World Future Council
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
World Future Council firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- World Future Council
- Legal name
- World Future Council Foundation (Stiftung World Future Council)
- Website
- https://worldfuturecouncil.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
World Future Council industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Policy Advocacy and Sustainability Research Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)
Keywords
Where World Future Council is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
World Future Council business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual donations: Charitable donations from private individuals via bank transfer to GLS Bank Bochum or online donation portal (Altruja-powered). Donations are tax-deductible; over 80% of donations flow directly to project work and policy research.
- Foundation grants: Project grants from major foundations including Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) and Stiftung Mercator (e.g., funded the Global Renewables Congress launch).
- Legacies and testamentary gifts: Inheritance and bequest giving program; legacies to the WFC foundation are exempt from inheritance tax under German law.
- Corporate and institutional giving: Donations from companies and other foundations, including project-tied contributions and pro bono support (e.g., law firm Noerr).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Donations (one-time, recurring, project-specific or general) - tax deductible |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
World Future Council product offering
Product offeringCore offering
World Future Council is an independent charitable foundation that identifies, examines and disseminates effective, future-just policy solutions across climate, child rights, ecosystems, and peace & disarmament themes. Its core offerings include the biennial World Future Policy Award honouring pioneering laws, the FuturePolicy.org online database of proven policies, the Good Council podcast and Forward Thinkers webinar series for dissemination, the Youth:Present youth forum, and thematic programmes such as the 100% Renewable Energy Programme and the Scaling Up Agroecology Initiative. All work is anchored by a 50-member Council of global change-makers and delivered in partnership with UN agencies, parliaments and civil-society organisations.
Product overview
World Future Council (Stiftung World Future Council) is a Hamburg-based independent charitable foundation — not a software vendor — whose product/service portfolio is organised around a central advocacy platform (Council + Council members) augmented by a portfolio of named programmes and media properties. The portfolio comprises: (1) the flagship World Future Policy Award, a biennial award honouring best-in-class legislation; (2) the FuturePolicy.org online database of effective policy solutions (launched 2007); (3) the The Good Council podcast and the Forward Thinkers webinar series for dissemination; (4) the Youth:Present youth engagement forum; (5) thematic work-area programmes including the 100% Renewable Energy programme (with the Global Renewables Congress), the Scaling Up Agroecology / Himalayan Agroecology Initiative, the NonHazCity Building Award, the Tox-Free Construction Training, the WYAP Peace Project, and nuclear-disarmament work; and (6) the annual Pathfinder/Zukunftsfinder reports. These offerings fit together as a policy-research-and-dissemination platform: research and policy identification feed the FuturePolicy.org knowledge base, exemplary policies are then recognised through the World Future Policy Award, and dissemination is carried out via the podcast, webinars, publications, and youth forum.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Youth:Present: World Future Council's youth forum founded in 2022 to bring together change-makers aged 8–28 from around the world.
- World Future Policy Award
- FuturePolicy.org
- The Good Council
Products and services
- World Future Policy Award Biennial international award (running since 2009) that identifies and honours the world's best policy frameworks on a different theme each cycle — described by the WFC as an 'Oscar for the best policies.' Backed by 12 UN agencies with nominations from 193 governments annually.
- FuturePolicy.org Online database of effective, future-just policy solutions launched in 2007; serves as a global repository of best-practice legislation and policy examples curated by the WFC.
- The Good Council Podcast Podcast series launched in 2021 featuring forward thinkers, councillors, and partners discussing future-just policy solutions.
- Forward Thinkers Webinar Series Webinar series launched in 2021 featuring discussions with experts on effective future-just policy and practice.
- Youth:Present Youth forum founded in 2022 for change-makers aged 8–28 to discuss and present innovative solutions to global challenges; integrated into the WFC's Rights of Children and Youth work area.
- NonHazCity Building Award Recognition programme honouring cities eliminating hazardous chemicals in building and construction; ceremony scheduled for 26 November 2025 at Green Governance Day in Vilnius.
- 100% Renewable Energy Programme Programme started by the Climate and Energy team in 2013 promoting the global transition to 100% renewable energy; includes science-based RE roadmaps and the Global Renewables Congress platform launched in 2018.
- Scaling Up Agroecology / Himalayan Agroecology Initiative Programme promoting agroecology, including the Himalayan Agroecology Initiative in South Asia; in January 2026 Nepal handed over its National Agroecology Roadmap to the Government.
