Caritas Speyer: Losses of millions and restructuring plans in the diocese!

Caritas Speyer: Losses of millions and restructuring plans in the diocese!

He sees himself in a serious financial bottleneck Caritas Association Speyer faced. The annual financial statements for 2024, which have now been published, show a loss of 33.5 million euros, while sales amounted to 256 million euros. Theo Wieder, the chairman of the Caritas Council, describes the situation as extremely challenging and makes it clear that there is an urgent need for action. The financial difficulties are not only noticeable in the annual financial statements; many institutions in the Caritas network are also affected.

Markus Bennemann, a financial expert from the consulting firm TMC, was hired to analyze the situation in detail. He now acts as interim chairman and has already developed a restructuring strategy. A central element of this strategy is negotiating better conditions with payers, which include municipalities, the state and nursing care funds. This is intended to help stabilize the association's economic base.

Financial support and personnel issues

In order to master the situation, that has Diocese of Speyer decided to provide loans totaling 11 million euros for 2025 and 2026. Auditor Dirk Riesenbeck-Müller emphasizes that the continued existence of the company would be at risk without this support. These loans are intended not only to contribute to short-term stabilization, but also to implement the restructuring measures that have already been planned.

One of the main causes of the financial difficulties is the lack of staff, which means that many facilities are not operating at full capacity. In order to increase occupancy numbers, the Caritas Association plans to hire more employees. At the same time, consideration is being given to relying less on more expensive temporary workers in order to reduce costs.

Outlook for a positive future

The implementation of the strategy, if successful, could lead to a positive result of 2 million euros being achieved again by the end of 2026. Theo Wieder announced that the Council's inadequate information about the financial situation should be better prepared in the future. In total, Caritas Speyer employs around 3,500 people and operates 40 facilities, including old people's homes and advice centers, which underlines the importance of the organization.

These challenges contrast with the festive activities currently taking place elsewhere. For example, stays Spirit Halloween Open in many regions until the end of Halloween week on November 2nd. Those planning their final Halloween shopping can enjoy extended hours and are even encouraged to take advantage of a $20 overnight expedition service for orders over $50, all in the spirit of timely holiday preparations.

So while Caritas Speyer works towards its financial recovery, it is hoped that the future of the organization will brighten so that it can continue to provide its important social services.