St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines

What St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines does

St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines is a 501(c)(3) Catholic lay charitable organization founded in 1924 in Des Moines, Iowa, EIN 42-6021808. It operates four thrift stores (Windsor Heights, Sixth Avenue, Ankeny, and Army Post Road), two social services departments, and the Tom Varilek Education Center, with 80+ paid staff and a network of 16 parish-based conferences and a large volunteer base contributing 23,000+ hours annually. The organization serves individuals facing economic hardship, returning citizens, and adults seeking education and workforce development, providing direct services including food, clothing, furniture, Iowa DOT testing, HiSET prep, career readiness, financial literacy, job training (Back2Work), a Sobering Center, and reentry support (IMMERSION/Re-Entry and a Polk County Jail Kiosk).

The operating model integrates earned revenue from thrift-store retail with charitable donations and corporate sponsorships. Four physical thrift stores plus online channels (eBay storefront and Poshmark closet) and a specialty channel (Vinny's Estate and Tag Sales) generate earned revenue by selling donated goods at affordable prices. This earned-income stream funds the organization's programmatic services, supplemented by donations from individuals, corporate sponsors (Principal Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, IMT Insurance, MidAmerican Energy, Casey's, Prairie Meadows, and others), and grants from community partners.

The organization is part of the broader international Society of St. Vincent de Paul network but operates as an independent 501(c)(3) under local governance. Strategic partnerships with DMACC (workforce development), Polk County (jail kiosk, sobering center), the 5th Judicial District Court (reentry), United Way, the Diocese of Des Moines/Catholic Charities, Future Ready Iowa, and Bridges of Iowa extend its service capabilities. Reported impact metrics include 36,000+ individuals served with programming, 200,000+ customers accessing affordable goods, 235,000+ people through the doors, and $3,500,000+ in charity provided in the fiscal year. No proprietary technology platform or AI capabilities are identified; the model is fundamentally community- and volunteer-led.

Name

St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines

Legal name

St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines

Website

https://svdpdsm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines is a 501(c)(3) Catholic nonprofit founded in 1924 that operates four thrift stores and runs social-service, education, and reentry programs benefiting individuals facing poverty across the Des Moines metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donation, Resale & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAAAK), Donation, Resale & Textile Recycling Coordination (HSAFABAI), Donation, Consignment & Resale Coordination (HSAFAFAG)

Keywords

• Thrift retail operations
• Charitable social services
• Workforce development training
• Food pantry assistance
• Reentry support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Windsor Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Thrift Store Operations: Revenue generated from four thrift stores selling donated goods at affordable prices to the community
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and foundations supporting the organization's mission

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines operates four thrift stores that sell donated clothing, furniture, and household goods at affordable prices, with revenue and additional charitable donations funding direct social services. These include a food pantry, clothing and furniture assistance, Iowa DOT testing, workforce development (Back2Work), career and HiSET education (Tom Varilek Education Center), and wrap-around reentry support (IMMERSION/Re-Entry, Sobering Center, Polk County Jail Kiosk) for individuals facing economic hardship in the Des Moines, Iowa area.

Product overview

St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines operates as a unified charitable organization offering a portfolio of social services centered around thrift retail operations. The core offering consists of four thrift stores that sell donated goods, which fund the organization's broader mission. These retail operations support social services including a food pantry, clothing assistance, and furniture programs. The organization also provides educational and workforce development programs through the Back2Work initiative and Tom Varilek Education Center, and specialized reentry support through IMMERSION/Re-Entry, the Sobering Center, and Polk County Jail Kiosk. Online sales through eBay and Poshmark complement the physical store locations. This integrated model uses thrift store revenue to fund direct charitable programming for individuals facing poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vinny's Estate and Tag Sales: Estate and tag sales service offered by the organization
• Back2Work
• Tom Varilek Education Center
• IMMERSION/Re-Entry
• Sobering Center

