The Finnish Federation of Settlement Houses, founded in 1918, is a life course organisation that consists local Settlements and regional organisations of Settlement Youth across Finland. The settlement movement employs more than 4 000 professionals, and with them a large group of volunteers is involved in the settlement work. The forms of activity include work with seniors and the elderly, child and youth work, multicultural work, the development and production of communal forms of housing, various forms of supported housing, community center activity, services for mentally handicapped people, the education supply of 18 community colleges, two folk high schools and two special education schools, various forms of trauma and crisis work, substance abuse rehabilitation services, debt counselling, mediating and Victim Support. The settlement movement bases its ideology on the empowering effect of communality and valuing individuality and diversity in all of its activities. The work of the Finnish Federation of Settlement Houses and its member organisations is made possible by service charges from the produced well being services, support from Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY), earmarked subsidies from ministries, and donations from private persons. The activity is nonprofit.