival of the Arts, Kroger Community Rewards), Virginia Neighborhood Assistance Program tax-credit-eligible contributions, and government and foundation grants (including a transformative multi-year Mitchell Family Foundation commitment in 2025 and joint funding from Henrico, Chesterfield, City of Richmond, and Hanover counties for the Surge Shelter). Fee revenue is marginal — Recovery Residences charge $130-$185 per bed per week with a $350 move-in fee; forklift certification is $95 plus card fees; furniture pickup is $50 standard or $99 priority via ReSupply. CARITAS is licensed to external organizations through The Works System curriculum. Operationally, CARITAS serves more than 900 meals daily, has served over 800 women at The Healing Place for Women in five years, and operates a seasonal Surge Shelter with up to 60-individual capacity for extreme weather response (December 2025 through March 2026). Governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Patrick Gemmell (Capital One Financial), with executive leadership including President & CEO Karen O'Brien, CFO Mark Cassidy, Chief Program Officer Emily Lehmann, and Chief Advancement Officer Clara Stokes.

Name

Caritas

Legal name

CARITAS

Website

https://caritasva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CARITAS is a Richmond, Virginia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing an integrated continuum of care — emergency shelter, long-term peer-driven addiction recovery, workforce training, sober living, and furniture assistance — for individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, and employment barriers across the Greater Richmond region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Addiction recovery programs
• Emergency shelter services
• Workforce development training
• Sober living housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

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. Individual Donations: Direct monetary contributions from individuals via online donation portal, mail, or stock gifts. Donors can make one-time or recurring gifts.
2. Corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships: Event sponsorships (The Healing Plate, 43rd Street Festival of the Arts), workplace giving campaigns, matching gift programs from employers, and Kroger Community Rewards.
3. Planned Giving: Lifetime gifts via will or other estate planning instruments for long-term donor engagement.
4. Meal Donations: Community members and businesses sponsor or prepare meals for shelter and recovery program participants. CARITAS serves more than 900 meals daily.
5. Forklift Training Fees: Six-hour forklift certification course offered for $95 plus card fees, generating modest fee revenue while providing workforce development.
6. Furniture Pickup Fees: $50 fee for standard furniture pickup service to offset truck maintenance costs. Priority pickup via ReSupply partner at premium rate.
7. Government & Foundation Grants: Funding from local government partnerships (Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, City of Richmond jointly funded Surge Shelter) and foundation support including Mitchell Family Foundation multi-year commitment.
8. Virginia NAP Tax Credits: Virginia Neighborhood Assistance Program tax credits available to donors contributing to CARITAS programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

CARITAS is a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive continuum of care addressing homelessness, addiction, and unemployment in the Greater Richmond region. Core offerings include Emergency Shelter for adults experiencing homelessness, The Healing Place (a long-term, peer-driven, free residential recovery program for substance use disorders), CARITAS Works (a six-week workforce development program), 47 Recovery Residences for sober living, and a Furniture Bank providing household items to families transitioning from crisis. Services also include a seasonal Surge Shelter for extreme weather and forklift certification training.

