Caritas Development Institute

What Caritas Development Institute does

Caritas Development Institute (CDI) is a non-profit training and research center established in 1983 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, operating as a Trust of Caritas Bangladesh since January 2010. The institute serves development practitioners within Caritas Bangladesh, partner NGOs, church and religious institutions across faiths, ethnic/indigenous (Adivasi) communities, and people's organizations. Its core offerings are organized around four domains: training (including a flagship three-month Diploma Course on Social Analysis and Development, now in its 19th iteration, plus eight thematic short-course areas covering community development, gender, governance, ecology, health, leadership, and project planning); socio-economic research services (baseline/endline studies, impact assessments, feasibility studies, tracer studies, and need assessments); an Information & Documentation Centre (ICD) library with automated Koha-based catalog management, an e-library portal, and a publications portal; and physical facilities comprising two training halls and residential/dining capacity for 50 participants.

CDI's underlying technology stack is conventional and modest: a Koha integrated library management system with OPAC for digital catalog access, a publications portal, Wi-Fi-enabled training halls with multimedia projectors, and standard office productivity infrastructure. There is no proprietary software product, no API, no mobile application, and no AI/ML component. Distribution is predominantly domestic (Bangladesh), with international reach limited to research engagements facilitated through the Caritas International network.

The business model is non-commercial. As a Trust of Caritas Bangladesh, CDI is funded through parent-organization allocations, grants, and partner sponsorships rather than fee-for-service revenue. Training participants must be nominated by their organizations or sponsors, and specific pricing is not publicly disclosed, indicating subsidized or no-cost delivery for Caritas projects and partner NGOs. With 12 employees, the institute operates as a small, mission-driven capacity-building entity rather than a commercially scaled business, generating demand through institutional relationships and the Caritas/Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh ecosystem rather than outbound sales activity.

Name

Caritas Development Institute

Legal name

Caritas Development Institute

Website

https://caritascdi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caritas Development Institute is a Dhaka-based non-profit training and research trust of Caritas Bangladesh, serving development practitioners, NGO personnel, church institutions, and ethnic/indigenous communities through diploma programs, thematic training courses, socio-economic research, and an automated library and publications service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training and Research Services: CDI provides training and research services to Caritas Bangladesh projects, partner NGOs, and development organizations. As a Trust of Caritas Bangladesh, the institute operates as a non-profit entity focused on capacity building rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Caritas Development Institute (CDI) is a non-profit training and research center established in 1983 and operating as a Trust of Caritas Bangladesh. CDI delivers a three-month Diploma Course on Social Analysis and Development, thematic training programs on community development, gender, governance and health, socio-economic and impact assessment research, and a fully automated library and documentation center serving development practitioners. Services are delivered primarily to Caritas project staff, partner NGOs, church institutions, and ethnic/indigenous communities in Bangladesh.

