caritas diocesana de bilbao

What caritas diocesana de bilbao does

Caritas Diocesana de Bilbao (Caritas Bizkaia) is the official charitable organization of the Diocese of Bilbao, canonically established on 28 November 1956 and operating as a non-profit ecclesiastical body under the authority of Bishop Joseba Segura. The organization delivers social intervention, employment and solidarity economy programs, international cooperation, community animation, and awareness/advocacy services to vulnerable populations across Bizkaia province in the Basque Country, Spain. It reaches beneficiaries through a territorial network of 40 pastoral units organized across 7 vicarages, with a 2025 beneficiary count of approximately 11,922 people accompanied, supported by 1,861 volunteers, 136 paid staff, and 4,421 member collaborators.

The organization's product and service portfolio encompasses direct social services (emergency assistance, housing support, food aid, psychological and legal services, employment insertion), three social enterprises that generate earned income directed to the social mission (KOOPERA for textile reuse and recycling, Lapiko Catering for social-insertion catering, and Procoman for construction and cleaning services), and knowledge products including the Behatokia Social Observatory, FOESSA-based exclusion analyses, and the annual Memoria report. The technology foundation is standard web infrastructure (WordPress, WooCommerce, Google Analytics) with no proprietary technology platform. Communications are delivered through a bilingual (Spanish/Basque) website, social media channels, monthly newsletters (Bihotzez), and podcast series (Taupadak, Giltzatzara).

The revenue model is a hybrid of private donations (64%, approximately €8.4M in 2025) sourced from individual members, corporate partners, and legacies, plus public funding (36%, approximately €4.7M) from the Provincial Government of Bizkaia, Basque Government, local councils, and European funds. Corporate donors receive a 45% tax deduction under Bizkaia's preferential activity classification. Pricing for individual donors operates on preset tiers (€30/€50/€100/custom) with monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual, or one-time frequencies. Services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge. The organization holds the REAS Social Audit Seal for 6 consecutive years.

Name

caritas diocesana de bilbao

Legal name

CÁRITAS DIOCESANA DE BILBAO

Website

https://caritasbi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Caritas Diocesana de Bilbao is the official charitable organization of the Diocese of Bilbao, delivering social intervention, employment programs, and solidarity economy services to vulnerable populations across Bizkaia province through 40 pastoral units and three social enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bilbao

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Private contributions: In 2025, private contributions totaled approximately €8.4 million (64% of total funding), sourced from member donors, Christian community collections, private entities, and inheritance/bequests. Includes regular membership fees, one-time donations, corporate partnerships, and legacies.
2. Public funding: In 2025, public funding totaled approximately €4.7 million (36% of total funding), comprising contributions from the Provincial Government of Bizkaia (Diputación Foral de Bizkaia), regional government ( Basque Government/Eusko Jaurlaritza), local administrations, and European funds distributed through the regional government.
3. Social and solidarity economy enterprises: Caritas Bizkaia promotes social enterprises (KOOPERA, Lapiko Catering, Procoman) whose surpluses are directed to social benefits. These entities generate revenue through service provision (catering, construction, cleaning, textile recycling) while serving as social inclusion tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Caritas Diocesana de Bilbao is a Catholic charitable organization that delivers social assistance, community support programs, and social-insertion enterprises (including textile recycling, catering, and construction/cleaning services) to vulnerable populations in the Diocese of Bilbao. Its activities span humanitarian aid, volunteer-driven pastoral work, employment integration, and advocacy.

Product overview

Caritas Bizkaia operates as a charitable social organization under the Diocese of Bilbao, offering a portfolio of social services rather than a technology product. The organization provides economic donation programs, volunteer coordination, and legacy donations. Its social economy division includes three enterprises (KOOPERA for reuse/recycling and Koopera Stores, Lapiko Catering for social insertion catering, and Procoman for construction services). Communications include the Bihotzez monthly newsletter, Irekita publications, FOESSA sociological reports, and annual Memorias. The organization also produces podcasts (Taupadak and Giltzatzara) for volunteer sensitization and community awareness. The Social Observatory conducts research on poverty and exclusion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KOOPERA: Social and solidarity economy network linked to Caritas - social insertion companies, foundations and social initiative cooperatives. Develops environmental services, reuse and recycling (textile specialists), sustainable consumption (Koopera Store shops), and person care services.
• Lapiko Catering
• Procoman

Products and services

• KOOPERA Textile Recycling
• Lapiko Catering
• Procoman Construction and Cleaning Services

