What Caritas Italiana does

Caritas Italiana is the pastoral charity organization of the Italian Bishops' Conference (Conferenza Episcopale Italiana, CEI), established on July 2, 1971, by Pope Paul VI in the wake of the Second Vatican Council to coordinate the Catholic Church's charitable work in Italy and internationally. It operates a federated network model connecting 217 diocesan Caritas organizations across Italy, which run 3,124 computerized listening centers (Centri di Ascolto), poverty observatories (Osservatorio delle Povertà e delle Risorse, established 1985), reception facilities, and "Opere Segno" (sign-works) at the local level. The organization addresses material and intangible poverty, migration, gender-based violence, elderly non-self-sufficiency, youth marginalization, and humanitarian emergencies, serving 277,775 individuals in 2024 through domestic programs and supporting approximately 15,000 microprojects across 150+ countries since 1969.

The business model is non-profit and fund-driven rather than revenue-generating. Income is sourced from the Italian 8xmille tax allocation (eight per thousand of personal income tax directed to the Catholic Church), 5xmille voluntary tax designations, individual donations and bequests, public grants, and ecclesiastical contributions. In 2021, Caritas Italiana disbursed over €50 million across programs for vulnerable populations; the same year it supported 64 programs in 45 countries via a joint campaign with Focsiv. The organization is governed by a President (Mons. Benoni Ambarus), a Director (Don Marco Pagniello), Vice Directors, a Treasurer, and a National Council, with operational units covering communication, fundraising, studies/advocacy, emergencies, training, and strategic projects. It operates internationally through Caritas Internationalis (162 member organizations) and Caritas Europa (48 member organizations), and domestically via partnerships with the Italian Ministry of Equal Opportunities, ABI, ENM, and Federcasse on the Microcredito di Libertà program and with 58 organizations on the Patto per un Nuovo Welfare sulla Non Autosufficienza advocacy coalition. Strategic direction for 2023-2027 follows the "Three Paths" indicated by Pope Francis: the path of the last, the path of the Gospel, and the path of creativity.

Name

Caritas Italiana

Legal name

Caritas Italiana

Website

https://caritas.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Caritas Italiana is the pastoral charity of the Italian Bishops' Conference, coordinating 217 diocesan Caritas organizations across Italy to support vulnerable populations through listening centers, poverty observatories, and social programs, funded by donations and ecclesiastical allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Global Health Agencies (UN/IFIs) (HLAJAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Social charity programs
• Poverty relief services
• Disaster emergency response
• Nonprofit charitable network

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ecclesiastical funding (8xmille): Caritas Italiana receives contributions from the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) through the 8xmille (eight per thousand) mechanism, which allocates a portion of income tax to Catholic Church initiatives.
2. Donations and offerings: The organization receives ordinary and extraordinary collections, donations, bequests, and offerings from individuals and organizations to support its charitable activities and projects.
3. Public contributions: Caritas Italiana receives and manages public contributions for specific social programs and emergency interventions.
4. 5xmille: Since January 2021, Caritas Italiana communicates donor fiscal data to the Agenzia delle Entrate for inclusion in pre-filled tax declarations, facilitating 5xmille donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Caritas Italiana is the pastoral charity organization of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), delivering direct charitable assistance, social services, humanitarian emergency response, and international development aid. It coordinates 217 diocesan Caritas organizations that operate listening centers, reception facilities, microcredit programs, poverty observatories, and advocacy initiatives serving vulnerable populations including the poor, migrants, homeless, elderly, prisoners, and women victims of violence across Italy and in over 150 countries worldwide.

Product overview

Caritas Italiana is a pastoral organization of the Italian Episcopal Conference, not a technology product company. It operates social programs and charitable services including listening centers, observatories for poverty and resources, development micro-projects, humanitarian corridors, youth engagement programs, and advocacy initiatives. Its offerings include publications (poverty reports, studies), training materials (vademecum for listening centers), digital tools for data management (OSPOWEB, SINOSSI), and various thematic projects addressing poverty, immigration, housing, elderly care, gender violence (Progetto Ruth), and restorative justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Progetto Ruth: National program dedicated to combating male violence against women, with particular attention to the economic, social and cultural dimension of violence. Promotes emancipation, protection and autonomy paths for women victims of violence.
• MicroProgetti di Sviluppo
• YOUngCaritas

Products and services

• Progetto Ruth National program dedicated to combating male violence against women, with particular attention to the economic, social, and cultural dimensions of violence. Promotes emancipation, protection, and autonomy paths for women victims of violence through Caritas Italiana's network.
• MicroProgetti di Sviluppo (Development Microprojects) Small-scale social development projects (water, agriculture, livestock, health) addressing needs identified by communities or villages, representing concrete opportunities to trigger processes promoting fundamental rights. Maximum contribution of 5,000 euros per project.
• YOUngCaritas Youth engagement program of Caritas Italiana for young people, including voluntary service, civil service, youth empowerment programs, and initiatives addressing youth unemployment, educational poverty, and social exclusion.
• Centri di Ascolto (Listening Centers) Network of 3,124 computerized listening centers operated by diocesan Caritas organizations across Italy, providing direct listening, assessment, and referral services to people experiencing poverty and social exclusion. In 2024, 277,775 people were assisted through these centers.
• Microcredito di Libertà (Freedom Microcredit) National program providing social and entrepreneurial microcredit to women victims of economic violence, supporting paths to emancipation, protection, and autonomy. Operated in partnership with the Ministry of Equal Opportunities, ABI (Italian Banking Association), ENM (National Microcredit Entity), and Federcasse.
• Osservatorio delle Povertà e delle Risorse (OPR) Poverty and Resources Observatory established in 1985 based on a proposal from the Second National Ecclesiastical Congress in Loreto. Monitors poverty conditions, social needs, and resources across Italy, producing research including the annual Poverty Report.