Product overview

Caritas Development Institute (CDI) operates as the Training and Research Center of Caritas Bangladesh, established in 1983 and registered as a Trust since January 2010. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of capacity-building services for development professionals, NGO personnel, Church institutions, and ethnic communities. The core offerings include: (1) the three-month Diploma Course on Social Analysis and Development for leadership development; (2) short-term Training Programs covering development sectors such as gender, health, governance, and ecology; (3) Research Services providing socio-economic studies, impact assessments, and evaluations; (4) ICD Library Services offering information resources and documentation; and (5) Physical Facilities including training halls and residential accommodation. CDI also provides digital access through its E-CDI Library catalog and Publications portal. The organization focuses on sustainable development through human resource development, research contribution, and establishing a learning and resource center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diploma Course on Social Analysis and Development A three-month diploma program for social and religious leaders and development professionals that builds deeper understanding of local, national, and global development contexts, integrating spirituality and morality of key religions, currently running in its 19th edition.
• Thematic Training Programs Short-term institutional and capacity-building training courses covering Community and Social Development, Education and Formation, Health and Sanitation, Ecological Conservation, Rights-Based Approaches and Good Governance, Gender, Leadership and Management, and Project Planning, Monitoring and Report Writing. Delivered to nominated participants from Caritas projects, partner NGOs, church institutions, and ethnic communities.
• Research Services Socio-economic, empirical, exploratory, ethnographic, and participatory action research services for Caritas Bangladesh, partner NGOs, and other organizations at national and international level. Deliverables include Baseline and Endline Studies, Impact Assessments/Project Evaluations, Employment and Labour Market Analyses, Project Feasibility Studies, Social Action Research, Tracer Studies, and Need Assessments.
• ICD Library and Documentation Services Modern library with collections of fiction and non-fiction books, journals, periodicals, training documents, news clippings, audio-video materials, and daily newspapers. Provides reprographic, reference, Current Awareness Service (CAS), and Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) services to development practitioners.
• E-CDI Library (Digital Catalog / OPAC) Online public access catalog for the CDI library collection, allowing users to search, browse, and access library materials digitally beyond the physical Dhaka campus.
• CDI Publications Portal Online publications portal for accessing CDI research outputs, newsletters, and academic publications on development practice.
• Training Facilities and Accommodation Two well-equipped training halls (capacities 50 and 30 trainees), residential facilities for 50 participants with AC and non-AC rooms, a 60-person air-conditioned dining hall, and conference/seminar facilities equipped with multimedia projectors, laptops, Wi-Fi, and cable network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 diploma courses conducted on Social Analysis and Development
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Caritas BangladeshcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDI is the Training and Research Center of Caritas Bangladesh. Established in 1983 as part of Caritas Bangladesh and became an independent Trust of Caritas Bangladesh in January 2010. CDI provides capacity building and research services to Caritas projects and development partners.
• Caritas InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of Catholic charities that CDI is affiliated with through its parent organization Caritas Bangladesh. Provides international development resources and best practices sharing.
• CBCB (Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe national Catholic bishops' conference that oversees Catholic organizations in Bangladesh, including Caritas Bangladesh and its affiliated institutions.
• MAWTS (Mymensingh Agricultural Workers Training Trust Society)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnother Trust of Caritas Bangladesh, potentially collaborating on agricultural and development training initiatives.
• CORR-The Jute WorksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA Caritas Bangladesh enterprise producing and selling jute products, potentially collaborating on livelihood and economic development programs.
• Partner NGOscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious non-governmental organizations that CDI serves through training and research services. CDI provides capacity development support to these partner organizations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Institute of Development Studies (IDS): Global development research and learning institute at the University of Sussex, offering postgrad training and research on social sciences. Comparable to CDI in combining development research with teaching, but at vastly larger scale and global reach.
• ActionAid Bangladesh: Country office of a large international development NGO running training, advocacy, and rights-based programs in Bangladesh. Overlaps with CDI on human rights, gender, and community development training themes but at significantly larger scale.
• Manusher Jonno Foundation: Bangladesh development foundation funding and supporting civil society, capacity building, and rights-based programs. Adjacent to CDI as a Bangladesh development-sector capacity-building ecosystem player.

Regional players

• Proshika: Large Bangladesh development NGO delivering training, social mobilization, and livelihoods programs. Comparable to CDI in training scope for community organizations but operates at much larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Caritas India Social Institute: Sister Caritas training and social development institution in India, offering capacity-building and research for NGO staff, religious leaders, and communities. Closest structural analogue within the Caritas global network.
• BRAC Institute of Educational Development: BRAC's education and capacity-building arm in Bangladesh, offering diploma and training programs for development professionals. Operates in the same Bangladesh capacity-building market as CDI with overlapping NGO and community clientele.
• Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD): Leading Bangladesh think tank producing socio-economic research, policy briefs, and dialogue programs. Comparable to CDI's research function but with a stronger national policy and media presence.
• National Institute of Local Government (NILG): Bangladesh government training institute for local government officials and development practitioners. Overlaps with CDI's institutional training and capacity-building mandate within Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS): Bangladesh's premier multi-disciplinary development research institute, conducting socio-economic, policy, and empirical research. Directly comparable as a Bangladesh-based development research organization, though larger and government-affiliated.
• CODEC (Community Development Centre): Bangladesh-based NGO delivering community development, training, and rights-based programs for marginalized groups. Comparable to CDI's community development, rights-based, and indigenous community training focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cdi2010
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritas-development-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Development Institute