Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V.

What Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V. does

Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V. is the Catholic diocesan welfare association for the Diocese of Erfurt, operating as a registered nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein) in Thuringia, Germany. It is affiliated with the Deutscher Caritasverband e.V. and functions as the Catholic Spitzenverband (lead association) of Freie Wohlfahrtspflege in the diocese, which coincides geographically with the state of Thuringia. The organization delivers social counseling, hospice and palliative care, mother-child rehabilitation, elderly and nursing care, youth and family welfare, addiction support, migration and refugee services, food banking, and debt counseling through approximately 160 facilities and services organized across three regional networks (Mittelthüringen, Südthüringen, Eichsfeld/Nordthüringen) and twelve free walk-in social counseling locations. It employs nearly 7,000 full-time staff and engages approximately 2,500 volunteers, with a wholly owned portfolio of operating subsidiaries including Caritasklinik Maria am See, Caritashospiz Mutter Teresa, Caritashospiz St. Elisabeth, Caritas Kinder- und Jugendhaus St. Vinzenz, Berufsbildende Schule St. Elisabeth, and Caritas Trägergesellschaft St. Elisabeth.

The organization's revenue model rests on three pillars: Catholic church allocations derived from the German church tax (Kirchensteuer), public social welfare contracts and reimbursements under the German Social Code (SGB) frameworks for clinical, care, and welfare services, and donations collected via online portals (Fundraisingbox by Wikando, Pax-Bank Spendenportal) plus themed fundraising campaigns. Social counseling is provided free of charge to all clients regardless of worldview, nationality, or religion; care and clinical services operate under social insurance reimbursement. The go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer, leveraging Catholic parish networks, public referrals, and physical facility presence across all of Thuringia.

The technology stack is non-proprietary: the organization uses CariNet CMS (shared with the national Deutscher Caritasverband), standard analytics and consent management tooling (Google Analytics with IP anonymization, YouTube enhanced privacy mode, Google Maps via consent manager), third-party donation infrastructure (Wikando Fundraisingbox integrated with Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, Apple Pay, Google Pay; Pax-Bank donation portal via CardProcess), and a Curator.io social wall. No proprietary platform, AI/ML capabilities, or API product is disclosed. Marketing channels center on the website, email newsletter (meine-caritas.de), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, press releases, and parish bulletins.

Name

Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V.

Legal name

Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V.

Website

https://caritas-bistum-erfurt.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V. is the Catholic diocesan welfare association for Thuringia, Germany, operating approximately 160 social, healthcare, and youth welfare facilities with nearly 7,000 staff, delivering free counseling, hospice and palliative care, mother-child rehabilitation, and refugee support across three regional networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare and Charitable Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious Organizations (8131), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Social welfare services
• Elderly care services
• Youth welfare programs
• Hospice palliative care
• Immigration counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Erfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations from the public via online portals (Fundraisingbox/Wikando, Pax-Bank Spendenportal), direct bank transfers, and themed campaigns (e.g., Ukraine emergency aid, heat action, Caritas collection drives). Donations are tax-deductible, with donation receipts issued.
2. Church and Public Funding: Core funding derived from Catholic Church allocations (Kirchensteuer / church tax) and public social welfare contracts with German federal and state (Thuringia) government agencies for mandated social services (e.g., youth welfare, disability services, refugee assistance).
3. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from personal and corporate members, providing recurring revenue and democratic governance input.
4. Service Fees and Care Revenue: Revenue from care facilities, hospitals, hospices, and rehabilitation clinics (mother-child clinic) which generate fees under German social insurance frameworks (SGB). Client counseling is provided free of charge, funded separately by church and donation sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V. operates as the Catholic welfare association for the Diocese of Erfurt, delivering a comprehensive portfolio of social services across Thuringia. It provides free social counseling, hospice and palliative care, mother-child rehabilitation, youth welfare and childcare, elderly nursing care, food banks, debt counseling, addiction support, migration and integration services, and vocational education through approximately 160 facilities staffed by nearly 7,000 employees and 2,500 volunteers. Services are funded through Catholic Church allocations (Kirchensteuer), public social welfare contracts, donations, and membership fees.

Product overview

Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V. is a Catholic charitable organization serving as the central association for social activities, services, and facilities of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Erfurt. The organization operates a decentralized network of social services organized across three regions (Mittelthüringen, Südthüringen, and Eichsfeld/Nordthüringen), offering counseling, healthcare, youth welfare, elderly care, and social support services. Key facilities include hospices (Caritashospiz Mutter Teresa, Caritashospiz St. Elisabeth), the Mutter-Kind-Klinik Maria am See rehabilitation clinic, the Berufsbildende Schule St. Elisabeth vocational school, and day centers (Caritas Tagestreff) and food banks. Services are delivered through online counseling platforms, regional offices, and approximately 160 facilities employing nearly 7,000 staff and 2,500 volunteers. The organization functions as the Catholic apex association of free welfare in Thuringia and accepts donations through integrated Fundraisingbox and Pax-Bank payment systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caritashospiz Mutter Teresa A hospice center in Heilbad Heiligenstadt providing palliative care for terminally ill patients. The facility features 13 guest rooms with common areas, a room of silence, and meeting spaces, and includes both inpatient and day hospice services.
• Caritashospiz St. Elisabeth

