What Society of Saint Vincent de Paul does

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) Ireland is the largest voluntary charitable organisation in Ireland, founded in 1844 as part of the International Confederation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, which operates across 155 countries. SVP delivers services to individuals and families experiencing poverty and social exclusion, organised around a person-to-person home visitation model delivered by over 11,500 volunteers across more than 1,000 local Conferences, 116 Areas, and 8 Regions in Ireland, plus a Northern Ireland region operating 180 additional Conferences with roughly 1,800 volunteers. Its core service portfolio comprises Home Visitation (the cornerstone programme), Social Housing, Homelessness Services, Child & Family Services (childcare centres, youth clubs, family resource centres), Adult & Older People Services (day care, meals on wheels), Charity Shops (Vincent's), Education Grants, Prison Visitor Centres, Holiday Breaks, and the Young SVP youth-development programme.

In FY2024, SVP reported total income of €102.7M (up from €99.0M in FY2023) and total expenditure of €103.7M, resulting in a net deficit of €910K. Revenue is diversified across five streams: charity shop operations (€43.6M, ~42%), individual donations (€22.8M, ~22%), government grants and service fees for housing, homelessness, and child & family services (~€15.4M combined, ~15%), legacies/bequests (€9.6M, ~9%), and church collections (€8.8M, ~9%). The organisation uses the FundraiseUp platform with Stripe payment processing for online donations, and is investing in digital legacy giving via LawOnline. SVP holds €163.4M in total reserves (December 2024), including €80.8M in property valuation reserves, €47.7M in restricted/designated reserves, and €34.9M in general reserves.

SVP's business model is community-led and volunteer-driven: services are free to beneficiaries, with revenue generated through retail (charity shops), voluntary contributions (donations, legacies, church collections), and government grants for specific service contracts. Distribution occurs through 20+ physical offices and resource centres across Ireland and Northern Ireland, complemented by an online request-for-help portal. The organisation also engages in social justice advocacy — producing pre-budget submissions, MESL (Minimum Essential Standard of Living) research, and campaigns targeting child poverty, childcare costs, and housing affordability — to influence systemic causes of poverty. Governance is provided by the National Management Council led by National President Teresa Ryan (appointed August 2025), supported by 8 Regional Presidents and a Spiritual Advisor. SVP responded to 253,000+ requests for help in 2024 and spent €19M+ on food support and €7M+ on utility support alone.

Name

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Legal name

The Society of St Vincent de Paul, Ireland

Website

https://svp.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1844

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) Ireland is the country's largest voluntary charitable organisation, founded in 1844, delivering home visitation, social housing, childcare, and community services through 11,500+ volunteers across 1,000+ local Conferences serving individuals and families experiencing poverty in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Charitable social services
• Poverty alleviation support
• Social housing services
• Community resource centres
• Volunteer-led welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charity Shop Operations: SVP operates a network of community charity shops (Vincent's shops) throughout the island of Ireland. These shops sell donated goods at affordable prices and generate substantial income reinvested into community services. 2024 income: €43.6 million (2023: €41.8 million). Net contribution after costs: €12.2 million (2024).
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations from the public constitute a major revenue stream, supplemented by fundraising events. 2024 donations income: €22.8 million (2023: €26.2 million).
3. Legacies (Bequests): Gifts left to SVP in wills represent a significant and growing income stream. 2024 legacies income: €9.6 million (2023: €5.2 million), showing significant year-on-year growth.
4. Church Collections: Regular church-based collections, particularly around Christmas and Easter, generate consistent income. 2024: €8.8 million (2023: €8.9 million).
5. Government Grants and Service Fees: SVP receives government funding for specific services including visitation support (€2.4 million in 2024) and fees for services such as social housing, homelessness, and child & family services (€13.0 million total service income in 2024). Some services are partially government-funded.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) Ireland is a large voluntary charitable organisation that delivers person-to-person home visitation support and a portfolio of social welfare services to people experiencing poverty and disadvantage. Core offerings include home visits providing tailored financial, material and befriending support, social housing, homelessness services, childcare and youth services, community resource centres, adult and older persons day care, education grants, and a network of Vincent's charity shops whose surplus funds charitable work. SVP also engages in social justice advocacy using frontline insight and MESL research to influence policy on child poverty, housing, and welfare adequacy.

