Diversified Approach to Self-Financing: A Case Study of Hogar de Cristo
By Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-Sustainability Team | June 2001 | View Full Text | Email Link

Abstract

Hogar de Cristo was founded in Santiago, Chile in 1944 by a Jesuit priest, Father Alberto Hurtado, with the mission of serving the poorest of the poor. The organization, the largest operating and grantmaking foundation in Chile, provides assistance to the marginal poor, particularly the elderly, the homeless, terminally ill patients, abandoned children and youth. The organization has projects in six key areas: children and youth, community centers, the elderly, hospices, health and social risks.

This paper outlines Hogar de Cristos in the following topics: Mission and Programs, Structure and operations, Financial Information, Self-financing Information and Start-up, Product Distribution or Sales, Fee for Services, Use of Hard and Soft Assets, Self-Financing Management, Membership Programs, Policy and Regulatory Environment and Outcomes of Self-financing.

Some of the key lessons learned from the case of Hogar de Cristos are:
- Balancing the entrepreneurial with the social
- Members have to pay to belong
- Constantly working to dispel its image as a very large corporation
- Advantage provided by image of Padre Hurtado is unique and plays an immeasurable role in its ability to generate income
- Quality and customer satisfaction are still key

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Foundation-Building & Philanthropic Practices | Resource Mobilization | Foundation & Philanthropy Case Studies | Chile