Fondation Œuvre Saint-Justin / Stiftung Justinus-Werk

What Fondation Œuvre Saint-Justin / Stiftung Justinus-Werk does

Fondation Œuvre Saint-Justin / Stiftung Justinus-Werk is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1927 by Bishop François Charrière to finance and house students from developing countries studying in Switzerland. The foundation operates a portfolio of five student residences (foyers) across Fribourg (238 rooms, the flagship Cité St-Justin on a 17,000 m² campus), Zürich (Haus Justinus, near ETH), Geneva (Pâquis district, including a 400 m² rentable event hall), Sion (30 rooms in Valais), and Lausanne (6 rooms in the Saint-Joseph rectory), totaling 439 beds. Beyond housing, it administers a scholarship program targeted at Global South students who commit to return and contribute to their countries of origin, and has supported 15,579 scholarship recipients cumulatively since founding.

The foundation's revenue model is diversified across housing rents (semester- and annual-based recurring fees), donations (including the League of St. Rita membership program and newly launched online tiers of CHF 150–500), an annual philately auction (24th edition in 2024) run by volunteer philatelists that alone is reported to fund approximately 20 scholarships per year, and hall/event rentals in Sion and Geneva priced from CHF 60 to CHF 300 per half-day. Customer segments include the primary Global South scholarship students, a broader long tail of Swiss and international student tenants, a Catholic faith community using the on-site chapels (Notre-Dame des Gants in Fribourg and Notre-Dame du Silence in Sion), and philately auction participants. Outreach is conducted via a quarterly bulletin (Justinusblätter) printed in French and German, a multilingual website (justinus.ch) built on WordPress/Elementor, and annual pilgrimages and events tied to the Saint Rita devotion.

The organization operates with a small core team (~7 staff) that is currently being expanded with four open positions in 2026 — Head of Finance, HR Manager, Communications Officer, and Intern — under newly appointed director Natacha Roos, as the foundation prepares to mark its centennial in 2027. No proprietary technology, AI/ML systems, or formal venture funding are involved; governance is anchored by a foundation board (charter last approved September 10, 2020) and operational execution is supported by local vendor partnerships (Infomaniak for hosting, Studio60 for web, KMU Sensia for printing).

Name

Fondation Œuvre Saint-Justin / Stiftung Justinus-Werk

Legal name

Fondation Oeuvre Saint-Justin – Stiftung Justinus-Werk

Website

https://justinus.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swiss nonprofit foundation (est. 1927) operating five student residences (439 rooms) across Fribourg, Zürich, Geneva, Sion, and Lausanne, and awarding scholarships to students from developing countries committed to returning home after their studies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Housing and Educational Services

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Student/Academic Serviced Residences (THAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Residence Halls & Dormitory Management (On-/Near-Campus) (EDAIALAB), Academic Program Housing (Study Abroad, Language Schools, Field Schools) (THAMAGAE), Conference Retreat Hotels (THAGALAG)

Keywords

• Student housing services
• Scholarship programs
• Nonprofit education funding
• Event venue rental
• Religious community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fribourg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Housing Rental: Room rental services at 5 student foyers across Switzerland generate revenue through semester-based housing contracts. Fribourg offers 238 rooms (102 + 71 + 65 across buildings), Sion has 30 rooms, Zürich, Geneva, and Lausanne have additional rooms.
2. Philately Auctions: Voluntary team of philatelists organizes public auctions of stamps and collections, with all profits donated to the Oeuvre St-Justin. The 24th stamp auction took place in 2024. The organization notes that stamp donations translate to approximately 20 scholarships annually.
3. League of St. Rita Membership Donations: One-time donations of CHF 15 per person or CHF 20 per family for the League of St. Rita, which supports priestly training and emergency assistance.
4. Hall Rental Services: Conference and event spaces rented at the Sion foyer. Conference room (150 CHF half day, up to 70 people), Edelweiss room (60 CHF, 10 people), Dining room (300 CHF, 60 people). Geneva foyer offers a 400m² hall for up to 220 people.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fondation Œuvre Saint-Justin operates five student residences (foyers) across Switzerland (Fribourg, Zürich, Geneva, Sion, Lausanne) with 439 total rooms, and runs a scholarship program for students from developing countries. It also operates a philately auction program, rents halls and conference rooms for events, publishes quarterly bulletins, and maintains chapels offering spiritual services.

