Franciscan Charities

What Franciscan Charities does

Franciscan Charities, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Brother Paul C. Miller, OFS, and headquartered at St. Ann's Catholic Church (242 South 8th Street, Newark, NJ) in Newark's Central Ward. The organization operates a coordinated portfolio of social-service programs targeting poverty in Newark's Central and West Wards, including a five-day-a-week soup kitchen (over 100,000 meals served annually; 1 million+ cumulative since 2004), an ID Program (birth certificates, Social Security cards, state IDs), a Jobs Program for the chronically unemployed, Child and Family Services (diapers, formula, hygiene products, children's literacy), Social Advocacy (navigation of housing, WIC, TANF, SSI), One to One Direct Response (rent subsidies, furniture), and Neighborhood Outreach (annual toy, coat, and backpack drives). A Thursday farmers market addresses documented food-desert conditions. The organization runs on a lean operational model—three full-time employees (a manager, a cook/chef, and a social worker) and over 300 active annual volunteers, with cumulative volunteer participation exceeding 1,000 individuals since inception—and is led by a board that includes Founder/Chairman Paul C. Miller, President Greg Langan, VP/General Counsel Kurt Peters, VP of Community Services Melissa Hillier, and Treasurer Barbara Gode.

The business model is a donation-funded nonprofit with no fees charged for services. Revenue streams are diversified across individual donations, a tiered-sponsorship annual Golf Classic fundraiser ($400 to $2,500 packages), corporate support (Audible, Investors Bank, Columbia Bank Foundation, County Concrete, JWF), foundation grants (e.g., $20,000 from Investors Bank, $10,000 from Columbia Bank Foundation), an email-driven Angel Network that connects specific item requests to donors, and planned-giving/bequests. Marketing and donor acquisition are handled through the organization's website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, email/newsletters, earned media (NJ Monthly, ABC7-New York, NorthJersey.com, TAPinto/Newark, Bergen Record), and the annual Golf Classic. The core customer segment is dual-sided: beneficiaries are low-income residents of Newark's Central and West Wards (working poor, homeless, disabled, unemployed, single mothers, children, elderly, and food-desert residents); paying 'customers' in the traditional sense are individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grant-makers. No software, AI, or proprietary technology platform backs operations.

Strategic positioning leans on two reputational assets: a Charity Navigator Four Star rating and a 100/100 Impact & Results beacon, the latter reflecting highly cost-effective, volunteer-leveraged service delivery. The organization is a contracted partner with the City of Newark (under former Mayor Cory Booker) to assist prison releasees with ID documentation, and its pandemic-era continuity (64,000+ meals served in year one while other Newark soup kitchens closed) is a frequently cited differentiator in earned media. The organization has no parent company, no institutional investment, and is entirely dependent on private donations, corporate grants, and event revenue.

Name

Franciscan Charities

Legal name

Franciscan Charities, Inc.

Website

https://franciscancharitiesinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Franciscan Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Newark, NJ, operating a soup kitchen and coordinated social-service programs (ID assistance, jobs training, child and family services, social advocacy, neighborhood outreach) for low-income residents of the Central and West Wards, funded primarily by donations, corporate grants, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services Nonprofit