Products and services

• Thrift Stores Four retail thrift store locations in the Des Moines metro (Windsor Heights, Sixth Avenue, Ankeny, Army Post Road) selling donated clothing, furniture, and household items at affordable prices to the community; proceeds help fund the organization's charitable programs.
• Food Pantry Provides free food assistance to individuals and families facing economic hardship in the Des Moines area, co-located with retail store locations.
• Clothing Assistance Provides clothing support to individuals in need through thrift store access and direct clothing distributions.
• Furniture Assistance Provides furniture support to individuals and families through donated furniture distribution from the organization's thrift operations.
• Iowa DOT Testing Offers Iowa Department of Transportation testing services for individuals seeking driver's licenses or state IDs.
• Back2Work Job training and mentorship program that helps participants achieve workforce self-sufficiency through career development support.
• Tom Varilek Education Center Education program offering career readiness training, HiSET (high school equivalency) preparation, and financial literacy education to support workforce development.
• IMMERSION/Re-Entry National wrap-around support program providing returning citizens with services to facilitate successful reintegration into the community.
• Sobering Center Provides a free, safe environment for adults to regain sobriety.
• Polk County Jail Kiosk Jail-based kiosk providing essential reentry resources for returning citizens while incarcerated, operated in partnership with Polk County.
• Vinny's Estate and Tag Sales Estate sale and tag sale services for donated high-value items; sub-brand of the thrift operation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36,000+ individuals served annually with programming, education, food, clothing, and financial assistance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Free Polk CountysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to address food insecurity in Polk County
• Healthy Relationships IowasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for community support services
• Future Ready IowasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce development partnership
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor nonprofit partner for community services and volunteer coordination
• 5th Judicial District CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustice system partnership for re-entry services
• Bridges of IowasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRe-entry support services partnership
• DMACCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partnership for workforce training and education programs
• Des Moines Public SchoolssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partnership
• Hy-VeesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood donation and community support partnership
• Polk CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for jail kiosk and sobering center programs
• Diocese of Des Moines/Catholic CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based organizational partnership
• Vinny's Estate and Tag SalessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline sales channel for estate sale items

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity ReStores (Heartland Iowa): Operates donation-driven thrift/home-furnishing stores funding affordable housing programs. Comparable nonprofit thrift-to-mission model, particularly for the furniture and home-goods donation categories SVdP handles.
• Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa: Operates thrift retail stores in the Des Moines/Iowa region that fund workforce-development and job-training programs. Directly comparable mission model (thrift revenue underwriting social services) and overlapping beneficiary population with SVdP DSM.
• The Salvation Army of Central Iowa: Operates thrift/family stores and social services in Des Moines including food assistance, emergency housing, and re-entry support. Comparable faith-based nonprofit using donated-goods retail to fund direct services.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul (National Council): Parent/affiliated network running the same parish-conference, thrift-store, and home-visit model nationwide. Directly comparable operations, programs, and revenue model; SVdP DSM is an autonomous council within this federation.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit operating thousands of thrift stores and workforce-development programs. Provides the macro framework that local Goodwill affiliates (e.g., Goodwill of Central Iowa) operate within; relevant as the structural parent peer.
• United Way of Central Iowa: Major regional nonprofit that funds and coordinates dozens of social-service agencies in the Des Moines area, including partnerships with SVdP DSM. Comparable scale and donor-base breadth, though operating as a fund-distributor rather than direct service provider.

Regional players

• Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC): Regional interfaith food pantry network serving Des Moines. Directly comparable food-assistance mission and overlapping beneficiary base, including a formal "Free Polk County" partnership with SVdP DSM.
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Des Moines: Diocese-aligned nonprofit providing social services, refugee resettlement, and family support in the same geography. Listed as a Core strategic partner of SVdP DSM and serves overlapping client populations.
• Hope Ministries of Central Iowa: Regional faith-based nonprofit offering food, shelter, and recovery programs in the Des Moines area. Overlaps with SVdP DSM on food pantry, clothing, and re-entry services for vulnerable populations.

Emerging players

• Stuff Etc. / Thrift World: Iowa-based for-profit thrift/resale chain operating donation-driven stores. Comparable product category and donation-logistics model, though operating as a commercial retailer rather than a charity-funded nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsfNXcP6MqTOucRNGqyypaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SVDPofDSM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-st-vincent-de-paul-des-moines
• Instagraminstagram.com/svdpdsm/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines