Society of the Little Flower

What Society of the Little Flower does

The Society of the Little Flower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1923 in Darien, Illinois, serving as the major fundraising vehicle for the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary. Its core mission is promoting devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun and declared Doctor of the Church, by channeling donations and mass enrollment offerings to Carmelite seminarian education, parish ministries serving the poor, retreat houses, and care for elderly Carmelites in more than 50 countries. The organization generates revenue through a diversified mix of one-time donations, recurring monthly giving (Circle of Roses), annual membership, Mass enrollment cards for deceased/healing/living/perpetual intentions, religious merchandise (books, rosaries, prayer cards, statues, medals, greeting cards), and digital products (virtual vigil candles, ecards). Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via littleflower.org and a Canadian storefront, supplemented by the physical Carmelite Gift Shop, the 50-acre National Shrine and Museum of St. Thérèse in Darien, and a Niagara Falls, Ontario office.

The business model is donation-suggestion pricing (preset amounts of $20-$40 plus custom) and unit-priced merchandise ranging from $0.50 prayer cards to $48 glass roses. Customer segments are persona-based and horizontal: Catholic faithful devoted to St. Thérèse and religious gift shoppers, with an aggregate active member base of 500,000+ (alternatively cited as "almost 300,000 devoted supporters"). Marketing relies on daily email devotionals, organic social (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), and content marketing via daily scripture, reflections, and prayer archives; the recently launched National Shrine mobile app (Tithely platform) extends engagement to mobile with Mass video and prayer petition submission. The underlying technology stack is conventional web content management; no proprietary AI, platform, or data infrastructure is disclosed.

Name

Society of the Little Flower

Legal name

Society of the Little Flower

Website

https://littleflower.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Society of the Little Flower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1923 that raises funds for the Carmelite Province through donations, Mass enrollment cards, religious merchandise, and memberships, serving over 500,000 Catholic devotees of St. Thérèse in the US, Canada, and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAG

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAE

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYFSAAANAI

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Trust & Fiduciary Services (Trust Companies, Estate & Custody Trusts)

Keywords

• Religious donations
• Catholic devotional goods
• Mass enrollment cards
• Carmelite ministry fundraising
• Religious merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Darien

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: One-time and monthly donation processing from members and supporters. Donations support Carmelite seminarians, parish ministries serving the poor, retreat houses, and elderly Carmelite care.
2. Religious Goods and Products: Sale of religious merchandise including books, prayer cards, rosaries, medals, statues, plaques, ornaments, candles, greeting cards, and address labels. Products are priced with suggested donations.
3. Mass Enrollment Cards: Sale of mass enrollment cards for deceased, healing, living, and perpetual intentions. Recipients are enrolled in Mass and prayers at the National Shrine.
4. Annual Membership: Annual membership program (Circle of Roses) offering spiritual benefits and participation in Carmelite prayers and ministries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Society of the Little Flower is a nonprofit fundraising organization for the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary. It sells religious merchandise (books, rosaries, prayer cards, medals, statues, greeting cards), processes donations, and offers Mass enrollment services. Membership-based model with over 500,000 active members sharing in the spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

Product overview

The Society of the Little Flower operates a multi-channel religious organization offering donations, mass enrollment cards, and religious merchandise. The core offerings include one-time and monthly donations supporting Carmelite seminarian education and global ministries, Mass Cards for various occasions (deceased, healing, living, perpetual), Ecards and Spiritual Greeting Cards, Prayer Cards with optional third-class relics, Religious Books (including Story of a Soul), Rosaries and Chaplets, and Relics Visit Gifts. The organization also operates the National Shrine & Museum of St. Thérèse in Darien, Illinois, provides a mobile app for daily inspiration and Mass viewing, offers Virtual Vigil Candle services, and publishes Between Friends Magazine and daily spiritual reflections. The digital storefront enables donations and merchandise purchases while the shrine provides in-person spiritual experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-Time Donation