Quantifiable outcome

• 269,689 people assisted in 2023 through Caritas services (+41.6% since 2015)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Caritas InternationaliscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971Caritas Italiana is a member of Caritas Internationalis, a federation of 162 Caritas organizations worldwide. This international network coordinates global humanitarian efforts, emergency responses, and development programs across all continents.
• Caritas EuropacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971Caritas Italiana is part of Caritas Europa, which comprises 48 Caritas organizations across the European continent, coordinating regional initiatives and policy advocacy within Europe.
• Crowe Bompani (Data Protection Officer)minorOthersThe company Crowe Bompani serves as the Data Protection Officer (DPO/Privacy Officer) for Caritas Italiana, responsible for data protection compliance under GDPR.
• Ministero delle Pari Opportunità (Ministry of Equal Opportunities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Equal Opportunities collaborates with Caritas Italiana on the national 'Microcredito di Libertà' (Freedom Microcredit) program, which supports women victims of economic violence through access to social and entrepreneurial microcredit.
• ABI (Italian Banking Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABI partners with Caritas Italiana in the 'Microcredito di Libertà' program, facilitating access to microcredit for women victims of violence through the Italian banking system.
• ENM (Ente Nazionale Microcredito)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENM (National Microcredit Entity) collaborates with Caritas Italiana on the 'Microcredito di Libertà' program, providing expertise and support for microcredit operations targeting women victims of violence.
• FedercassecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFedercasse partners with Caritas Italiana on the 'Microcredito di Libertà' program, supporting access to microcredit for women victims of economic violence through cooperative banking channels.
• Telefono Rosa PiemonteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelefono Rosa Piemonte collaborated with Caritas Italiana on the '(IN)DIPENDENZA' project and the short film 'Punti Nascosti' (Hidden Points), raising awareness about economic violence against women.
• FocsivcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Italiana partnered with Focsiv on the campaign 'Caritas Focsiv: together for the love of the last' promoting interventions in 45 countries with 64 programs. Focsiv is the Italian Forum for Voluntary Service Organizations.
• COSPEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOSPE (Cooperation for the Development of Emerging Countries) partnered with Caritas Italiana on the SUSTAIN-ANDE project in Ecuador, focused on food sustainability and eco-social development in the Andes.
• SEDALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEDAL partnered with Caritas Italiana on the SUSTAIN-ANDE project in Ecuador, contributing to food sustainability and eco-social development initiatives.
• Ali per il Venezuela (Wings for Venezuela)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ONLUS 'Ali per il Venezuela' works with Caritas Italiana to ship medicines and basic sanitary products to Caritas organizations in Venezuela during the ongoing economic and political crisis.
• Conferenza Episcopale Italiana (CEI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Italiana is the pastoral organism of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), receiving institutional support through the 8xmille mechanism and coordinating with CEI on charitable initiatives and emergency responses.
• Giovani (Young People)coreOthersYoung people are a key strategic focus for Caritas Italiana, with programs including voluntary service, civil service, youth empowerment, and the YOUngCaritas initiative to engage young people in charitable activities.
• Patto per un Nuovo Welfare sulla Non AutosufficienzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Italiana joined the 'Pact for a New Welfare for Non-Self-Sufficiency' in 2021, together with 58 organizations advocating for elderly care reform in Italy, working to influence national policy on senior care.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Caritas Internationalis: Caritas Italiana's parent federation of 162 Catholic humanitarian organizations worldwide. Most directly comparable as the same organizational model, mission, and brand at global scope, coordinating the same emergency, poverty, and development programs.
• Caritas Europa: Regional federation of 48 Caritas organizations across Europe, of which Caritas Italiana is a member. Comparable as a coordinating body for the same charity model across multiple countries, with overlapping advocacy and program portfolios.
• Croce Rossa Italiana: Italian Red Cross — Italy's largest humanitarian organization, operating across emergency response, social assistance, health, and migration support. Comparable in mission, beneficiary scope, and Italy-wide operational footprint, with similar volunteer-based service delivery.
• Comunità di Sant'Egidio: Italian Catholic lay community active in peacebuilding, poverty relief, and advocacy for the elderly, homeless, migrants, and people with disabilities. Comparable as a faith-rooted Italian charitable organization with similar target populations and grassroots service model.
• Emergency: Italian humanitarian NGO founded by Gino Strada, providing free medical care to victims of war and poverty in Italy and abroad. Comparable in Italian humanitarian footprint, donor-supported funding model, and international program deployment.
• Medici Senza Frontiere Italia: Italian section of Doctors Without Borders / MSF, delivering emergency medical humanitarian aid. Comparable in Italian NGO fundraising scale (5xmille, donations), emergency response scope, and operational model in conflict and crisis zones.
• Fondazione Banco Alimentare: Italian food bank foundation recovering and redistributing surplus food to charitable organizations serving people in poverty. Comparable as an Italy-wide Catholic-inspired nonprofit addressing food poverty, with a similar diocesan-style partner network.
• Save the Children Italia: Italian branch of the international children's rights NGO, addressing child poverty, educational poverty, and youth welfare. Comparable in Italian NGO scale, fundraising channels (5xmille, donations, corporate partnerships), and policy advocacy model.
• Oxfam Italia: Italian affiliate of Oxfam International, working on poverty, inequality, migration, and humanitarian response. Comparable in international development and humanitarian programming, advocacy focus, and Italian donor-base competition.
• ACLI: Associazioni Cristiane Lavoratori Italiani — Italian Catholic workers' association providing social services, welfare support, and advocacy. Comparable as a Catholic-rooted Italian nonprofit operating social programs, worker assistance, and immigration services through a national-territorial network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Italiana