Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de São Sebastião

What Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de São Sebastião does

Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de São Sebastião (LAHSS) is a Portuguese Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS) headquartered on the first floor of Hospital São Sebastião in Santa Maria da Feira, where it has operated since 26 May 1998 and where it received IPSS status in August 2004. The organization delivers hospital volunteering and patient-humanization services across nine floors of Hospital São Sebastião and at the second Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga unit in São João da Madeira, deploying more than 90 active volunteers for reception, guidance, companionship, and patient-family support. Its non-clinical services include a Medical Equipment Lending program (wheelchairs, articulated beds, anti-bedsore mattresses), medication-payment assistance averaging €150–200 per month, emergency food and essential-goods aid, and an annual calendar of commemorative activities (World Patient Day, Children's Day, Christmas, and the LAHSS anniversary).

The revenue model is a hybrid of small recurring and event-driven income streams typical of a community non-profit: annual associate quotas with a €15/year minimum, individual donations accepted via IBAN transfer (qualifying for Portuguese IRS/IRC tax benefits), and proceeds from an annual Christmas charity shop (Loja de Natal) and recurring solidarity walks (#cadapassoconta). Distribution is direct: volunteers serve inside the hospitals, members sign up online or at events, and donations are processed bank-to-bank. There is no proprietary technology product; the offering is human-delivered social service embedded in the public healthcare system under an institutional cooperation agreement with CHEDV/ULS EDV, and the customer base — patients, families, and healthcare staff — is effectively captive to the two hospital sites the organization is permitted to enter.

Name

Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de São Sebastião

Legal name

Liga dos Amigos do Hospital São Sebastião

Website

https://ligadosamigoshss.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de São Sebastião (LAHSS) is a Portuguese IPSS non-profit that delivers hospital volunteering, patient companionship, medical-equipment lending, and medication/food aid to patients of Hospital São Sebastião and Hospital de São João da Madeira, funded by associate quotas, donations, and community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Maria da Feira

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees (Quotas): Annual membership fees from associates. Minimum quota is 15€ per year (1.25€ per month). This is the main source of revenue.
2. Donations: Monetary donations from individuals and entities. Donations are accepted via IBAN transfer and qualify for tax benefits under Portuguese IRS/IRC law.
3. Christmas Shop Sales: Annual Christmas shop (Loja de Natal) selling donated products to raise funds. Surplus goods are donated to other social institutions.
4. Solidarity Events: Revenue from solidarity events such as walks and community fundraising activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LAHSS is a Portuguese nonprofit (IPSS) that delivers hospital volunteering services—companionship, guidance, and patient support—across multiple floors and units of Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga. Its portfolio also includes a Medical Equipment Lending Program (Banco de Ajudas Técnicas) supplying wheelchairs, articulated beds, and anti-bedsore mattresses; financial assistance for medication averaging €150-200/month for disadvantaged patients; emergency food and essential goods support; commemorative holiday events for hospitalized patients; and an annual Christmas solidarity shop for fundraising.

Product overview

Liga dos Amigos do Hospital São Sebastião (LAHSS) is a Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS) offering a portfolio of charitable services centered on hospital volunteering and patient support. The core offering is the Voluntary Hospital Service, which provides humanization of healthcare through trained volunteers who offer companionship, guidance, and assistance across hospital departments including external consultations, imaging, hospitalization, oncology, and emergency services. Supporting services include a Medical Equipment Lending Program (Banco de Ajudas Técnicas) for wheelchairs, beds, and anti-bedsore mattresses; Medication Payment Assistance averaging €150-200 monthly; Emergency Aid and Food Assistance; an Annual Solidarity Store (Loja Solidária) for fundraising; Holiday Festivities Programs; and membership/donation programs for community support. These services operate as a unified charitable mission rather than distinct commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voluntary Hospital Service Hospital volunteering program delivering humanization of healthcare through companionship, guidance, and assistance to patients, families, and hospital staff at Hospital São Sebastião and Hospital de São João da Madeira, across floors 1-9 covering outpatient consultations, imaging, hospitalization, oncology, internal medicine, and emergency services.
• Medical Equipment Lending (Banco de Ajudas Técnicas) Loan program providing wheelchairs, articulated beds, and anti-bedsore mattresses to economically disadvantaged patients free of charge for indefinite periods.
• Medication Payment Assistance Financial assistance program covering medication costs averaging €150-200 per month for economically disadvantaged patients.
• Emergency Aid and Food Assistance Support program providing food, medication, and other essential goods to families and individuals experiencing economic hardship.
• Annual Solidarity Store (Loja de Natal / Loja Solidária) Annual Christmas charity shop selling donated products and goods to raise funds for the organization's operations; surplus items are donated to other social solidarity institutions.
• Holiday Festivities Program Commemorative activities held four times per year (World Patient Day, LAHSS Anniversary, Children's Day, Christmas) with gift distribution to hospitalized patients.
• Associate/Membership Program (Quero Ser Sócio) Membership program allowing supporters to join as associates with annual quotas (minimum €15/year, equivalent to €1.25/month), serving as the organization's primary recurring revenue source.
• Donation Program (Donativos) Donation program allowing individuals to contribute financially via IBAN transfer (PT50 0170 3783 0304 0010 0102 6), with donations qualifying for tax benefits under Portuguese IRS/IRC law.

