School Sisters of St. Francis

What School Sisters of St. Francis does

School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF) is a Catholic religious congregation of vowed women religious founded in 1874 and headquartered at 1501 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Operating for over 150 years under the Franciscan tradition, the congregation runs a multi-country mission footprint spanning the United States, Latin America (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru), India, Europe (Germany and Switzerland), and Tanzania, with 106 employees supporting these operations. Its core activities center on religious life and vocation formation (the "Become A Sister" program), lay associate relationships, sponsored ministries including schools and special-needs education in India, justice/peace/integrity of creation advocacy, music ministry, and the operation of St. Joseph Chapel as a pilgrimage site.

The congregation's product surface is mission-driven rather than commercial: it delivers religious education, social services, healthcare-adjacent support, advocacy, and spiritual/pilgrimage experiences to beneficiaries across its regions. Underlying delivery relies on a distributed network of sisters, lay associates, and local staff rather than on a unified technology platform; the public-facing technology stack is limited to a website (sssf.org), video streaming (UStream), Zoom, and standard social media channels.

SSSF is a tax-exempt non-profit religious order, not a revenue-generating enterprise. Its income is derived from charitable donations, planned/legacy giving, and recurring memberships (notably the Covenant Circle program). It does not disclose audited revenue, and its "go-to-market" is fundamentally fundraising — soliciting individual donors, bequest gifts, and recurring contributors — supplemented by mission funding priorities that direct gifts to specific ministries. Governance is exercised through congregational leadership and a periodic General Assembly (most recently convened in 2022 in Milwaukee), with a historical province-merger consolidation reshaping its internal structure.

Name

School Sisters of St. Francis

Legal name

School Sisters of St. Francis

Website

https://sssf.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The School Sisters of St. Francis is a 150-year-old Catholic women's religious congregation headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operating Franciscan mission, education, and social-justice ministries across the United States, Latin America, India, Europe, and Tanzania, funded primarily by charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Congregation Ministries

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAKAF

Missionary Training Colleges & Schools

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAKAM

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYEDAJABAC

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

Keywords

• Catholic religious order
• Faith-based education
• Religious formation
• Social ministry services
• Franciscan community

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: Individual donors contribute financial resources to support the congregation's global missions, including basic human needs, pastoral care, education, clean water and energy initiatives, and care of sisters.
2. Planned Giving: Legacy giving programs including IRA charitable gifts, estate planning, and long-term charitable arrangements for supporters.
3. Covenant Circle Membership: Recurring giving program with dedicated donor recognition and ongoing engagement.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The School Sisters of St. Francis is a Catholic religious congregation of women founded in 1874 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The congregation provides ministries in education, healthcare, pastoral care, and social services across multiple continents, sustained by donations and grants.

Product overview

The School Sisters of St. Francis offer a portfolio of spiritual, educational, and social impact programs centered on their Catholic Franciscan mission. The core offerings include the Become A Sister vocation program for women discerning religious life, and the Lay Associate Relationship for laity sharing their commitment to spiritual growth and social impact. Their global ministry encompasses education programs (schools in India, special needs education, hostels), justice and peace advocacy, pastoral care, and basic human needs support across Latin America, India, Europe, Tanzania, and the United States. St. Joseph Chapel in Milwaukee serves as both a spiritual center and designated pilgrimage site. Funding priorities guide donor support across five key areas: Basic Human Needs, Pastoral Care, Clean Water and Energy, Care of Sisters, and Education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faith-based Education Ministries

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saint Patrick Parish, Hudson, WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-decade partnership supporting San José El Tesoro village in Guatemala. Parish established scholarships for hundreds of children, volunteers provide ongoing education and healthcare support. Mutual relationship where both communities learn from each other.
• VIA Community Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored ministry of the School Sisters of St. Francis since 1995. Organization strengthens Milwaukee's near south side through housing development (50+ units), economic initiatives (150+ jobs, 40+ businesses), and community partnerships.
• Womanspace, Rockford, IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored ministry co-founded by Sister Elaine Hirschenberger and Sister Dorothy Bock in 1975. Center provides creativity, connection, empowerment and resilience development for women. Celebrating 50 years of service.
• Montfort Brothers, Mysore, IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for education of 50 girls with hearing impairments at Montfort Special School. Sisters advocate for equitable government funding between boys and girls.
• United Community Center, MilwaukeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership where sisters served and helped families navigate school enrollment, community programs, and cultural opportunities in Milwaukee's south side.
• Citizen Action of WisconsinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on civic engagement and voter participation within Latino communities across Wisconsin.
• Alverno CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution where many sisters received degrees and where sisters have served as faculty. Historic relationship for formation and education of sisters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph: A Catholic women's religious congregation with parallel operating model: vowed members, sponsored ministries in education and social services, donation-based funding, and international mission presence.
• Sisters of Mercy: A Catholic women's religious congregation with a similar mission of education, healthcare, and social justice, operating across multiple countries with a vow-based membership structure analogous to SSSF.
• Sisters of the Holy Cross: Catholic women's religious congregation with analogous focus on education, healthcare, and global missions in underserved regions, including substantial presence in India and Bangladesh.
• School Sisters of Notre Dame: Closest direct peer: a Catholic women's religious congregation with a similar name, shared mission focus on education and global ministry, and a multi-country province structure. Operates as a direct analog to SSSF in scope and operating model.
• Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity: A fellow Franciscan women's congregation with shared charism of service to the poor, education, and parish ministry; similar operational footprint in the U.S. Midwest and global missions.
• Felician Sisters: Catholic women's religious congregation operating schools, healthcare facilities, and social service ministries with a similar vow-based structure and donation-funded revenue model.
• Sisters of St. Joseph: A Catholic women's religious congregation with comparable charism rooted in service to the poor, education, and reconciliation; operates across multiple regions with similar governance structures.
• Benedictine Sisters: Catholic women's religious community running schools, retreat centers, and social ministries with comparable vow-based governance and donation-driven operations.
• Dominican Sisters: A Catholic women's religious congregation with parallel emphasis on education, preaching, and community service across international provinces, supported by donations and a lay associate network.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: A larger, broader Catholic nonprofit network that overlaps with SSSF's sponsored ministries in community development, refugee services, and social outreach, but operates at national scale with paid staff rather than vowed members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sssfmke
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoolsistersofstfrancis
• Instagraminstagram.com/sssfcommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school-sisters-of-st--francis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 School Sisters of St. Francis