CONFER (Conferencia Española de Religiosos)

What CONFER (Conferencia Española de Religiosos) does

CONFER (Conferencia Española de Religiosos), formally CONFERENCIA ESPAÑOLA DE RELIGIOSOS, is a non-profit religious confederation headquartered at Calle Núñez de Balboa 115 Bis in Madrid. It is formed by the Superiores Mayores (Major Superiors) of religious institutes and societies of apostolic life in Spain, and serves as the unified coordinating and representative body for consecrated life nationally. Its membership universe covers more than 33,000 consecrated men and women distributed across 5,900 communities, with operational reach extending through 15 regional (CONFER Regionales) and 54 diocesan delegations (CONFER Diocesanas) coordinated from Madrid since 2019 by Margarita Bordallo, RMI. Governance flows from a General Assembly of member superiors, which elects a General Council led by President Jesús Antonio Díaz Sariego, OP and Vice President Cinta Bayo, ADC, both confirmed at the 31st General Assembly in 2025.

The organization's core product portfolio comprises six service lines: (1) the Centro Psicológico, offering psychological and psychotherapeutic support with over 60 years of continuous operation under director Rufino Meana, SJ; (2) Asesoría Jurídica, providing canonical and civil legal advice on religious entity registration, Social Security, pensions, and immigration; (3) Ejercicios Espirituales, a curated directory of spiritual exercises offered by congregational houses; (4) the Carné Religioso, a religious identity card issued at €8 per card that unlocks partner discounts and access; (5) Ayudas, encompassing the Fondo de Ayuda a la Vida Religiosa (founded 2015) and Fondo de Solidaridad for elderly/ill religious and international missions; and (6) Publications, including the bimonthly Revista VR CONFER (founded 1962), the bimonthly Somos CONFER magazine distributed with Vida Nueva, and the IVICON online news agency. Complementary offering includes formation courses, the XXXV School of Missionary Formation, and the "Viajeros al tren" Jubilee 2025 reflection materials.

CONFER's revenue model is a hybrid of recurring member-institute contributions, recurring journal subscriptions (€40/year domestic, €46/year international), one-time fees for the Carné Religioso and formation courses, and voluntary donations channeled through its solidarity funds and partnership campaigns (e.g., the €30,000 Cáritas Venezuela donation in June 2026). Its ~10-person paid staff is supplemented by religious congregation members who rotate into governance and regional coordination roles. Distribution is primarily domestic (Spain) via the national HQ and the regional/diocesan network, with minor international reach through journal subscriptions and Caritas-network solidarity work. No proprietary technology platform or AI capabilities are present; technology is limited to a WordPress-based public site, an IVICON email newsletter, and standard office tooling under the recently established Digital Development department.

Name

CONFER (Conferencia Española de Religiosos)

Legal name

CONFERENCIA ESPAÑOLA DE RELIGIOSOS (CONFER)

Website

https://confer.es

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CONFER is a Madrid-based non-profit confederation of Major Superiors of Catholic religious institutes and societies of apostolic life in Spain, providing psychological support, legal advice, identity cards, solidarity funds, formation, and publications to over 33,000 consecrated individuals across 5,900 communities via 15 regional and 54 diocesan delegations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Religious institute coordination
• Consecrated life services
• Religious psychological support
• Canonical legal advisory
• Religious formation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions: CONFER is funded by its member institutes (Superiores Mayores de los Institutos Religiosos y Sociedades de Vida Apostólica in Spain).
2. Religious ID card (Carné Religioso): Issues religious identification cards to consecrated individuals for 8 euros per card, providing identity verification and access to discounts at partner companies.
3. Revista CONFER subscription: Subscription to the bimonthly journal covering life consecrated topics. Spain: 40 euros/year, Foreign: 46 euros/year, Single issue: 11 euros.
4. Donations and solidarity funds: Accepts donations through the 'Dona' program to support religious life solidarity funds, including the Fondo de Ayuda a la Vida Religiosa and Fondo de Solidaridad.
5. Formation and courses: Offers formation programs, courses, and training activities including the XXXV School of Missionary Formation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CONFER is the national confederation of Major Superiors of Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life in Spain, animating and promoting consecrated life through coordinated services including psychological support (Centro Psicológico), canonical and civil legal advisory (Asesoría Jurídica), spiritual exercises coordination, solidarity funds (Ayudas), religious identification cards (Carné Religioso), formation programs, and publications (Revista VR CONFER and Somos CONFER). It operates through its Madrid headquarters and a network of 15 regional and 54 diocesan delegations, serving over 33,000 consecrated individuals in 5,900 communities.

