Caritas Arquidiocesana Do Rio De Janeiro

What Caritas Arquidiocesana Do Rio De Janeiro does

Cáritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro is a Brazilian non-profit civil society organization affiliated with the global Cáritas network of the Catholic Church, operating under the trade name PARES Cáritas RJ. Founded around 1970 and headquartered in Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, the organization runs the first dedicated refugee assistance program in Brazil (PARES), providing free humanitarian services to refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants. Its service portfolio spans reception, legal protection, Portuguese language courses (delivered at UERJ), employability support, mental health care, shelter (Casa de Acolhida Papa Francisco), entrepreneurship training (CORES with SEBRAE-RJ), and cultural integration programs including the annual Rio Refugia festival and the Trampolim Employment Fair.

The organization operates with a small staff of 8 employees supplemented by approximately 70 active volunteers, supported by a satellite office in São Gonçalo (established 2018 in partnership with ENEL and AVSI BRASIL). Its core technology is a social services and humanitarian assistance platform, complemented by the Plataforma Trampolim digital employment-matching tool, the Cáritas Explica multilingual video series (available in five languages), and the Refugiados nas Escolas school outreach program. It maintains social media presence on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.

The revenue model is non-profit and dependent on three streams: individual and corporate donations (channeled through the Colabore.org platform), Brazilian government grants (including Termos de Fomento with the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship), and funding from international organizations including UNHCR/ACNUR, IOM/OIM, USAID, and JICA. Service attendance grew from 34,946 in 2021 to 44,550 in 2024, with 3,241 unique beneficiaries from 76 countries served in 2024. The organization is governed by a board of directors, holds CNPJ 34.267.971/0001-14, and is affiliated with Cáritas Brasileira as its parent entity.

Name

Caritas Arquidiocesana Do Rio De Janeiro

Legal name

Cáritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro

Website

https://caritas-rj.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cáritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro, operating as PARES Cáritas RJ, is Brazil's first dedicated refugee assistance program. The non-profit provides free humanitarian services — legal protection, Portuguese courses, employment support, shelter, and cultural integration — to refugees and asylum seekers in Rio de Janeiro.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Refugee Assistance Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAHAI

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYBPAGAEAI

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAAAH

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYEDAAADAI

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

SECONDARYEDAAAOAJ

Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

Keywords

• Refugee assistance services
• Humanitarian social services
• Resettlement support programs
• Refugee integration services
• Asylum seeker assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio de Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations from individuals and corporations: Individual and corporate donations collected through various channels including the Colabore.org platform and direct contact.
2. Government funding and grants: Funding from government bodies including Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship through Termos de Fomento and related instruments.
3. International organization support: Support and funding from UNHCR (ACNUR), IOM (OIM), and other international humanitarian organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Caritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro operates PARES, Brazil's first dedicated refugee assistance program, delivering free humanitarian services to refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants. Offerings span reception, legal protection, social assistance, employability support, Portuguese language courses, mental health care, women's shelter, entrepreneurship training, and cultural integration through the Plataforma Trampolim digital employment platform, the Rio Refugia festival, and the Cáritas Explica multilingual video series. Services are delivered directly at the Maracanã headquarters, a São Gonçalo satellite office, partner universities, and via community partnerships.

Product overview

PARES Cáritas RJ operates as a comprehensive social services organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to support refugees and asylum seekers throughout their integration journey in Brazil. The core program encompasses reception services, legal protection, social work, employability support, and mental health services. Key offerings include the Plataforma Trampolim digital employment platform, Portuguese language courses conducted at UERJ, the Refugiados nas Escolas educational integration program, and the Casa de Acolhida Papa Francisco shelter for women and children. The organization also runs regular employment fairs (Feira Trampolim de Empregabilidade) and the annual cultural festival Rio Refugia. Supplementary programs include entrepreneurship development (CORES), orientation groups, and the Cáritas Explica video series. The ecosystem of services is designed to address the holistic needs of refugees from arrival through economic integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PARES: Programa de Atendimento a Refugiados e Solicitantes de Refúgio - A comprehensive program providing assistance to refugees and asylum seekers including legal services, employment support, Portuguese courses, and cultural integration.
• Plataforma Trampolim
• Rio Refugia
• Casa de Acolhida Papa Francisco

Products and services

• PARES Cáritas RJ Refugee Assistance Program
• Plataforma Trampolim
• Curso de Português para Refugiados
• Refugiados nas Escolas

