Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze

What Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze does

Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze is a Florence-based nonprofit foundation (Ente del Terzo Settore) founded in 1949 and affiliated with Caritas Diocesana di Firenze. It delivers a comprehensive portfolio of social welfare services — food assistance (466,218 meals annually), housing, healthcare access, immigration support, minor protection, and legal/justice accompaniment — through 95 facilities serving approximately 5,500 beneficiaries per year across 12 service areas targeting homeless individuals, trafficking victims, HIV/AIDS patients, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable cohorts. Operations are supported by 299 employees and roughly 400 volunteers.

The foundation's revenue model is a hybrid of restricted and unrestricted funding: individual donations from 3,693 donors, the Italian 5x1000 tax allocation, the CEI 8xmille Catholic Church allocation, municipal and Regione Toscana grants, and European Union structural funds (FSE+, FAMI, PNRR). It holds ISO 9001:2015 quality certification (in place since 2006, recertified 2018), operates a recently opened Punto Digitale Facile digital inclusion hub, runs the HousingNet housing initiative, and has implemented a whistleblowing channel pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree 24/2023. Its 2025 Bilancio Sociale documents transparency and outcome reporting consistent with third-sector regulatory expectations.

There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-led and institutionally orchestrated around the Caritas parish network and municipal public-sector contracts. The foundation's competitive position rests on its brand, ecclesial distribution network, ISO certification, and multi-decade institutional relationships rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze

Legal name

Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze

Website

https://fondazionesolidarietacaritas.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze is a Florence-based nonprofit foundation, part of Caritas Diocesana di Firenze, providing food, housing, healthcare, immigration, and legal support to roughly 5,500 vulnerable people annually through 95 facilities, funded by donations, 8xmille, public grants, and EU funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Social services
• Homeless shelter services
• Asylum reception services
• Food assistance programs
• Employment training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Firenze

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the foundation's charitable activities
2. 5x1000 tax designation: Italian tax mechanism allowing taxpayers to designate 5x1000 of their tax return to the foundation (C.F. 94043850489)
3. Corporate and institutional donations: Donations from businesses (La Molisana, Leroy Merlin), church funding (CEI 8xmille), and public grants
4. Public contracts and government funding: State funding through Ministry of Interior for asylum services (CAS), municipality contracts for social services, regional funding for employment and training projects (FSE+, FAMI, PN Inclusione)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The foundation is a charitable nonprofit delivering integrated social services to vulnerable populations across the Florence metropolitan area. It operates daily meal programs (serving 466,218 meals annually across Mensa Baracca and Mensa San Francesco), emergency shelters and reception centers (including CAS for asylum seekers and SAI integration system), residential healthcare facilities (Casa Vittoria, Casa Stenone, Casa Vladimiro, Casa Santa Matilde), minors' services (Area Minori), justice-system residences (Il Samaritano), employment orientation and training, and digital inclusion services through the Punto Digitale Facile.

Product overview

Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze is a charitable organization providing comprehensive social services in Florence, Italy. Rather than a unified tech product, it offers a portfolio of interconnected social services including: food assistance through its Mense (mensa) services serving daily hot meals; accommodation services including reception centers for asylum seekers (CAS, SAI), health-related residences (Casa Vittoria, Casa Stenone, Casa Vladimiro, Casa Santa Matilde), and overnight shelter; support services for vulnerable populations including minors (Area Minori), justice-involved individuals (Il Samaritano, MAP/LPU services), and families; employment and training services through its Job Orientation Office and multiple funded projects (WE IN, S.O.L.E.I.L., UPFARM, Ve.La, etc.); and digital inclusion services through the Punto Digitale Facile. These services work together to provide holistic support from emergency assistance through autonomy building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ristorante Le Torri: Restaurant operated by the foundation as a social enterprise.
• Scarp de' Tenis
• La Mensa che viaggia
• Musica Diffusa
• La spesa che vale
• Il loro domani è adesso
• L'estate dei sogni

Products and services

• Mense (Food Services) Free daily hot meals served to people experiencing absolute poverty, with or without stable housing, including the main Baracca mensa (335-380 meals daily Monday-Saturday, 380 on Sundays, 365 days/year) and San Francesco mensa (100-110 meals daily in historic center of Florence).
• Docce e Servizi alla Persona (Shower and Personal Care Services) Personal hygiene services including showers and laundry facilities for people experiencing economic and social hardship; 5,875 showers provided annually.
• Servizio Bagagli (Luggage Storage Service) Secure luggage and belongings storage for people without housing or in precarious situations.
• Centri di Accoglienza Straordinaria (CAS) Emergency reception centers for asylum seekers and international protection applicants, providing essential services including accommodation, meals, healthcare access, and legal support. Funded through Ministry of Interior.
• SAI - Sistema Accoglienza e Integrazione Reception and integration system for protection holders and vulnerable asylum seekers, offering personalized inclusion pathways including housing, language courses, job training, and legal assistance. Managed in collaboration with Comune di Firenze.
• Ufficio Orientamento e Formazione Lavoro (Job Orientation Office) Employment support services including skills assessment, job search assistance, training courses, and internship placements for vulnerable individuals. ISO 9001:2015 certified.
• Area Minori (Minors Services) Comprehensive support services for minors in situations of educational, family, or social fragility, including residential facilities, day centers, and support activities.
• Residenze per Persone con Problemi di Salute (Health Residential Facilities) Residential healthcare facilities including Casa Vittoria, Casa Stenone, and Casa Vladimiro for people with health issues in situations of social and housing distress; provides post-discharge care and end-of-life support in coordination with USL Toscana Centro.
• Casa Santa Matilde Accommodation facility with 24 beds for parents of children hospitalized at Meyer Children's Hospital and families with protected discharge, in partnership with Fondazione Meyer.
• Servizi Giustizia (Justice Services) Residential facilities and service desks for people benefiting from alternative sentencing measures, including MAP/LPU services (114 people served in 2024) and the Scarp de' Tenis newspaper social reintegration project.
• Il Samaritano Male residential reception center for adults benefiting from alternative detention measures, with 14 MAD (Misure Alternative della Detenzione) beds and 4 reward permit beds.
• HousingNet Social housing project connecting property owners with vulnerable individuals who have completed rehabilitation pathways, facilitating rental agreements and accompaniment services; addresses housing emergencies and eviction risk.
• Punto Digitale Facile Digital assistance service helping citizens, particularly vulnerable populations, access digital public services including SPID, electronic health records, and government appointments.
• Progetti di Formazione e Lavoro (Training and Employment Projects) Multiple employment inclusion projects including S.O.L., Reattivi 25-27, Ve.la, P.I.F., NE.W., WE IN, S.O.L.E.I.L., UPFARM, and Rubiks, funded by regional and national programs (FSE+, FAMI, PN Inclusione).