Quantifiable outcome

• ~38,000 people helped at Caritasklinik Maria am See since 1991 (15,000 mothers + 23,000 children)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. (MHD) – Diocese of ErfurtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalteser Hilfsdienst is a specialized association (Fachverband) affiliated with the Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt. With ~200 volunteer helpers, ~150 full-time staff, and additional part-time/casual workers, the Malteser provides a broad spectrum of services in the Diocese of Erfurt, including first aid, rescue services, and social assistance, as part of the Caritas network.
• Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen e.V. (SkF) – EichsfeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkF Eichsfeld e.V. is a women's and specialized association of social work in the Church, affiliated as a Fachverband. It provides social-pedagogical family support, educational, family, and youth counseling, and operates the Mutter-Kind-Heim 'Haus Teresa' in Kirchworbis.
• Kreuzbund e.V. – Diocese of ErfurtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kreuzbund is a self-help community for addiction sufferers and relatives, affiliated as a Fachverband under the Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt. It provides aftercare and support for people recovering from addiction.
• Deutscher Caritasverband e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe national-level Catholic welfare association (headquartered in Freiburg) to which the diocesan Caritasverband belongs as a member. Provides shared IT infrastructure (CariNet CMS), the national job board (Job- und Praktikumsbörse), shared branding, Caritas international overseas aid programs, and policy advocacy at the federal level.
• Caritas internationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe international humanitarian arm of the German Caritas network. The diocesan Caritas participates in Caritas international's Ukraine emergency aid efforts, coordinating with international Caritas operations to reach approximately two million people in Ukraine and neighboring countries.
• St. Martin gGmbH (Catholic Kindergarten Provider)minorOthersThe St. Martin gGmbH operates Catholic kindergartens within the Diocese of Erfurt. The Caritas provides specialized consulting (Fachberatung) services for these facilities, maintaining quality standards in Catholic early childhood education.
• LIGA der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege in ThuringiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Caritas participates in the LIGA (association of free welfare organizations) in Thuringia, jointly shaping social policy at the state level and fulfilling an advocacy function for vulnerable populations in state political processes.
• Wikando GmbH (Fundraisingbox)coreTechnology or IntegrationWikando GmbH provides the Fundraisingbox online donation tool, enabling direct online donations with payment processing through various providers (SEPA direct debit, PayPal, credit card, Klarna, Google Pay, Apple Pay). The tool also manages donation communication, receipts, and campaign analytics.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Caritasverband e.V. National Catholic welfare federation and parent/umbrella of the diocesan Caritas associations. Operates at the federal level providing shared IT, branding, advocacy, and policy shaping; comparable as the broader organizational layer within the same welfare network.
• Caritas international: International humanitarian arm of the German Caritas network. Already a partner of Caritas Erfurt on Ukraine emergency aid. Comparable as part of the same organizational family but operating at the international relief scale; relevant for thematic and operational coordination rather than direct regional competition.

Direct peers

• Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO): Major German welfare association operating nursing homes, youth and family services, counseling, and integration programs. Comparable as a non-confessional Spitzenverband with similar public funding reliance and service breadth; competes directly in many Thuringian local markets.
• Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. Protestant-affiliated welfare organization providing rescue services, hospice care, youth services, and social assistance. Comparable in faith-based identity (parallel to Caritas) and in operating hospices, nursing, and counseling facilities across German regions.
• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK): German Red Cross, one of the six Spitzenverbände der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege. Operates nursing homes, youth welfare, refugee services, counseling, and emergency aid; comparable in scale, funding mix (public contracts + donations), and service breadth across German welfare markets.
• Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. Catholic relief service and Fachverband affiliated with Caritas, providing first aid, rescue services, and social assistance across Germany. Already a partner of Caritas Erfurt; comparable in mission, faith-based positioning, and integrated social/emergency service delivery.
• Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband: Umbrella for non-confessional welfare organizations in Germany. Comparable as one of the six Spitzenverbände participating in LIGA der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege and operating overlapping services (counseling, care, youth welfare) at the same regional level.
• Diakonie Deutschland: National umbrella for Protestant welfare work in Germany. As the Protestant counterpart to Caritas, Diakonie operates parallel diocesan structures, runs nursing homes, hospitals, hospices, counseling centers, and youth/family services — directly comparable in mission, funding model (church tax + public contracts), and service spectrum.
• Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen e.V. (SkF): Catholic women's social service organization; SkF Eichsfeld is already a Fachverband partner of Caritas Erfurt. Comparable in faith-based identity, family/parenting/mother-child focus, and operating Mutter-Kind-Heime, family counseling, and youth welfare services.

Regional players

• Diakonie Mitteldeutschland: Regional Protestant welfare umbrella covering Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Operates the same service types as Caritas Erfurt (nursing, counseling, youth welfare, disability) in the same Thuringian regional markets, making it the closest geographic head-to-head competitor in the Diocese's footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCswll8GfLUqipkfkN5B-fYw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Caritas.im.Bistum.Erfurt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritasverband-f%C3%BCr-das-bistum-erfurt
• Instagraminstagram.com/caritas.erfurt

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Caritasverband für das Bistum Erfurt e.V.