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,241+ people served annually across 76+ countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 201821st institution to join the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Chair, committing to facilitate university access and diploma revalidation for refugees.
• PUC-RiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 201820th Brazilian institution to implement the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Chair, committing to include refugee topics in teaching, research, and extension programs.
• ENEL Distribuição RiocoreOthers · 1 May 2018Italian multinational energy company funding the satellite office in São Gonçalo through the Desenvolver program, mediated by AVSI BRASIL.
• AVSI BRASILcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 May 2018NGO mediating the partnership with ENEL for the São Gonçalo satellite office, specializing in human development.
• ACNUR (UNHCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Refugee Agency providing technical support, funding, and advocacy for refugee protection in Brazil. Supports the Rio Refugia festival, employment fairs, and general operations of PARES.
• OIM (IOM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Organization for Migration supporting socioeconomic integration of migrants and refugees. Implemented the Oportunidades project benefiting over 690 migrants.
• Ministério Público do Trabalho do RJ (MPT-RJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor prosecutor's office collaborating on the Projeto Ação Integrada (ProjAI) to inform refugees about labor rights and protect against labor exploitation.
• Sesc RJflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial service of commerce organizing the annual Rio Refugia festival celebrating World Refugee Day with food, music, and cultural activities.
• Abraço CulturalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organization co-organizing the Rio Refugia festival and other cultural integration events.
• Feira Chega JuntocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrepreneurship fair organization partnering on the Rio Refugia festival showcasing refugee entrepreneurs.
• Instituto Aliança and Instituto RennerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Varejo Plural project providing fashion training and emotional resilience to Venezuelan women.
• UERJ (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Portuguese language courses and cultural activities for refugees.
• Sebrae-RJcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the CORES (Coletivo de Refugiados Empreendedores) project providing entrepreneurship training to refugee women.
• SOS Aldeias InfantiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaging shelters for interiorized Venezuelan families in Rio de Janeiro.
• CompassivacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSão Paulo organization providing diploma revalidation services for recognized refugees, partnering with Cáritas RJ since 2016.
• Secretaria Municipal de Saúde do Rio de JaneirocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal health secretariat partnering on health fairs and SUS access guidance for refugees.
• Colégio Santo InáciominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJesuit school partnering for the Casa de Acolhida Papa Francisco shelter operations.
• Forças Armadas BrasileirasminorOthersBrazilian Armed Forces supporting the interiorization process transporting Venezuelan refugees to Rio de Janeiro.
• FurnasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-owned energy company providing elderly caregiver training to refugees in partnership with Cáritas RJ.
• África do CoraçãominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO organizing the Rio Refugees Cup football tournament with support from PARES Cáritas RJ.
• Editora VoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher partnering on the Refugiados nas Escolas project for educational outreach.
• Projeto Bicicletas para a HumanidademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject collecting, repairing, and donating bicycles to refugees since 2019.
• Cisco Networking AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProviding IT training courses to refugees through the IT qualification project.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• OIM (IOM Brazil): International Organization for Migration's Brazil office; strategic partner that implemented the Oportunidades project alongside PARES. Operates migration assistance and integration programs with comparable services and beneficiary overlap.
• International Rescue Committee: Large international humanitarian organization providing refugee assistance globally. Comparable as a major institutional peer in the global refugee-services landscape, though Brazil is not among its primary operational geographies.
• ACNUR (UNHCR Brazil): UN Refugee Agency's Brazil office; a direct partner of PARES and the broader global authority on refugee protection. Comparable as it funds and co-implements refugee assistance programming in Brazil with overlapping beneficiary segments.

Others

• AVSI Brasil: NGO mediating the ENEL São Gonçalo partnership for PARES. Comparable as an implementing partner and human-development NGO working on refugee and migrant integration in Brazil.

Direct peers

• Missão Paz: São Paulo-based Catholic organization providing shelter, food, and integration services to refugees and immigrants. Comparable as a faith-rooted NGO offering refugee assistance in a major Brazilian city.
• Fraternidade sem Fronteiras: Brazilian humanitarian NGO supporting refugees and migrants in Brazil and at borders. Comparable as it serves a similar beneficiary population with social assistance and integration support.
• Cáritas Brasileira: Parent organization of Caritas RJ and national umbrella of the Caritas network in Brazil. Operates refugee/migrant support across multiple Brazilian states with similar programs including legal protection, language courses, and employment support.
• ADUS - Instituto de Reintegração do Refugiado: São Paulo-based nonprofit focused on refugee integration through employment, education, and documentation support. Directly comparable as a refugee-focused NGO delivering multi-sectoral integration services in Brazil.

Emerging players

• Instituto C&A: Brazilian institute supporting migrant and refugee children and adolescents through education and protection programs. Comparable as it operates in the same refugee-assistance space with a narrower focus on youth.
• Refúgio 993: São Paulo-based organization supporting refugees through humanitarian assistance and integration programs. Comparable as a peer NGO in the refugee assistance ecosystem, though smaller and more regionally concentrated.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubebit.ly/2IaVg5c
• Facebookfacebook.com/parescaritasrj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritas-arquidiocesana-do-rio-de-janeiro
• Instagraminstagram.com/parescaritasrj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Caritas Arquidiocesana Do Rio De Janeiro