Product overview

CARITAS is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs addressing homelessness and addiction recovery in the Richmond, VA region. The core programs include Emergency Shelter for adults experiencing homelessness, The Healing Place (a long-term peer-driven residential recovery program for substance use disorders), CARITAS Works (workforce development and job training), Recovery Residences (47 sober-living apartments), and the Furniture Bank (household furnishings for those transitioning from crisis). Additional offerings include a seasonal Surge Shelter for extreme weather, forklift training certification, and The Works System curriculum licensing program. The programs are centralized at two locations: The CARITAS Center (2220 Stockton Street) and Dinwiddie Avenue campus (700 Dinwiddie Avenue).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Emergency shelter providing safe and stable housing for adults experiencing homelessness in the Richmond region. Receives referrals through coordinated entry and provides comprehensive case management, addiction recovery support, and workforce development. Partners with Daily Planet Health Services for primary and behavioral healthcare.
• The Healing Place Long-term, peer-driven, residential recovery program offered free of charge to men and women suffering from substance use disorders. Features a self-paced educational component using the Recovery Dynamics curriculum (abstinence-based, 12-Step framework), typically completing in 6-8 months. Participants then transition to Works and may move into transitional sober living.
• CARITAS Works Six-week, 160-hour workforce development program assisting individuals with significant employment barriers (substance use disorders, felony convictions, work history gaps). Covers computer literacy, communication, conflict management, and emotional intelligence. Provides individualized coaching, post-graduation support, job search assistance, and access to Job Club and AfterWorks networks.
• Recovery Residences 47 safe, affordable apartments for individuals at any stage of recovery, located within the CARITAS Center. Provides recovery-supportive living environment for up to two years with Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR) certification. Connects residents to workforce development, budgeting support, recovery meetings, and healthcare.
• Furniture Bank Provides essential household items to individuals and families transitioning from homelessness or crisis situations. Collects gently used furniture donations, organizes into a showroom for clients to 'shop' with volunteer help, works with 50+ partner referral agencies, and offers in-home delivery services.
• Surge Shelter Temporary emergency response shelter providing additional capacity for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness during extreme winter weather. Capacity of 60 individuals, activated when temperature falls below 40 degrees and primary Inclement Weather Shelter is full.
• Forklift Training Six-hour training and certification course for sit-down forklift operation (powered industrial trucks). Available year-round at CARITAS. Participants receive Virginia-valid certificate upon passing. $95 fee plus card processing fees. Covers OSHA standards, pre/post-operation inspections, driving, parking, loading, and safety procedures.
• The Works System (Curriculum Licensing) CARITAS is licensing its workforce development curriculum to other organizations. The Works System provides the complete workforce training framework developed by CARITAS, available at theworkssystem.org.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 800 women served at The Healing Place for Women in 5 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnership for winter weather shelter operations - CARITAS operating Surge Shelter to support Salvation Army's Inclement Weather Shelter (IWS). Close collaboration on operations and activation, with transportation coordination between facilities.
• Feed the Streets RVAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Community partnership for meal preparation and service. Feed the Streets RVA volunteers cook and serve meals for CARITAS participants quarterly, hosting 'traditional feeds' at The Healing Place for Men. Partnership began around 2018-2019 and has grown to include regular quarterly visits.
• Daily Planet Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership providing primary and behavioral healthcare to shelter participants, addressing traumas, mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and psycho-social stressors.
• Furniture Bank Referral Partners (50+ agencies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 50 partner agencies including 180 Degree Support Services, American Red Cross, Chesterfield Mental Health, Daily Planet, Family Lifeline, Henrico Social Services, Housing Families First, OAR, Richmond City Health District, Salvation Army, VCU Health Systems, Virginia Supportive Housing, and YMCA refer individuals and families in need of furniture.
• Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARITAS actively participates in GRCoC which seeks to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness through effective and coordinated community-wide efforts and services.
• HomewardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanning and coordinating organization for homeless services in the Greater Richmond Region, maintaining comprehensive list of regional resources.
• Faith CommunitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with local church congregations for additional support, including Good Shepherd Episcopal Church hosting festival parking and other congregations providing day shelter spaces and meal support.
• The Works SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARITAS is licensing its workforce development curriculum to other organizations, allowing proven program model to be replicated.
• Soul TacominorGTM or Marketing PartnerJackson Ward restaurant that originally introduced Feed the Streets RVA to CARITAS partnership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Salvation Army of Central Virginia: Operates the Inclement Weather Shelter that CARITAS's Surge Shelter directly supports, plus broader shelter, food, and recovery programming in the same Richmond geography. CARITAS and the Salvation Army are co-responders for the regional winter shelter plan.
• Housing Families First: A Richmond-based housing and homelessness services nonprofit that operates emergency shelter, transitional housing, and rapid re-housing programs. It is one of CARITAS's 50+ Furniture Bank referral partners and serves overlapping populations in the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care.
• Daily Planet Health Services: Provides primary medical, behavioral health, and dental care to people experiencing homelessness in Richmond. It is CARITAS's core healthcare partner, embedding services inside CARITAS's shelter and serving a substantially overlapping client population.
• Virginia Supportive Housing: Operates permanent supportive housing programs across Virginia for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, including those with disabilities and behavioral health needs. It is a CARITAS referral partner and shares the recovery-supportive housing mission through a different funding model.
• OAR (Offender Aid and Restoration): Provides reentry, housing, and supportive services to justice-involved individuals in the Richmond region, a population that overlaps significantly with CARITAS Works participants facing employment barriers including felony convictions.
• Family Lifeline: A Richmond-area social services nonprofit providing case management, family support, and housing stability services to vulnerable families. It is one of CARITAS's referral partners and serves overlapping at-risk populations in the Richmond region.
• The Healing Place (Louisville, KY): The original, Louisville-based Healing Place is the parent program that CARITAS brought to Richmond in 2005. It operates the same peer-driven, abstinence-based, 12-Step long-term recovery model for adults experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder, making it the most direct operational peer.

Broad incumbents

• Maryhaven (Columbus, OH): A long-established Ohio nonprofit operating the nation's oldest licensed addiction treatment center, with a broad portfolio of recovery, housing, and behavioral health programs. It is a useful peer for benchmarking CARITAS's continuum-of-care model at greater scale and longer tenure in the recovery space.
• Volunteers of America: A national nonprofit operating a broad portfolio of programs including housing, recovery, workforce development, and family services. Its service mix closely mirrors CARITAS's integrated model, and it is a relevant peer for understanding scale, replication, and funding diversification strategies.

Regional players

• Homeward: The planning and coordinating organization for homeless services in the Greater Richmond region, leading the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care. CARITAS actively participates in Homeward's planning work, making it a system-level peer rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/RVACARITAS
• Facebookfacebook.com/caritasvaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritasrva
• Instagraminstagram.com/caritasva
• Xx.com/caritas_va

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Caritas