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of MarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Society of the Little Flower is the major fundraising organization for the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary. The Society supports Carmelite ministries in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Peru, including seminarian education, parish ministries serving the poor, retreat houses, and care for elderly Carmelites.
• Carmel of LisieuxminorOthersThe sisters at St. Thérèse's original monastery in France hold the copyright on all images of St. Thérèse. Images on the Society's website are used with permission from Carmel of Lisieux.
• Mount Carmel Spiritual CentreminorOthersOntario facility overlooking Niagara Falls providing retreats, workshops, and adult religious education. Part of the Carmelite network in Canada where the Society also has an office.
• Lay CarmelitesminorOthersOrganization for Lay Carmelites associated with the Province, offering Scapular Shop, Lay Carmelite news, and information about The Call to Carmel.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Catholic Register: National Catholic Register is a Catholic news publication operated by EWTN Publishing, providing news, opinion, and digital content to Catholic readers with subscription and donation revenue. Society of the Little Flower is comparable as a Catholic content/media organization driving member engagement through newsletters, daily devotionals, and a magazine subscription base.

Direct peers

• Ave Maria Press: Ave Maria Press is a Catholic publishing house at the University of Notre Dame producing books, ministry resources, and periodicals for parishes and individuals. Comparable to Society of the Little Flower in direct-to-consumer Catholic book sales, devotional content publishing, and serving the spiritual formation needs of Catholic laity.
• Dynamic Catholic: Dynamic Catholic produces bestselling Catholic books, parish programs, and an annual parish giving/donation campaign (Fully Alive!, Best Lent Ever). Comparable to Society in direct-to-consumer religious content, e-commerce of faith-based materials, and large-scale donor/member cultivation through digital channels.
• EWTN: EWTN is the largest Catholic media network in the world, operating TV/radio, a news agency, and religious merchandise sales funded by donations and memberships. Society of the Little Flower shares EWTN's donation-funded Catholic devotional ecosystem, e-commerce of religious goods, and reliance on a multi-channel content-driven fundraising engine.
• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. is the largest Catholic church in North America, hosting daily Mass, pilgrimages, gift shop retail, and donor fundraising. Society of the Little Flower's National Shrine & Museum of St. Thérèse in Darien, IL is a direct structural analog operating daily Mass, pilgrim visits, museum, and gift shop revenue.
• Magnificat: Magnificat is a Catholic devotional ministry that publishes a monthly prayer guide used by individuals and parishes worldwide, supported through subscriptions and donations. Like Society of the Little Flower, it operates a membership-based model with recurring revenue, devotional content publishing, and direct-to-consumer fundraising for a Catholic spiritual mission.
• Our Sunday Visitor: Our Sunday Visitor is a Catholic publishing company producing periodicals (Our Sunday Visitor newspaper), books, and parish/diocesan resources, with revenue from subscriptions, donations, and product sales. Society of the Little Flower shares direct-to-consumer Catholic publishing (Between Friends magazine), religious e-commerce, and donor-funded content distribution.
• Catholic Extension: Catholic Extension funds and strengthens Catholic dioceses, parishes, and ministries across underserved U.S. regions through donor fundraising and grants. Society of the Little Flower is comparable as a Catholic 501(c)(3) that raises donations from individuals to fund specific Catholic ministries, seminarian support, and missionary outreach programs.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Relief Services: Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, operating relief and development programs globally with hundreds of millions in annual revenue. Comparable to Society as a Catholic fundraising entity that aggregates donations from U.S. faithful and channels them to international ministries, though at vastly greater scale.
• Knights of Columbus: Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal service organization with over 2 million members, insurance products, and large-scale charitable donations. While much larger and structured as a fraternal benefit society, it is comparable to Society as a Catholic membership organization that channels member dues and donations into religious, charitable, and community programs.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SocLittleFlower
• Facebookfacebook.com/SaintThereseofLisieux
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-the-little-flower
• Instagraminstagram.com/stthereseoflisieux

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 the Little Flower