Caritas im Norden
Caritas im Norden is the regional Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Hamburg e.V., a Catholic non-profit operating more than 190 counseling centers and care facilities across Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, delivering free elderly care, family, migration, addiction, and disability services through in-person and online channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSchwerin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Caritas im Norden does
Caritas im Norden, legally the Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Hamburg e.V., is a registered Catholic charitable association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, founded in its current form on 21 April 2018 through the merger of three previously separate regional Caritas associations in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg. The organization is affiliated with the Deutscher Caritasverband e.V., Germany's largest social welfare employer, and operates more than 190 counseling centers and facilities across Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — a service area of approximately 32,500 square kilometers — supported by five regional offices in Hamburg, Kiel, Neubrandenburg, Rostock, and Schwerin and a workforce of more than 2,000 staff plus 150+ volunteers in Schwerin alone.
The portfolio spans elderly care and nursing homes, hospice and palliative services, family and youth services, mother-child cure clinics, migration and refugee integration support, addiction and debt counseling, homelessness assistance, and disability inclusion programs. Service delivery is hybrid: in-person through walk-in counseling centers and residential/outpatient care facilities, and digitally through a free, anonymous, secure online counseling portal (Online-Beratung) covering 18 advice areas including general social counseling, migration, suicide prevention (U25), pregnancy counseling, and HIV/AIDS support. The online channel is presented as an accessibility feature rather than a technology product.
The revenue model is non-profit and multi-source: government service contracts (welfare, elderly care), church allocations (Kirchensteuer-linked funding), individual and institutional donations, and targeted grant funding from partners such as Deutsche Fernsehlotterie and NDR's Hand in Hand charity campaign. All services are provided free of charge to recipients. Governance is led by Diözesancaritasdirektor Matthias Timmermann (since 01.03.2023) and Vorstand Andreas Meindl (since 01.04.2025), under the oversight of a Caritasrat. Market positioning relies on Catholic social-ethics legitimacy, integration with the national Caritas Confederation, and diversified public-private welfare funding streams.
Caritas im Norden firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Caritas im Norden
- Legal name
- Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Hamburg e.V.
- Website
- https://caritas-im-norden.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Caritas im Norden is the regional Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Hamburg e.V., a Catholic non-profit operating more than 190 counseling centers and care facilities across Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, delivering free elderly care, family, migration, addiction, and disability services through in-person and online channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Caritas im Norden industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Welfare Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (6233), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Other Residential Care Facilities (62399)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable / Low-Income Assisted Living (Medicaid Waiver Focused) (HLADABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Independent Living with Supportive Services (Light ADL/IADL Support) (HLADAAAE), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG), Continuous Home Care (Crisis Hospice) (HSABAFAB)
Keywords
Where Caritas im Norden is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Schwerin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Caritas im Norden business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Social Services and Welfare Funding: Caritas operates as a non-profit social welfare organization funded through a combination of church funding, government contracts, donations, and public funding for social services. Services include elderly care, migration support, addiction counseling, family services, hospice care, and housing assistance for homeless individuals.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations from supporters, charitable contributions, and funding from partners such as Deutsche Fernsehlotterie for specific projects like the Empowerment Caritas integration project (142,000 EUR).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free social welfare services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Caritas im Norden product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Caritas im Norden is a Catholic charitable association delivering free social welfare services to individuals and families in northern Germany. Its core offerings include elderly care (stationary, ambulatory, and hospice), migration and integration support, family and youth counseling, addiction and debt counseling, housing assistance for the homeless, pregnancy counseling, and a free online counseling platform covering 18 advice areas. Services are delivered through more than 190 physical centers and a digital online counseling channel.
Product overview
Caritas im Norden (Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Hamburg e.V.) is a Catholic charitable social welfare organization, not a technology product company. It provides social services including general social counseling, elderly care, migration support, youth and family services, homeless assistance, addiction counseling, hospice services, and Kur (rehabilitation clinic) services across Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The organization operates more than 190 counseling centers and facilities but does not offer technology products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online-Beratung (Online Counseling) Free, anonymous, and secure online counseling covering 18 advice areas including general social counseling, migration, addiction, debt, youth, suicide prevention (U25), pregnancy, and more. Available to people in need across northern Germany.
- Stationäre Pflege (Residential Elderly Care) Residential nursing and care services for elderly people, including facilities like Caritas Alten- und Pflegeheim St. Nikolaus in Parchim serving 90 residents, providing comprehensive care and nursing services.
- Ambulante Pflege (Outpatient Elderly Care) Outpatient home care services for elderly and people in need, providing nursing and support in their own homes across Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg.
- Betreutes Wohnen (Assisted Living) Assisted living services for older people who need support with daily living while maintaining independence.
- Hospiz- und Palliativberatung (Hospice and Palliative Care) Hospice and palliative care services including ambulante Hospizdienste (outpatient hospice services) for end-of-life support.
- Migrationsberatung (Migration Counseling) Migration, integration, and asylum counseling for refugees and migrants including Asylverfahrensberatung (asylum procedure counseling), Integrationskurse (integration courses), and integrationsnetzwerke.
