Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet

What Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet does

Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet (Hungarian Interchurch Aid) is a privately held, ecumenical humanitarian organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in Budapest (Kossuth Lajos u. 64., 1221 Budapest; tax number 19662927-1-43). It operates as the sole Hungarian member of the Geneva-based ACT Alliance coalition and runs domestic social programs through roughly 50 Hungarian municipalities and approximately 100 services, alongside international humanitarian operations in 50 countries. Core service lines include the Kapaszkodó (Catch Up) child development program (reaching over 2,000 children), the Krízisambulancia Hálózat — a 7-center domestic violence crisis ambulance network — temporary family housing, gambling addiction prevention (Játék Határokkal), social enterprises at Kastélyosdombó (hop farming, cheese dairy, medicinal herb processing), and international emergency response across Ukraine, Iraq, Ethiopia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. The organization maintains a permanent field office in Beregszász (Transcarpathia, Ukraine) established in 1998.

The underlying technology stack is conventional and operationally focused rather than differentiated: a CRM operated by Enterprise Soft Kft., SimplePay and Stripe payment processing with Apple Pay/Google Pay support, OTP Bank donation accounts in HUF/EUR/USD, and the branded 1353 donation hotline (250 Ft per call). Programmatic touchpoints include 13 social and development centers, 7 crisis ambulance locations, and a recurring donor community (Rendszeres Adományozói Közösség). Donations are channeled through the hotline, online portal, bank transfers, in-store collection at Tesco, and the Hungarian 1% personal income tax designation. The organization reports that 4 out of every 5 donated forints flow directly to beneficiaries, with KPMG conducting annual financial audits, and cumulative aid delivered has reached 90 billion HUF over its history.

The business model combines four revenue streams: individual donations (one-time and recurring via the hotline, online portal, and bank transfer), corporate partnerships (Tesco, E.ON, HEINEKEN Hungária, Provident, Vodafone Magyarország Alapítvány, Avon, MOL-Új Európa Alapítvány), government and institutional grants (Hungary Helps, Belügyminisztérium, EU via EFOP/RRF/ESF-SI, GIZ, Velux Alapítványok, ACT Alliance emergency appeals), and the Szja 1% tax designation. Strategic positioning emphasizes sustainable pathways out of poverty rather than emergency-only relief, with a three-pillar service philosophy of "Étel. Otthon. Esély." (Food. Home. Opportunity.). The organization reports 500 staff and is led by President-Director Lehel László with Gáncs Kristóf as Communications Director, supported by goodwill ambassadors Kovács Koko István and Lévai Anikó.

Name

Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet

Legal name

Magyar Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet

Website

https://segelyszervezet.hu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Founded in 1989, Hungarian Interchurch Aid (Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet) is an ecumenical humanitarian organization operating the Kapaszkodó child development program, 7-center domestic violence crisis network, and international emergency response across 50 countries, funded via individual donations, corporate partners, and EU/government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Charitable social services
• Disaster relief programs
• Child development support
• Domestic violence assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Budapest

HQ country

Hungary

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from private individuals via telephone hotline (1353 Adományvonal), online bank card payments (SimplePay/Stripe), bank transfer to OTP Bank accounts (HUF/EUR/USD), and in-store collection at Tesco. Monthly recurring donor community (Rendszeres Adományozói Közösség) provides predictable revenue. 4 out of 5 donated forints are used directly for beneficiaries.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Companies sponsor specific programs (e.g., E.ON Kapaszkodó 2.0, Tesco szeretet.éhség., HEINEKEN hop farming, Provident Álombajnokság, Vodafone/Avon domestic violence program). Includes cause marketing, employee giving campaigns, and product/marketplace partnerships.
3. Government and Institutional Grants: Funding from Hungarian government bodies (Hungary Helps, Belügyminisztérium), European Union (EU funding for Ukraine refugees, social housing, migration support programs), and international organizations (ACT Alliance emergency appeals). Includes EU tenders and multilateral emergency response.
4. 1% Tax Designation (Szja 1%): Hungarian taxpayers can designate 1% of their personal income tax to the organization using tax number 19662927-1-43, providing a no-cost donation mechanism that generates unrestricted revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet (Hungarian Interchurch Aid) is a non-profit humanitarian organization that raises charitable donations domestically and internationally to deliver emergency relief and long-term development programs. Its core services include child development (Kapaszkodó Program), domestic violence crisis support (7-city Crisis Ambulance Network), family and homeless services, refugee aid (Ukraine, Iraq, Ethiopia, Turkey), and social enterprises (hop farming, cheese dairy, herb processing) creating sustainable livelihoods for disadvantaged families.