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Social services nonprofit
• Food assistance programs
• Community outreach
• Poverty alleviation
• Homeless services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General financial contributions from individual donors made through the website or mail. The primary revenue stream supporting ongoing operations.
2. Golf Classic Event: Annual golf tournament fundraising event with sponsorship packages ($2,500 Changing Lives Package, $1,000 Breakfast/Lunch Sponsors, $400 Individual Golfer).
3. Angel Network: Email-based network where angels provide requested items (diapers, baby formula, fans, mattresses, backpacks, clothing, furniture) to those in need.
4. Planned Giving: Bequests and estate planning donations where supporters name Franciscan Charities as a beneficiary of wills or trusts.
5. Corporate Support: Corporate donations, team-building volunteer experiences, sponsorships, and in-kind donations of coats, toys, or personal items from businesses.
6. Foundation Grants: Grants from financial partners including Investors Bank ($20,000) and Columbia Bank Foundation ($10,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Franciscan Charities operates a five-day-a-week soup kitchen in the basement of St. Ann's Church in Newark's Central Ward, providing hot, home-cooked, nutritious meals to residents experiencing poverty and food insecurity. The organization also runs complementary social service programs including a Jobs Program, ID Program, Child and Family Services, Social Advocacy, Neighborhood Outreach (coat/toy/back-to-school drives), and an Angel Network donor-item request system, all provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Franciscan Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a coordinated portfolio of social service programs focused on alleviating poverty in Newark's Central and West Wards. The core offering is the Franciscan Charities Kitchen, a five-day-a-week soup kitchen providing hot meals. Complementary programs include the Jobs Program for vocational training and employment, the ID Program for document assistance, Social Advocacy for navigating social services, Child and Family Services for maternal and educational support, One to One Direct Response for immediate family needs, Neighborhood Outreach encompassing annual coat/toy/backpack drives, and the Angel Network for donor-supported item requests. These programs work together to address food insecurity, employment, identification, housing, and educational needs of vulnerable populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Franciscan Charities Kitchen A bustling soup kitchen open five days a week at St. Ann's Church providing hot, home-cooked, nutritious meals to Newark residents experiencing poverty and food insecurity, also distributing food-to-go bags with personal hygiene items. Over 100,000 meals are provided annually with the help of 300+ volunteers.
• Jobs Program A vocational training and mentoring program offering chronically unemployed individuals opportunities for full-time paid positions within the Franciscan Charities kitchen, combining on-the-job training with structured employment pathways.
• One to One Direct Response A program providing direct assistance to families in need, including school clothes, rent subsidies, and furniture, with ongoing personal connections and follow-up support to ensure family needs are addressed over time.
• Child and Family Services Program providing essential supplies to women, infants, and families including diapers, formula, baby wipes, clothing, infant care products, and feminine hygiene products; also includes the Children's Literacy Initiative offering educational support to children.
• ID Program A documentation assistance program helping clients obtain birth certificates, social security cards, and state/county photo ID cards, including paperwork preparation, bureaucracy navigation, and fee payment—critical for accessing employment, housing, driver's licenses, and social services eligibility.
• Social Advocacy Program assisting neighbors in navigating the social services network to obtain housing, transportation, mental health services, food stamps, WIC, TANF, Social Security Income, health assistance, and adult day care.
• Neighborhood Outreach Annual community distribution programs including the Toy Drive, Back-to-School Drive with backpacks and school supplies, and Coat Drive distributing hundreds of winter coats, gear, hats, gloves, and socks to Central and West Ward residents, plus a Thursday farmers market providing fresh produce in a designated food desert area.
• Angel Network Email-based donor network where angels provide requested items such as diapers, baby formula, fans, mattresses, backpacks, clothing, and furniture directly to those in need, with drop-off points in multiple locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 1 million meals since 2004
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Order of MaltacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Volunteers from Order of Malta assist with ID Program; longstanding partnership since 2013
• AudibleminorOthersCorporate supporter listed in logos section on website
• Newark Working KitchenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor food service partner supporting kitchen operations
• MEND (Munufacturing),minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting charitable mission
• Moms Helping Moms FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for diaper distribution; collaborated during National Diaper Need Awareness Week with First Lady Tammy Murphy
• CFBNJ (Community Food Bank of New Jersey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood bank partner supporting meal programs
• BridgesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in logos section
• County ConcreteminorOthersCorporate sponsor/supporter listed in logos section
• JWFminorOthersPartner organization listed in logos section
• Gargiulo ProduceminorOthersProduce supplier supporting food programs
• Clean Water ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy organization partner
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing-related partnership supporting community needs
• Holiday ExpresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides customized bags filled with treats for holiday distribution; annual Christmas Eve entertainment
• St. Mary's (Watchung)minorOthersReligious organization donating toys for annual toy drive
• Camden Street Elementary SchoolminorOthersLocal school within two blocks of kitchen; receives backpacks with supplies including masks and hand sanitizer
• Harriett Tubman Elementary SchoolminorOthersLocal school within two blocks of kitchen; receives backpacks with supplies
• West Side Recreation CenterminorOthersCommunity partner for coat and toy distributions
• Howard University BisonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternative Spring Break program volunteers assisting at soup kitchen
• New Jersey First Lady Tammy MurphyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in National Diaper Need Awareness Week event highlighting critical diaper needs
• Eva's VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellow nonprofit in Paterson; Franciscan Charities helps support their fundraising efforts

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: The largest U.S. domestic hunger-relief network. Franciscan Charities sits downstream of a Feeding America-affiliated food bank (CFBNJ). Comparable in charitable hunger-relief mission at vastly larger scale and as the sector's leading umbrella organization.
• The Salvation Army Newark Corps: National faith-based social services organization with a Newark presence offering meal, shelter, and emergency assistance. Comparable services and faith-rooted mission but operates as part of a much larger national network.

Direct peers

• The Bowery Mission: New York City faith-based nonprofit offering meals, shelter, and recovery programs. Comparable as a faith-rooted direct-service soup kitchen serving an urban low-income population.
• Eva's Village: Paterson, NJ-based faith-inspired multi-program nonprofit offering soup kitchen, recovery housing, and social services. Directly comparable to Franciscan Charities as a regional New Jersey charity combining meal service with wraparound social services.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark: Large faith-based social services organization serving Newark and surrounding counties, with comparable programs in food assistance, immigration, housing, and family services. Significantly larger scale but directly comparable mission and beneficiary base.
• Goodwill Rescue Mission: Newark-based faith-rooted rescue mission providing meals, shelter, and recovery services in the same Central Ward catchment. Directly comparable in geography and service mix (meals + social services).
• MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity): New Jersey-based nonprofit offering food, clothing, education, and social services, listed as a partner of Franciscan Charities. Comparable in community-based wraparound model and reliance on volunteers.
• City Harvest: New York City food rescue and hunger-relief nonprofit that combines direct meal provision with food rescue logistics. Comparable in food-security mission with a similarly volunteer-supported model.
• Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ): New Jersey's largest food bank and a current partner of Franciscan Charities; addresses food insecurity statewide through pantries and partner agencies. Comparable in mission but operates a wholesale/distribution model rather than direct-service.

Regional players

• The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties: Regional food bank serving New Jersey counties outside Franciscan's primary catchment. Comparable in food-security mission and donor-driven sustainability, though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FCharities
• Facebookfacebook.com/franciscancharitiesinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/franciscancharitiesinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franciscan-charities-inc.

Compliance3 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 Franciscan Charities