Product overview

Fondation Œuvre Saint-Justin / Stiftung Justinus-Werk is a Swiss foundation established in 1927 that operates a portfolio of student residences across five cities (Fribourg, Zürich, Geneva, Sion, Lausanne) providing housing for 439 rooms total. The organization's core offering combines student housing services with scholarship programs for students from developing countries. Additional services include philately (stamp auction) operations to fundraise, hall rental facilities for events, quarterly publication bulletins, and chapel/spiritual services. The residence in Fribourg serves as the flagship campus with the largest capacity and most amenities, while the Geneva location offers a significant 400m2 event hall for rental. The organization operates on collaborative and participative principles, with residents sharing responsibility for living spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Housing - Fribourg (Cité St-Justin) Main student residence in Fribourg offering 238 furnished rooms across multiple buildings, with private and shared facilities, located near the University Miséricorde.
• Student Housing - Zürich (Haus Justinus) International student house in Zürich located 2 km from ETH and University campuses, offering various room types from 10m² to 18m² with shared amenities.
• Student Housing - Geneva

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,579 scholarships awarded since 1927
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Infomaniak Group SAminorOthersWebsite hosting provider. The site www.infomaniak.com hosts the St-Justin website. Infomaniak is based at Rue Eugène-Marziano 25, 1227 Les Acacias, Geneva.
• Studio60minorOthersWebsite development and design agency. Responsible for the editorial direction and publication of www.justinus.ch. Located at Rue Centrale 9, 1892 Lavey-Village.
• KMU Sensia (Düdingen)minorOthersPrinting company in Düdingen that prints the quarterly Justinusblätter bulletins. Staff and scholarship recipients volunteer for envelope-stuffing after printing.
• Service Traiteur PierrozminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatering service located in the Sion building, available for events when meals are required. Contact: [email protected] / 078.653.52.07

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Kolping International: Catholic association operating housing, education, and youth support programs across Europe. Comparable as a faith-rooted organization combining residential services with educational support missions.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit building affordable housing with community involvement. Comparable mission-overlap as a faith-rooted nonprofit providing affordable residential solutions to underserved populations.

Direct peers

• Stiftung für Studentisches Wohnen (SSW): Zurich foundation that builds and operates student residences. Shares the same Swiss-foundation legal form and student-housing mission as St-Justin.
• WOKO Studentische Wohngenossenschaft: Zurich-based cooperative providing affordable student housing across multiple residences. Most directly comparable Swiss student housing operator with similar mission and multi-building portfolio.
• Fondation pour la Promotion du Logement Étudiant (FPLE): Geneva-area foundation dedicated to student housing development. Comparable as a regional Swiss nonprofit addressing the same student accommodation gap in university cities.

Broad incumbents

• Studierendenwerk: German network of student service organizations running student housing and dining halls. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing subsidized student accommodation across multiple cities.
• CROUS: French national student services body operating student residences and providing social/academic support. Comparable as a much larger scale student housing and welfare operator with a similar mission profile.

Others

• Caritas Switzerland: Swiss Catholic charity providing social services, refugee housing, and educational support. Comparable as a domestic faith-based nonprofit with related humanitarian and educational programming.
• Stiftung Edith Maryon: Swiss foundation that finances and develops affordable and cooperative housing including for students and vulnerable groups. Comparable Swiss foundation structure and social housing mission.

Regional players

• University of Fribourg Student Housing Services: Operates dormitories and student housing adjacent to the University of Fribourg. Comparable as a regional provider in the same city competing for the same student population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-justin-justinus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Fondation Œuvre Saint-Justin / Stiftung Justinus-Werk