Product overview

The Hungarian Interchurch Aid (Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet) operates a network of interconnected social welfare programs rather than a unified software product. The core offering includes an online donation platform (Adományozás) enabling charitable contributions via multiple channels, complemented by direct service programs. The Kapaszkodó Program serves as the flagship child development initiative, while the Crisis Ambulance Network provides specialized domestic violence support across 7 regions. Social enterprises (Szociális Vállalkozások) including hop farming and cheese production create sustainable livelihoods, and the Aid Center (Segélyközpont) handles individual assistance requests nationally. Supporting programs include the Digital Theme Week educational initiative, charity running events, and the gambling addiction prevention program (Játék Határokkal). The organization also operates temporary family housing and provides international humanitarian aid in 50 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kapaszkodó Program: Child development and catch-up program supporting disadvantaged children with educational and developmental services
• 1353 Adományvonal
• Szeretet.éhség. Kampány
• A szeretet nem árt
• Jótékonysági futás
• Játék határokkal
• Biztos Kezdet Gyerekház
• Kastélyosdombói Szociális és Fejlesztő Központ

Products and services

• Adományozás (Donation Platform)

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 out of 5 donated forints are used directly for beneficiaries (80% program efficiency)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ACT AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÖkumenikus Segélyszervezet is the sole Hungarian member of the Geneva-based ACT Alliance, a coalition of over 120 churches and church-related organizations. Through this membership, the organization coordinates international emergency responses (ACT HEA 221 in Ethiopia, ACT SYR 231 in Turkey, ACT UKR221 in Ukraine), accesses pooled funding, and participates in joint humanitarian advocacy.
• OTP Bank Nyrt.coreOthersOTP Bank serves as the primary banking partner for the organization's donation accounts in HUF, EUR, and USD. IBAN HUF: HU32-11705008-20464565-00000000; EUR: HU13-11763842-00658885-00000000; USD: HU39-11763842-00739012-00000000; SWIFT: OTPV HU HB.
• TescomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTesco serves as retail fundraising partner through in-store donation collection at checkout counters. Major campaigns include szeretet.éhség. (Love.Hunger) and Kapaszkodó adománygyűjtés. Tesco customers donated over 60 million HUF in 2018 and 66 million HUF in 2019. Tesco also provided baking ingredients for the 2018 Advent gingerbread heart campaign.
• E.ONmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the Kapaszkodó 2.0 educational program, supporting disadvantaged children's development. The partnership includes the E.ON Műszaki Akadémia (Technical Academy) and zoobotics experience day to close the academic year.
• HEINEKEN HungáriamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEINEKEN Hungária invested 30 million HUF to launch a hop farming social enterprise at the Segélyszervezet's Kastélyosdombó Social and Development Center. HEINEKEN purchases the harvested hops at market price, creating sustainable livelihoods for disadvantaged families. 2,500 hop plants on 1 hectare represent the first commercial hop farming in Hungary in over 20 years.
• Provident Pénügyi Zrt.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner in the Álombajnokság (Dream Championship) boxing program for disadvantaged youth, which expanded in 2026 to include new sports through a partnership with the Hungarian Boxing Federation (Magyar Ökölvívók Szövetsége).
• Vodafone Magyarország AlapítványmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partner in domestic violence prevention. Vodafone Magyarország Alapítvány funded the creation and operation of the anonymous online counseling platform (aszeretetnemart.hu) and supports the 7-city crisis ambulance network. Committed to ongoing support in the 'A szeretet nem árt' (Love Doesn't Hurt) campaign.
• AvonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner in the domestic violence prevention program. Avon contributes to the furnishing and operation of the secret shelter (titkos menedékház) and participates in the 'A szeretet nem árt' awareness campaign.
• MOL-Új Európa AlapítványminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunder of animal-assisted therapy programs for children — horse camp in Orosháza and autism support sessions in Debrecen, reaching 40 children total.
• Szerencsejáték Zrt.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in gambling addiction prevention programs ('Játék határokkal' and 'Segítünk kilépni a szerencsejáték-függőségből'). The Szókincs (Vocabulary) lottery ticket pair generates proceeds for disadvantaged youth.