Quantifiable outcome

• €13,614,084 in total funding received in 2025, distributed across €9M social intervention, €1.7M employment, €444K international cooperation, €613K community animation, and €501K awareness/development.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Promotora San Juan de Muskiz (Procoman predecessor)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Procoman was created in 2004 as the successor to the activities and staff of Promotora San Juan de Muskiz, which began operations in 1992. The transition preserved employment for workers in Muskiz who were at risk of unemployment while redirecting surpluses to Caritas's social mission.
• Diocese of Bilbao (Obispado de Bilbao / Bizkeliza)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 1956Caritas Diocesana de Bilbao is the official charitable organism of the Diocese of Bilbao, canonically erected on 28 November 1956 under the mandate of Bishop Joseba Segura. The Diocese provides ecclesiastical mandate, consiliarios (chaplains) in each pastoral unit, and alignment with the Church's pastoral plan. This is the foundational structural relationship from which all other partnerships derive.
• REAS EUSKADI / Merkatu Soziala (Social Market of Basque Country)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Bizkaia participates in the Merkatu Soziala (Social Market) network coordinated by REAS EUSKADI, a network of entities committed to ethical, democratic, ecological, and solidarity-based production, distribution, and consumption. This includes KOOPERA, Lapiko Catering, Procoman, and other social enterprises. The Merkatu Soziala provides a consumer locator tool for ethical purchasing.
• KOOPERA (Caritas-linked social enterprise network)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOOPERA is a network of social and solidarity economy entities linked to Caritas, including insertion enterprises, foundations, and social initiative cooperatives. Activities include environmental services, reuse and recycling (textile specialists), sustainable consumption (Koopera Store retail), personal care services, and other objectives with training and employment as social inclusion tools, building a more ecological, inclusive, and solidarity-based society.
• Peñascal S Coop (Lapiko Catering co-promoter)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLapiko Catering is a social insertion enterprise co-promoted by Caritas Bizkaia and Peñascal S Coop, a Basque cooperative. The partnership combines Caritas's social mission and beneficiary access with Peñascal's cooperative governance model and hospitality sector expertise to deliver ethical catering services using local, seasonal, Km0, and Fair Trade products.
• FOESSA Foundation (Fundación FOESSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOESSA (Fomento de Estudios Superiores y de Economía Social Solidaria) is a foundation whose surveys and reports on social exclusion in Spain serve as the analytical backbone of Caritas Bizkaia's Behatokia (Social Observatory). The IV FOESSA Report 2025 for the Basque Country was published in December 2025. Caritas has published FOESSA reports since the 1960s, contributing to national policy advocacy.
• Caritas Española / Confederation of Spanish CaritascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Bizkaia is part of the confederated Caritas structure of the Catholic Church in Spain, sharing resources, methodologies, advocacy positions, and the shared Caritas brand. It maintains a confederate intranet (intranet.caritas.es) and participates in national campaigns and the FOESSA analytical framework coordinated by Caritas Española.
• Public administrations (Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, Basque Government, local councils)majorOthers36% of Caritas Bizkaia's 2025 funding (€4.7M) comes from public sources: Provincial Government of Bizkaia (23%), local administrations (7%), and regional/autonomous government (6%). These are not formal partnerships in the commercial sense but represent the primary public funding relationships that sustain the organization's operations.
• Gizatea (Association of Social Insertion Enterprises of the Basque Country)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLapiko Catering adheres to the ethical code of Gizatea, the association of social insertion enterprises in the Basque Country, which sets standards for quality, non-profit operation, gender equality, and opportunity equality in supported employment programs.
• Kidenda (Fair Trade)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLapiko Catering is committed to Fair Trade (Comercio Justo) principles, sourcing products through fair trade channels. This partnership ensures ethical supply chains for the catering service's food products.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Cáritas Gipuzkoa: Sister diocesan Cáritas covering the neighboring province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country. Operates the same Catholic-charity model with comparable funding mix (private donations + public grants), territorial pastoral-unit structure, and social enterprise subsidiaries (Berakah, etc.). Most structurally comparable peer by model, though serving a distinct geographic territory.
• Cáritas Diocesana de Vitoria: Sister diocesan Cáritas covering Álava/Araba, the third province of the Basque Country. Shares the canonical Cáritas model, FOESSA-driven analytical framework, and parish-based delivery structure. Regionally distinct but directly comparable in service portfolio, governance under the local bishop, and reliance on Bizkaia-style public funding streams.
• Cáritas Diocesana de Madrid: Largest Cáritas Diocesana in Spain, serving the Madrid autonomous community. Operates the identical Cáritas service model — pastoral units, social enterprises, social observatory — at significantly greater scale. Useful comparison for understanding the upper bound of Cáritas Diocesana operating capacity and program sophistication.

Broad incumbents

• Cáritas Española: National confederation of Cáritas Diocesanas to which Caritas Bizkaia belongs. Operates national-level social observatory work, FOESSA coordination, advocacy campaigns, and confederate services that complement diocesan delivery. Not a direct competitor but the umbrella organization whose strategic priorities shape Caritas Bizkaia's national positioning.
• Save the Children España: Major international NGO operating in Spain, focusing on child and adolescent welfare with broader scope than Caritas Bizkaia's child protection plan. Comparable in multi-source funding, institutional advocacy role, and territorial program delivery, though operating at significantly greater scale and brand recognition as a global organization.

Direct peers

• Cruz Roja Española: Spain's largest humanitarian organization with territorial presence across all of Bizkaia. Provides overlapping social services (food aid, homelessness support, migrant assistance, employment programs) using a comparable volunteer-and-paid-staff model funded by member dues, donations, and public grants. Direct competitor for individual donors and public-sector contracts in the same territory.
• Fundación Secretariado Gitano: National Spanish non-profit focused on Roma social inclusion, with programs covering employment insertion, education, housing, and youth — closely mirroring Caritas Bizkaia's employment and social intervention areas. Comparable in target beneficiary profile, multi-source funding (private + EU/government), and advocacy-driven operating model.
• Hogar Sí: Spanish non-profit specializing in homelessness intervention and housing-first approaches, operating the 'Sin Hogar' space that Caritas Bizkaia also addresses. Comparable beneficiary base, public-private funding mix, and territorial service model, though Hogar Sí is more specialized rather than a broad social-services provider.
• CEAR: National Spanish NGO dedicated to refugee and asylum-seeker assistance. Overlaps directly with Caritas Bizkaia's Migration and Cooperation area in serving migrant beneficiaries, case management, and rights advocacy. Comparable funding sources (private donations + public grants) and territorial delivery model.
• RAIS Fundación: Spanish foundation focused on homelessness and social exclusion through housing-first methodology. Directly comparable to Caritas Bizkaia's Sin Hogar area in target population, intervention approach, and reliance on public-private partnership funding. Operates territorial programs in multiple Spanish regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/caritas_bizkaia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CaritasBizkaia
• Facebookfacebook.com/caritas.bizkaia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritas-bizkaia

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 caritas diocesana de bilbao