Quantifiable outcome

• Payment of medication averaging 150-200 euros per month for economically disadvantaged patients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vanessa Castro PsicólogacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Partnership established on 04.03.2026 providing special conditions for psychology consultations for LAHSS volunteers and members. This initiative reinforces the organization's commitment to the well-being and mental health of those who contribute daily with dedication and solidarity to its mission.
• Associação Cada Passo ContacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025Protocol of Cooperation between 'Cada Passo Conta', LAHSS, and ULS EDV Oncology Service for solidarity actions aimed at improving quality of life of patients and families. Through this partnership, the Solidarity Walk #cadapassoconta was organized with all proceeds going to LAHSS.
• Associação Empresarial da Feira (AEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance between AEF and LAHSS reinforcing mutual commitment to social responsibility. The partnership aims to maximize efforts to promote a more welcoming environment for those going through difficult times, with the goal of well-being and improved quality of life for patients.
• Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga (CHEDV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partnership with CHEDV providing volunteer services at Hospital São Sebastião and Hospital São João da Madeira units. LAHSS operates under the hospital's functioning discipline and collaborates with management in health policy orientations.
• ULS Entre Douro e VougacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ULS EDV for volunteering activities and solidarity events supporting patients in the local health unit.
• Colégio de Santa Maria de LamasminorOthersStudent volunteering program where 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students visit the hospital to learn about hospital volunteering, interact with patients, and develop values of empathy and solidarity.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Associação Portuguesa de Apoio à Vítima: Portuguese IPSS providing direct support services to victims of crime and trauma — comparable charitable nonprofit operating under IPSS status with volunteer-driven, donor-funded service delivery and a similar community fundraising model.
• Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro: Portuguese IPSS focused on supporting cancer patients and families through volunteer-driven programs, hospital partnerships, and community fundraising — highly comparable charitable model to LAHSS, though operating at national scale.
• Associação Alzheimer Portugal: Portuguese patient-support nonprofit providing family support, information, and community programs for Alzheimer's patients and caregivers — comparable IPSS-style organization serving patients and families through community and volunteer engagement.
• Acreditar: Portuguese association supporting children with cancer and their families through volunteer presence in hospitals — directly comparable 'Liga dos Amigos'-style model of hospital volunteering, family support, and community fundraising.
• Fundação do Gil: Portuguese nonprofit supporting children and families in hospital settings through volunteer programs and equipment/amenity provision — comparable volunteer-led, hospital-embedded charitable model focused on humanizing care.
• Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de Santa Maria: Portuguese 'Liga dos Amigos' operating at Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon — same organizational form, hospital-anchored volunteer mission, equipment lending, and patient support programs as LAHSS.

Broad incumbents

• Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa: Portugal's Red Cross society, a large national IPSS providing social assistance, health support, and emergency relief — overlaps with LAHSS's hospital volunteer and social support mission but at vastly greater scale and scope.
• Cáritas Portuguesa: National Catholic social services IPSS providing community-based assistance, family support, and emergency aid — comparable to LAHSS in IPSS structure, donor-funded model, and social assistance focus, though much broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liga-dos-amigos-do-hospital-de-s%C3%A3o-sebasti%C3%A3o

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Liga dos Amigos do Hospital de São Sebastião