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,500 people assisted annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Leroy Merlin ItaliaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2026Corporate volunteering partnership - employees participated in 'Bricolage del Cuore' project to renovate Casa Matilde garden.
• Regione ToscanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple project partnerships including FSE+ 2021-2027 programs (S.O.L., Reattivi 25-27, Ve.la, P.I.F.), FAMI 2021-2027 projects (WE IN, Rubiks), PN Inclusione (S.O.L.E.I.L.), and PNRR digital inclusion initiatives. Co-funds employment training, immigration integration, and social inclusion programs.
• Comune di FirenzecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages SAI (Sistema Accoglienza e Integrazione) services in collaboration with the municipality. Coordinates on immigration reception and integration programs.
• ARTI - Agenzia Regionale Toscana per l'ImpiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment agency partner present at One Stop Shop for job placement services. Co-manages employment integration programs for vulnerable populations.
• ANCI ToscanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Association of Italian Municipalities - partner in UPFARM agricultural social project, WE IN migration project, and various social inclusion initiatives.
• Fondazione MeyercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes to funding Casa Santa Matilde, a family accommodation facility for families of children receiving care at Meyer Children's Hospital.
• Consorzio CO&SOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial Cooperative Consortium - partner in housing projects (Poderaccio), SAI services, and various integration programs.
• Società della Salute (SdS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal health and social services consortium. Partners in SAI services (SdS Fiorentina Nord Ovest, SdS Fiorentina Sud-Est, SdS Mugello) and employment programs (Ve.la capofila).
• FIGC - Federazione Italiana Giuoco CalciominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball federation leading Belong project for refugee adolescent integration through sports, in partnership with UEFA.
• Mestieri ToscanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment services cooperative partner in Ve.la project and other employment integration programs.
• CGIL Toscana, CISL ToscanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade union partners in S.O.L.E.I.L. project against labor exploitation.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Comunità di Sant'Egidio: Italian Catholic lay community running mense, peace programs, immigration integration, and housing services across multiple Italian cities. Closely comparable in mission, faith-rooted identity, and direct service delivery model.
• Fondazione Progetto Arca: Milan-based nonprofit operating shelter, food, and integration services for homeless and migrants across Italy. Similar portfolio (mense, shelters, immigration programs) and beneficiary focus on extreme poverty.
• Caritas Roma: Rome diocesan Caritas providing food, shelter, immigration, and social services in the Lazio region. Operates on the same Caritas diocesan model with comparable service portfolio and beneficiary segments.
• Caritas Ambrosiana: Milan diocesan Caritas foundation operating mense, shelters, immigration reception, and employment services across Lombardy. Most directly comparable Italian peer in scale, service mix, and Catholic-affiliated operating model.
• Banco Alimentare: National food bank network collecting and redistributing surplus food to charitable organizations including Caritas-affiliated mense. Closely related in food assistance operations and donor/supplier network.

Broad incumbents

• Croce Rossa Italiana: Italian Red Cross operates mense, shelters, immigration reception, and emergency social services nationwide at much larger scale. Comparable service lines and vulnerable-population focus.
• Caritas Italiana: National coordinating body of the Italian Caritas network. While not a direct operator in the same way, it sets standards, allocates 8xmille funds, and convenes the diocesan foundations including Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze.

Emerging players

• Cesvi: Italian humanitarian NGO operating in Italy and internationally on poverty, migration, and social inclusion. Comparable focus on vulnerable populations but with international reach the foundation lacks.
• CIVES - Comunità di Volontari per l'Emergenza: Italian volunteer-based organization providing community welfare, social inclusion, and emergency services. Comparable grassroots volunteer-driven service model, though with narrower scope.

Regional players

• Fondazione San Gennaro: Naples-based charitable foundation serving homeless, migrants, and vulnerable populations with mense, shelters, and social programs in Campania. Comparable faith-rooted charity model in a different region of Italy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fondazionesolidarietacasfi
• Facebookfacebook.com/fondazionesolidarietacaritas.it
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondazione-caritas-firenze
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondazionesolidarieta

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas ETS Firenze