- Familien- und Jugendberatung (Family and Youth Counseling) Family counseling, youth services, pregnancy counseling, Caritas Kitas, Kinder- und Jugendhäuser, and approximately 150 family centers in Schleswig-Holstein providing early support and social space services.
- Suchtberatung (Addiction Counseling) Counseling and support services for people dealing with addiction and substance abuse issues, delivered through walk-in centers and online counseling.
- Schuldnerberatung (Debt Counseling) Debt counseling and financial support for people experiencing financial hardship, including Carisatt-Läden (social food stores).
- Obdachlosenhilfe (Homeless Assistance) Housing assistance and outreach services for homeless individuals across northern Germany.
- Mutter-Kind-Vorsorge Kurkliniken (Mother-Child Rehabilitation Clinics) Mother-child preventive rehabilitation clinics and Familienerholung (family recovery) services for mothers, fathers, and families needing health recovery and respite.
- Inklusion und Behindertenhilfe (Inclusion and Disability Services) Ambulante Dienste, ambulante Wohnformen, stationäre Einrichtungen, Schulbegleitung Integrationshilfen, and Betreuungsvereine for people with physical, intellectual, or psychological disabilities.
- Ehrenamt (Volunteer Engagement Program) Volunteer engagement program with over 150 volunteers in Schwerin and broader regional programs supporting Caritas services, including FSJ and BFD (voluntary social service programs).
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 190 counseling centers and facilities serving Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Caritas im Norden
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Caritas im Norden technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Caritas im Norden partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- LIGA der Spitzenverbände der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V.coreCaritas im Norden is a member of LIGA MV, which coordinates the work of free welfare associations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. LIGA advocates for social infrastructure and conducts dialogues with political parties on social policy issues.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Caritas im Norden competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AWO Bundesverband: Workers' Welfare Association is a secular umbrella welfare organization operating elderly care, youth services, migration support, and family services in direct competition with Caritas for public contracts and donor funds.
- Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB): Workers' Samaritan Federation offers nursing, hospice, family assistance, and refugee services, competing with Caritas im Norden for the same regional government contracts in northern Germany.
- Diakonie Deutschland: The Protestant counterpart to Caritas, Diakonie is Germany's second-largest welfare organization, operating nursing homes, hospitals, counseling centers, and social services across the same service categories and geographies.
- Malteser Deutschland: Catholic aid service with nationwide operations in emergency response, hospice care, migration services, and youth work. Direct competitor in faith-based welfare delivery with comparable service categories.
- Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK): The German Red Cross operates nursing, hospice, family, and refugee services nationwide, directly competing with Caritas im Norden in northern Germany for government contracts, volunteers, and care staff.
- Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe: Protestant-affiliated welfare organization providing home care, hospice, youth services, and refugee aid. Operates in the same northern German geographies with comparable service breadth.
- Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband: An umbrella organization for non-confessional welfare providers offering elderly care, disability services, migration counseling, and family support — a structural peer competing for the same public funding channels.
Broad incumbents
- Deutscher Caritasverband: National umbrella organization and parent body of Caritas im Norden, coordinating 25,000+ facilities and 690,000 employees nationwide. Operates overlapping services at national scale and sets the strategic direction for regional Caritas associations.
- SOS-Kinderdörfer: Major nonprofit operating residential care, family support, and youth services across Germany. Overlaps with Caritas im Norden's children, youth, and family service lines in northern Germany.
Regional players
- Vinzenz Gruppe: Catholic-affiliated healthcare group operating hospitals, nursing facilities, and social services primarily in southern and western Germany. A regional structural peer in faith-based care delivery with limited geographic overlap in northern Germany.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Caritas im Norden social profiles
Digital presenceCaritas im Norden financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Caritas im Norden leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Caritas im Norden funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Caritas im Norden M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Caritas im Norden
What does Caritas im Norden do?
Caritas im Norden is a Catholic charitable association delivering free social welfare services to individuals and families in northern Germany. Its core offerings include elderly care (stationary, ambulatory, and hospice), migration and integration support, family and youth counseling, addiction and debt counseling, housing assistance for the homeless, pregnancy counseling, and a free online counseling platform covering 18 advice areas. Services are delivered through more than 190 physical centers and a digital online counseling channel.
Is Caritas im Norden a public or private company?
Caritas im Norden is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Caritas im Norden founded?
Caritas im Norden was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Caritas im Norden based?
Caritas im Norden is headquartered in Schwerin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Caritas im Norden make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Social Services and Welfare Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Caritas im Norden's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AWO Bundesverband, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), Diakonie Deutschland, Malteser Deutschland, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK), Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe and Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband. Broad incumbents are Deutscher Caritasverband and SOS-Kinderdörfer. Vinzenz Gruppe is listed as a regional player.
Does Caritas im Norden have an API?
No public API is recorded for Caritas im Norden.
What industry is Caritas im Norden in?
Caritas im Norden's product category is Social Welfare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADABAE, Affordable / Low-Income Assisted Living (Medicaid Waiver Focused), with a secondary code of HLADAAAE, Independent Living with Supportive Services (Light ADL/IADL Support). Its NAICS code is 62412 and its SIC code is 8300.