• Magyar Máltai Szeretetszolgálat AlapítványcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAs the pass-through entity (Továbbadott támogatást kihelyező szerv) for social housing renovation projects (RRF), MMSZ provides the social housing agency function, managing property allocation to beneficiaries for the Boldogkőújfalu and Vizsoly social housing renovation project.
• AIDRomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian implementing partner in the HEART project (ESF-SI-2024-UA-01) for Ukrainian refugee women, working jointly on transnational social innovation research and an incubator program for refugee women's economic empowerment.
• Dél-Pesti Tankerület KözpontminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational authority partner in the mobile pedagogy (Mozgópedagógia) program, delivering schooling services to children in temporary shelters through the Segélyszervezet's crisis accommodation facility.
• Magyar Evangélikus Egyház (Hungarian Evangelical Church)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvangelical Church conducted two fundraising campaigns for Iraqi Christian families, donating 15 million HUF in February 2018 and 10 million HUF in November 2018 for housing reconstruction on the Niniveh Plain. Church leaders (Fabiny Tamás elnök-püspök) personally visited Iraq to meet beneficiaries.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ADRA International: Adventist Development and Relief Agency, a large faith-rooted international NGO operating humanitarian and development programs globally. Comparable church-affiliated NGO with broader international scope than Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet.
• UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): Global UN agency for refugee protection. Overlaps with Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet's Ukraine refugee integration work and broader displacement programming, though operates at vastly larger scale and from a different funding model.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Global humanitarian network coordinating disaster response, refugee assistance, and social programs. Operates at significantly larger scale but overlaps materially in disaster response, refugee support, and domestic social services through the Hungarian Red Cross affiliate.
• ACT Alliance: Geneva-based coalition of 120+ faith-based humanitarian organizations of which Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet is the sole Hungarian member. As both a peer network and a funding conduit, it operates at a broader scale and provides the anchor organization access to pooled emergency appeals.

Direct peers

• Magyar Vöröskereszt (Hungarian Red Cross): Hungary's national Red Cross society, providing overlapping humanitarian services including disaster relief, refugee assistance, and social support. Directly competes for the same donor pool, government grants, and corporate partnerships.
• Magyar Máltai Szeretetszolgálat (Hungarian Maltese Charity Service): Largest faith-based humanitarian organization in Hungary, operating similar domestic social services and disaster response. Explicitly named in Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet's partnerships as the pass-through entity for shared EU-funded social housing renovation projects.
• Caritas Hungary (Katolikus Karitász): Catholic charity affiliate of the Caritas Internationalis network, providing overlapping domestic social services and international humanitarian programs in Hungary. Directly comparable faith-based peer operating similar service mix.
• Baptista Szeretetszolgálat (Hungarian Baptist Aid): Faith-based humanitarian organization with parallel domestic social services and international humanitarian programs. Competes for the same church-affiliated donor base and corporate CSR partnerships in Hungary.

Regional players

• Polish Humanitarian Action (Polska Akcja Humanitarna): Major Central European humanitarian NGO operating in Ukraine, Syria, and other crisis zones with similar programming mix of emergency relief and long-term development. Comparable peer from a neighboring country with overlapping Ukraine operations.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity Hungary: Hungarian affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, focused on housing-related social programs. Comparable in targeting disadvantaged Hungarian families and operating through a mix of donations, corporate partnerships, and grants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/segelyszervezet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/andersen-innovat-v-hum-ner-forr-s-k-zpont

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet