Caritas Österreich

What Caritas Österreich does

Caritas Österreich is the Austrian national confederation of the Caritas international Catholic charity network, founded in 1949 and headquartered in Vienna. It operates as the charitable and social services arm of the Catholic Church in Austria, delivering elderly and disability care, family counseling, refugee integration support, and emergency assistance through 1,600+ service locations, 9 regional diocesan offices, and 1,500+ parishes. Operations are supported by approximately 10,000 employees and 43,000+ active volunteers, with an additional 127,500+ participants engaged through the youngCaritas youth program.

Internationally, Caritas Österreich operates in 60+ countries through partnerships and its affiliation with Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 165+ member organizations. The dominant recent program is a humanitarian response in Ukraine scaled since February 2022 to reach more than 5 million beneficiaries, alongside continued Afghanistan operations and a Venezuela earthquake response mission initiated in June 2026. The organization generates revenue through a diversified model spanning individual donations, corporate partnerships, social enterprise operations (the "Schenken mit Sinn" webshop and the "Carla" second-hand retail chain), Austrian government service contracts, and international humanitarian funding.

The organization's technology and product portfolio includes digital service platforms — Wegweiser (service directory), Open2chat (counseling), Plaudernetz (community support), and füreinand' (community engagement) — alongside long-running programs such as the IRMA plus III returnee reintegration project (active since 2017). Governance and trust infrastructure is anchored by Austrian Donation Quality Seal membership, formal Catholic Church affiliation, and integration with EU-level charitable coordination bodies.

Name

Caritas Österreich

Legal name

Caritas Österreich

Website

https://caritas.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Caritas Österreich is the Austrian Catholic charity confederation delivering social, healthcare, and humanitarian aid services through 1,600+ locations, 10,000+ staff, and 43,000+ volunteers across Austria and 60+ countries internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare and Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Social welfare programs
• Refugee integration support
• Elderly care services
• Charitable donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Individual donors contribute through online portals, direct bank transfers, and regular giving programs. The organization emphasizes that a minimum of 90% of donations are used for concrete aid.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Businesses support Caritas through dedicated corporate giving programs, sponsorships, and cause-related marketing campaigns.
3. Social Enterprise - Schenken mit Sinn Webshop: The organization operates an e-commerce platform selling symbolic gift items (animals, food packages, educational supplies) with proceeds supporting humanitarian projects.
4. Social Retail - Carla Second Hand: Second-hand retail stores (Carla) generate revenue through clothing and goods donations sold to the public.
5. Social Services Operations: Government-funded social services including care, integration support, and emergency aid through contractual arrangements with public authorities.
6. International Humanitarian Funding: Funding from international donors and partner organizations including Nachbar in Not, Caritas Internationalis network, EU mechanisms, and government development aid for international projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Caritas Österreich is a nonprofit charitable organization providing social welfare, emergency aid, refugee integration support, elderly and palliative care, family and youth services, and international humanitarian assistance. It operates an e-commerce gift shop (Schenken mit Sinn) and second-hand retail stores (Carla) to fundraise, while delivering counseling, online social advice, and community engagement programs through a network of regional offices and parish organizations across Austria and 60+ countries worldwide.

Product overview

Caritas Österreich operates as a comprehensive charitable organization offering a multi-service portfolio centered on social welfare and humanitarian aid. The core offerings include emergency assistance, refugee support and integration services, care and nursing services, and community engagement programs. Key digital touchpoints include the Caritas Wegweiser guidance tool, the Schenken mit Sinn e-commerce platform for symbolic donations, the youngCaritas youth engagement program, and the füreinand' community platform. The organization provides both domestic services across Austria and international humanitarian aid through partnerships with global Caritas network members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• youngCaritas: Youth engagement program for children and teenagers aged 6-25 years, offering workshops and social activism opportunities
• Caritas Pflege
• Caritas Wegweiser
• Schenken mit Sinn
• füreinand'

Products and services

• Caritas Wegweiser Digital and personal guidance tool that helps users across Austria find the right Caritas support service based on their needs and location. It is for individuals and families seeking social assistance, refugee support, family services, disability inclusion, or care information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of donations used for concrete aid
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Caritas VenezuelacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership for earthquake emergency response coordination. Caritas Venezuela coordinates concrete on-the-ground relief including shelters, water, food, medical care, and psychosocial support in affected regions.
• Caritas InternationaliscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Global Caritas confederation coordinating international humanitarian response and funding for emergency relief operations.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership for coordinating emergency humanitarian aid in crisis situations including Venezuela earthquake response.
• Caritas DeutschlandmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026German Caritas organization coordinating on international disaster response and humanitarian aid projects.
• Caritas SchweizmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Swiss Caritas organization participating in coordinated international disaster relief efforts.
• ODPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Local partner organization in Herat, Afghanistan providing hygiene packages and survival assistance to displaced populations.
• Bundesagentur für Betreuungs- und Unterstützungsleistungen (BBU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Government agency coordinating housing and basic services for refugees and displaced persons in Austria, working with Caritas for accommodation provision.
• Caritas PolencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2022Supporting refugee assistance at the Poland-Ukraine border, distributing food, supplies, and coordinating humanitarian corridors for displaced persons.
• Republic of Moldova PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2022Supporting refugee assistance in Moldova with focus on providing shelter, food, and integration services for Ukrainian refugees.
• Caritas Internationalis (165+ members)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2022Global confederation of 165 Caritas organizations working in nearly all countries worldwide, coordinating international emergency response including Ukraine humanitarian operations.
• HDF Mercy CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Major childcare organization in Bangkok's Klong Toey slums operating 23 kindergartens, school for street children, housing for 180+ children, and HIV/AIDS programs. International volunteers placed through Caritas Austria.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CaritasAustria
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CaritasAustria
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaritasOesterreich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritas-austria
• Instagraminstagram.com/caritasoesterreich

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Österreich