Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand

What Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand does

The Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand is a registered charitable organization (Charities Commission CC34707) operating in New Zealand since 1875 as the local national council of the International Confederation of Saint Vincent de Paul Societies. The organization delivers direct, practical assistance to families and households in financial difficulty, seniors on low incomes, and other vulnerable community members through a network of 106 local Conferences (volunteer member groups) and 55 St Vincent de Paul op shops and Centres. Service throughput includes over 60,000 food parcels dispatched annually and nearly 2,000 households furnished with essential items each year. Specialized programs include the Vincentian Foundation for the Elderly (hearing aid grants for low-income seniors) and Vinnies Youth / Young Vinnies programs engaging Catholic school students in social justice activities, plus the Re Sew textile upcycling initiative based at the Kilbirnie Op Shop.

Operationally, the Society runs on a hybrid paid-staff and volunteer model: only 14 paid employees support a base of 1,157 active Vincentian members, 352 associate members, and 1,759 volunteers. There is no proprietary technology platform; the digital footprint consists of a Rocketspark-hosted website (svdp.org.nz), a member login portal, and newsletter distribution. Income is generated through three streams: public donations and appeals, retail revenue from donated goods sold via op shops, and bequests/legacy giving. Emergency and after-hours assistance is available via a national phone line routing callers to local service teams.

In 2025 the Society launched a 'Refounding' process led by National President Gerry Stevens, convening over 100 Vincentians in Wellington to renew the organization's mission amid stated pressures of declining and aging membership. The organization is governed by a National Board and maintains affiliations with the Council for International Development (NZ) and the global SSVP confederation, which has 500,000+ members across 100+ countries.

Name

Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand

Legal name

Society of St Vincent de Paul in New Zealand

Website

https://svdp.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand is a 150-year-old Catholic charity operating 106 Conferences and 55 op shops to deliver food parcels, household furnishings, and emergency aid to families and seniors in need across New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The organization relies on public generosity and donations to fund its charitable operations including food parcels, household assistance, and emergency support for families in need.
2. Retail Shop Revenue: Op Shops and St Vincent de Paul Centres generate revenue through the sale of donated goods. These shops also serve as community touchpoints for identifying and assisting those in need.
3. Bequests and Legacy Giving: The organization maintains a bequests program allowing supporters to leave legacy gifts to support ongoing charitable work.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand delivers free practical assistance to individuals and families in financial difficulty through a network of 106 local Conferences and 55 op shops. Core services include emergency relief (food parcels and household furnishings), hearing aid grants for low-income seniors via the Vincentian Foundation for the Elderly, after-hours emergency support, and youth engagement through Vinnies Youth. Operations are funded by charitable donations, op shop retail revenue, and bequests.

Product overview

The Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand is a charitable organization operating a network of social service programs and retail operations. The core offerings include 106 local Conferences providing direct practical assistance to those in need, a network of charity Shops selling donated goods, the Vinnies Youth program for young people, the Re Sew textile upcycling initiative, emergency assistance services, and the Vincentian Foundation for the Elderly providing hearing aid grants. Key services include food parcels (60,000+ annually) and household furnishing assistance (nearly 2,000 households annually). The organization also publishes a newsletter and runs donation/appeal programs to fund its activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vinnies Youth: Youth program for young people dedicated to social justice and making a difference in the world
• Re Sew
• Young Vinnies
• St Vincent de Paul Centres and Shops

Products and services

• Conferences A network of 106 local Conference groups across New Zealand where volunteer members provide direct, in-person practical assistance to individuals and families in need through home visits and emergency aid.
• St Vincent de Paul Shops (Op Shops)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Council for International Development, Aotearoa, New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Society is a proud member of the Council for International Development, Aotearoa, New Zealand, indicating commitment to development standards and collaboration with other organizations in the sector.
• International Confederation of Saint Vincent de Paul SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in New Zealand is a member of the International Confederation of Saint Vincent de Paul Societies (CGI/SSVP), part of a global network with over 500,000 members in more than 100 countries.
• Vincentian Foundation for the ElderlycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA specialized foundation that provides funding for senior-oriented projects, currently focused on providing grants to help fund hearing aids for seniors on low incomes throughout New Zealand.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lifewise: Methodist social services charity in NZ providing food support, housing, and disability services — directly comparable in frontline social assistance and faith-based delivery model.
• Auckland City Mission: NZ-based social services charity providing food assistance, social housing, and emergency support to families in need, with a comparable faith-inspired mission and direct beneficiary model.
• St Vincent de Paul Society Australia: Australian sister organization of SVDP NZ operating Conferences, op shops, and direct social services — directly comparable in operating model, governance, and service mix, serving as a natural benchmark.
• Methodist Mission Northern: Faith-based NZ charity delivering foodbanks, social housing, and community support services — comparable mission, faith affiliation, and direct-assistance service model.
• Wellington City Mission: Wellington-based social services charity (sharing the same city as SVDP NZ HQ) providing food, housing, and emergency relief — directly comparable frontline services and beneficiary base.
• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand: Catholic social justice and development agency in NZ providing emergency relief, social services, and advocacy — directly comparable faith-based identity and beneficiary support model.
• Salvation Army New Zealand: Large faith-based charity in NZ providing food parcels, social housing, family support, and emergency assistance through community centers — directly comparable in mission and service mix to SVDP NZ.
• New Zealand Red Cross: Major humanitarian organization in NZ delivering food assistance, disaster relief, and community support programs — comparable in scope, donor-driven model, and emergency relief focus.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity New Zealand: NZ affiliate of an international nonprofit focused on housing and household support for low-income families — partial overlap with SVDP's household furnishings and housing-adjacent assistance work.
• Women's Refuge New Zealand: NZ charity providing social services and emergency support to vulnerable women and families — partial overlap in beneficiary base and emergency-relief orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-st-vincent-de-paul-nz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Society of St Vincent de Paul New Zealand