Product overview

CONFER offers a portfolio of services for consecrated life in Spain through both direct service provision and coordinated regional/diocesan networks. The core offerings include: Centro Psicológico (psychological services), Carné Religioso (religious ID), Asesoría Jurídica (legal advisory), Ejercicios Espirituales (spiritual exercises), Ayudas (solidarity funds), and Publications (Revista VR CONFER academic journal, Somos CONFER bimonthly magazine, IVICON news agency, and Otros Recursos). These services are coordinated through 15 Regional and 54 Diocesan CONFER offices, with an organizational structure spanning Administration, Formation & Spirituality, Healthcare-Social, Communication, Shared Mission, Justice & Mission, Digital Development, and Youth Vocational Pastoral areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centro Psicológico

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 33,000 consecrated individuals served across 5,900 communities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Cáritas EspañolamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026CONFER donated 30,000 euros through Cáritas Española to help Venezuela after the earthquakes of June 25, 2026. Cáritas Venezuela is working on the ground with rescue, emergency shelter, medical care, water, and basic necessities.
• Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between CONFER and CEE on many aspects to promote the values and mission of the Catholic Church in Spain. Joint initiatives include the new 70-hour pastoral formation course for youth ministers.
• Red de Pastoral Juvenil (RPJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCONFER collaborates with the Episcopal Conference and RPJ to launch joint formation programs, including a 70-hour course for delegates and youth pastoral agents throughout Spain.
• Fundación EllacuraciónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJesuit foundation (Compañía de Jesús) collaborating with Universidad de Deusto for intercultural coexistence projects. Founded in 2006, it accompanies migrants and refugees.
• Universidad de DeustominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Fundación Ellacuración on intercultural and interreligious coexistence research and projects. Part of the Jesuit social sector network.
• Cáritas VenezuelaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Caritas network working on the ground in Venezuela providing rescue, emergency shelter, medical care, water, and basic necessities following earthquakes.
• IVICON (Agencia de Noticias para la Vida Consagrada)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCONFER's online news agency serving consecrated life news to society. Consulted by specialized religious media and church entities.
• Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes (SJME)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJesuit Migrant Service network that Fundación Ellacuración participates in, developing community hospitality models.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR): LCWR is the U.S. leadership body for women religious institutes. It mirrors CONFER's role in coordinating Superiores Mayores of congregations and societies of apostolic life, offering formation, canonical/legal resources, and advocacy, though focused on U.S. women's congregations.
• Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM): CMSM is the U.S. national organization of leaders of men's religious institutes. It is the closest functional analog to CONFER outside Spain — a conference of Major Superiors providing canonical representation, formation, and mutual support — though operating in a different geography.
• Cáritas Española: Cáritas Española is the Spanish confederation of Caritas organizations providing charitable and social services. It is directly comparable to CONFER as a national Catholic umbrella body with member organizations, a solidarity fund, and an active coordination/advocacy role across Spain, including the joint Venezuela earthquake relief initiative.
• Unión de Religiosos de España (URE): URE historically was a competing or parallel Spanish organization of religious institutes. It is directly comparable to CONFER as another Spanish national body representing religious life, offering historical context on the fragmented landscape of Spanish consecrated-life representation.

Regional players

• Conferenza Italiana Superiori Maggiori (CISM): CISM is the Italian conference of Major Superiors of men's religious institutes, the direct Italian counterpart to CONFER. It is highly comparable in mandate (representing Major Superiors, formation, legal advisory) but serves Italy rather than Spain.

Broad incumbents

• Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life: This Vatican dicastery oversees all consecrated life worldwide and sets canonical norms that CONFER must implement. It is comparable as the upstream governance authority defining the rules under which national conferences like CONFER operate.
• Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE): The Spanish Bishops' Conference is the national assembly of Catholic bishops in Spain. Like CONFER, it is a Spanish Catholic governance body coordinating ecclesiastical actors, and the two operate as mutual strategic partners on formation programs such as the 70-hour pastoral course for youth ministers.

Others

• Fundación Ellacuría: A Jesuit foundation collaborating with Universidad de Deusto on intercultural and interreligious projects. It is comparable to CONFER as a Spanish Catholic entity engaged in formation, social mission, and migrant accompaniment, though operating as a single foundation rather than a national conference.
• Verbitus / Vida Nueva: Vida Nueva is the Spanish Catholic magazine within which CONFER distributes Somos CONFER. It is comparable as a Spanish Catholic media and formation channel that reaches overlapping audiences of religious and lay readers engaged in consecrated life.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/confer-conferencia-espa%C3%B1ola-de-religiosos-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 CONFER (Conferencia Española de Religiosos)