Product overview

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Ireland is a large voluntary charitable organization offering a portfolio of social welfare services organized around its core home visitation programme. The primary services include Home Visitation (face-to-face support and assistance), Social Housing, Homelessness Services, Child & Family Services, Community & Family Resource Centres, and a network of Vincent's Charity Shops. Additional services include Education Grants, Adult & Older People Services, Holiday Breaks, Young SVP Programme, Twinning, and Prison Visitor Centres. The organization operates across 8 regions in Ireland with over 11,500 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Visitation Programme Volunteer-led home visits delivering financial assistance, material aid, befriending, guidance and referrals to individuals and families facing poverty, food insecurity or crisis across Ireland.
• Social Housing Management of social housing properties providing stable accommodation to individuals and families experiencing housing need or homelessness across multiple Irish regions.
• Vincent's Charity Shops Retail charity shops selling donated second-hand goods to the public, generating surplus income (€43.6 million in 2024) that funds SVP's charitable programmes.
• Homelessness Services Support services for homeless individuals including accommodation assistance, meals provision, and pathway support to access social services and stable housing.
• Child & Family Services Childcare centres, youth clubs, family resource centres and prison visitor centres delivering supervised care, educational support, developmental activities and family support for disadvantaged children and families.
• Community & Family Resource Centres Community-based centres providing meals on wheels, day activities, transport, family support and social connection to vulnerable adults, older persons and families.
• Education Grants Grants covering back-to-school costs, uniforms, books and other educational expenses to support children from low-income families.
• Adult & Older People's Services Day care centres, meals on wheels, transport, befriending and social support services enabling older and vulnerable adults to live with dignity and reduce isolation.
• Holiday Breaks Holiday accommodation at SVP-run properties (including Knockadoon Holiday Camp and Bundoran Residential Centre) for families and individuals who cannot otherwise afford a break.
• Young SVP Programme Youth development programme engaging children and young people in volunteering, leadership and community service activities across SVP Conferences.
• Prison Visitor Centres Visitor centres at prisons (e.g., Mountjoy) providing supportive facilities for families visiting incarcerated relatives, helping maintain family bonds during imprisonment.
• SVP Twinning International solidarity programme linking SVP Conferences across different countries to enable mutual support, shared learning and joint action on poverty.

Quantifiable outcome

• 253,000+ requests for help responded to annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• International Confederation of the Society of Saint Vincent de PaulflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SVP Ireland is part of the International Confederation of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, headquartered in Paris, France. The international network operates in 155 countries with 700,000 members, 1.5 million volunteers, and 51,000 Conferences helping 30 million people globally. SVP Ireland participates in shared governance aligned with the international 'Rule'.
• FundraiseUpcoreTechnology or IntegrationSVP uses FundraiseUp as its third-party online donation processing platform. FundraiseUp uses machine learning to suggest donation amounts based on publicly available data (location, device type, browser, website activity, prior donation history). The platform deducts a 2.45% processing fee from donations. FundraiseUp's business servers are located in North America.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe handles the secure processing of financial information (debit/credit card details) for online donations. SVP does not store any financial information on its own servers — all payment data is managed securely by Stripe.
• LawOnlineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSVP has partnered with LawOnline to enable supporters to add a charitable donation (legacy gift) to their Will through an online platform at a reduced cost, with optional solicitor review.
• Corporate Partners (various)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSVP Ireland maintains a Corporate Partnerships programme inviting companies to engage in corporate giving, corporate volunteering, and fundraising activities. Details of specific corporate partners are not disclosed in the available source material.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Barnardos Ireland: Barnardos Ireland is one of Ireland's leading children's charities, directly comparable to SVP's child & family services portfolio. Both organizations deliver community-based family support, residential programs, and government-contracted child welfare services.
• St. John of God Community Services: St. John of God operates community services in Ireland for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs. Comparable as a Catholic-affiliated, large-scale service-delivery nonprofit with government contracts and similar governance structures.
• Trócaire: Trócaire is Ireland's leading overseas development NGO, operating as a peer Catholic-affiliated charity. Comparable as a large Irish faith-based nonprofit reliant on donations, government grants, and church collections to deliver social welfare programs.
• ALONE: ALONE is a national organization supporting older people in Ireland, providing befriending, housing support, and community care — directly comparable to SVP's Adult & Older People's Services segment.
• Crosscare: Crosscare is the Dublin Archdiocese's social services agency, operating youth services, food programmes, and housing support. Comparable as another Catholic-rooted Irish charity with overlapping community support and social housing portfolios.
• Irish Red Cross: The Irish Red Cross is a major humanitarian nonprofit delivering community services, emergency relief, and social support across Ireland. Comparable as a large volunteer-driven charity with similar funding model (donations, government grants, retail).
• Focus Ireland: Focus Ireland is Ireland's leading homelessness charity, directly overlapping with SVP's homelessness services and social housing portfolios. Both provide accommodation, prevention services, and advocacy on housing policy.
• The Salvation Army Ireland: The Salvation Army Ireland operates similarly to SVP — providing direct social services (hostels, family support, addiction services, charity shops) funded by donations and trading. Both operate as large faith-rooted charities serving disadvantaged populations.

Emerging players

• Threshold (National Housing Association): Threshold is Ireland's national housing charity providing advice, advocacy, and tenancy support. Comparable to SVP's social housing and policy advocacy work, though focused specifically on housing rather than broader social services.

Regional players

• Society of St Vincent de Paul (England & Wales): SVP England & Wales is the sister organization under the same International Confederation, offering identical home visitation and community support services. Comparable as the same organizational model in a different (UK) geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SVP_Ireland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SVPIreland
• Facebookfacebook.com/SVPIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/svp-ireland
• Instagraminstagram.com/svp_ireland

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Society of Saint Vincent de Paul