Society of St. Vincent de Paul

What Society of St. Vincent de Paul does

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit is a non-profit charitable organization headquartered at 3000 Gratiot Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, operating within the international Society of St. Vincent de Paul movement. The organization delivers services to individuals and families in Metro Detroit experiencing financial hardship, homelessness risk, or food insecurity, with a stated mission of preventing homelessness and fighting hunger. It operates through a community-led model built on 142 parish-based conferences and 2,700+ volunteers, who collectively conducted more than 20,000 home visits in 2021 as the central service delivery mechanism.

Service offerings span Home Visits, Energy & Rent Assistance, Stores & Donation Centers, Camps, Education & Mentorship, and Food Assistance, with Food Assistance delivered through two dedicated facilities — the Community Market and the Matchan Nutrition Center. The organization employs 1,189 people and supplements its donation-based revenue with earned income from a network of thrift retail stores selling donated goods. Go-to-market is entirely community-led, relying on grassroots volunteer engagement, parish networks, and donor cultivation rather than paid acquisition.

The business model combines four revenue streams: individual monetary donations, planned giving/bequests, in-kind goods donations, and thrift store retail sales. Services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge. The organization maintains a digital presence across website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, and runs community events such as the annual Friends of the Poor Walk. No proprietary technology platform, AI capabilities, patents, or external investment are disclosed in the source material.

Name

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Legal name

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit

Website

https://svdpdet.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit is a non-profit charitable organization that provides homelessness-prevention, hunger-relief, and family-support services to residents of Metro Detroit through 142 parish conferences, 2,700+ volunteers, and a network of thrift stores, food centers, and camp facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food Services (62421), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical) (HLADAGAB)

Keywords

• Homelessness prevention services
• Food assistance programs
• Emergency rent assistance
• Charitable thrift retail
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals supporting the charitable mission of preventing homelessness and fighting hunger in Metro Detroit.
2. Thrift Store Sales: Revenue generated from retail thrift stores selling donated goods to the community.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests and planned giving arrangements from donors for long-term charitable support.
4. Goods Donations: In-kind donations of goods collected through donation centers and drop box locations, processed and redistributed through thrift stores and direct assistance programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit delivers in-person charitable assistance to Metro Detroit residents, anchored by a home visit model in which 2,700+ volunteers across 142 conferences visit neighbors in their homes to assess needs. It operates coordinated programs in utility and rent assistance, food assistance (Community Market and Matchan Nutrition Center), education and mentorship, thrift retail, and seasonal camp experiences, all provided free of charge and supported by individual donations, planned giving, and thrift store revenue.

Product overview

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit operates as a charitable social services organization offering a coordinated suite of assistance programs. The core offerings include Home Visits (person-to-person support at the heart of their mission), Energy & Rent Assistance (utility and housing support), Stores & Donation Centers (retail and donation operations), Camps (seasonal recreational programs with rental opportunities), Education & Mentorship, and Food Assistance (including the Community Market and Matchan Nutrition Center sub-programs). These programs work together to prevent homelessness, fight hunger, and provide comprehensive support for neighbors in need.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Visits Person-to-person support through home visits in which volunteers assess neighbor needs and provide personalized assistance, resources, education, and guidance to help individuals and families get back on their feet. Free service for Metro Detroit residents experiencing hardship.
• Energy & Rent Assistance Financial assistance programs helping neighbors with utility bills and rent payments to prevent homelessness and maintain housing stability. Free service for Metro Detroit residents facing utility shutoff or rent crisis.
• Stores & Donation Centers Retail thrift stores and donation drop-off locations where community members can donate goods or purchase affordable donated items, with proceeds supporting charitable programs. Open to the general public as shoppers and donors.
• Camps Seasonal camp programs providing recreational and educational experiences for children and families in need, including camp rental opportunities for groups.
• Education & Mentorship Programs providing educational support and mentorship opportunities to help neighbors develop skills and achieve long-term success.
• Food Assistance Comprehensive food assistance program that includes the Community Market for groceries and the Matchan Nutrition Center for nutritional support, providing food assistance to neighbors in need.
• Community Market A food distribution program providing groceries and food items to neighbors in need within the community.
• Matchan Nutrition Center A nutritional support center offering food assistance and nutrition education services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ home visits in 2021
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cass Community Social Services: Detroit-based nonprofit operating food programs, housing, thrift stores, and social enterprises. Competes in the same donor pool and serves overlapping client populations.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank: Regional food bank distributing food to pantries and directly to families in Southeast Michigan. Likely supplier/partner to SVDP's Community Market and Matchan Nutrition Center.
• Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries: Detroit-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, food, and homelessness-prevention services. Directly competes for the same donor dollars and serves the same neighbors-in-need segment.
• Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit: Operates thrift retail stores in Metro Detroit funded by donations, with proceeds supporting workforce development and social programs. Closely comparable thrift + social services hybrid model.
• Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan: Regional Catholic-affiliated social services agency offering emergency assistance, food, housing support, and case management. Shares the faith-based mission and case-management delivery model with SVDP Detroit.
• Habitat for Humanity Detroit: Detroit-focused housing nonprofit addressing housing instability. Directly comparable on the housing/homelessness-prevention side of SVDP's mission.
• Salvation Army of Metro Detroit: Faith-based nonprofit in the same geography providing rent/utility assistance, food programs, and thrift stores. Operates with the same hybrid model of donations, retail, and volunteer-driven service delivery.

Regional players

• Forgotten Harvest: Metro Detroit food rescue and distribution nonprofit. Overlaps directly with SVDP's food assistance mission and competes for food-insecurity-focused donors.

Broad incumbents

• United Way for Southeastern Michigan: Regional umbrella funder that aggregates workplace giving and disburses funds to social service agencies like SVDP. Acts as both a funder and a coordinating layer in the same Detroit nonprofit ecosystem.

Others

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul National Council (USA): U.S. national council of the same international organization. Not a competitor but a parent/affiliate body that provides branding, resources, and coordination to the Detroit council.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/svdpdet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/StVincentDetroit
• Facebookfacebook.com/svdpdet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-st.-vincent-de-paul
• Instagraminstagram.com/svdpdet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Society of St. Vincent de Paul