- Tox-Free Construction Training Training programme on non-toxic construction practices, part of the Ecosystems & Livelihoods work area.
- WYAP Peace Project Youth-focused peace project under the Peace & Disarmament work area.
- Pathfinder / Zukunftsfinder Annual Reports Annual reports (Pathfinder in English, Zukunftsfinder in German) detailing the Foundation's project work, financials, and policy research.
Quantifiable outcome
- 65 pioneering laws and policies from 40 countries honoured with the Future Policy Award
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use World Future Council
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
World Future Council technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
World Future Council partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Technology for Agroecology in the Global South (TAGS)coreStuttgart-based start-up (a Bosch initiative) that co-organised the inaugural 'Outstanding Practice in Agroecology 2019' recognition with the WFC. 77 nominations from 44 countries evaluated; 15 projects awarded at International Green Week Berlin.
- NoerrminorNoerr is listed as a WFC 'Supporter' on the homepage footer with the slogan 'Starke Persönlichkeiten sind starke Partner' (strong personalities are strong partners). Listed alongside WFC as a supporting partner, likely providing pro bono legal services to the foundation.
- Club of Rome DeutschlandcoreHosts the WFC headquarters at its address (c/o Club of Rome Deutschland, Rosenstr. 2, 20095 Hamburg). Provides an institutional home for the WFC General Secretariat in Hamburg.
- United Nations agencies (12)flagship12 UN agencies officially support the World Future Policy Award, lending institutional credibility and helping source nominations from 193 governments annually.
- Nobel Prize Laureates (22)flagship22 Nobel Prize Laureates publicly supported WFC's appeal to redirect military spending, lending high-profile endorsement and credibility to the campaign.
- IFOAM - Organics InternationalcoreCo-organized the Future Policy Award 2018 on agroecology together with the FAO; WFC identified policies that promote agroecology in partnership with IFOAM. Award ceremony held on 15 October 2018 in Rome.
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)coreCo-organized the Future Policy Award 2018 on agroecology together with IFOAM – Organics International, identifying laws and policies that strengthen agroecology worldwide.
- International Green Cross (GCI)minorListed as supporter of the Future Policy Award 2018 on agroecology, alongside Dutch Organic International Trade (DO-IT) and SEKEM Egypt.
- Dutch Organic International Trade (DO-IT)minorListed as supporter of the Future Policy Award 2018 on agroecology.
- SEKEM Group (Egypt)minorListed as supporter of the Future Policy Award 2018 on agroecology; SEKEM was founded by the late Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish and was a long-time WFC partner (Right Livelihood Award laureate).
- Global Renewables Congress (GRC)flagshipCross-party, cross-country parliamentary platform launched during COP24 (Dec 2018) for the rapid promotion of renewable energy worldwide. Chaired by Bärbel Höhn. The WFC Foundation provides the secretariat of the GRC platform.
- Bread for the World (Brot für die Welt)coreGerman development organisation that jointly launched the '100% Renewable Energy for Bangladesh' project in 2018 with WFC and Coastal Development Partnership, supporting stakeholder workshops and implementation.
- Coastal Development Partnership (CDP)coreBangladeshi partner organisation co-implementing the '100% Renewable Energy for Bangladesh – Access to renewable energy for all' project launched in 2018.
- Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), University of Technology Sydney (UTS)coreTechnical study partner for the Bangladesh 100% RE project; applied the OneEarth Climate Model to Bangladesh to develop future energy scenarios for the country.
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)minorIFAD representative Shantanu Mathur served on the international jury for the Outstanding Practice in Agroecology 2019 recognition.
- Zero ProjectminorWFC became a partner of the Zero Project from 2010 to 2017 to advance implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- AltrujacoreOnline donation service provider powering WFC's donation form. By using the donation form, donors agree to WFC's Privacy Policy and Altruja's Privacy Policy.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
World Future Council competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Germanwatch: Germanwatch is a Bonn-based environmental and development policy advocacy NGO that lobbies German and EU policymakers on climate, resource, and sustainability issues — directly comparable to WFC's policy-research-plus-advocacy model and headquartered in the same national ecosystem.
- Right Livelihood Award Foundation: Founded by the same person as the World Future Council (Jakob von Uexkull), the Right Livelihood Award (the "Alternative Nobel Prize") recognizes pioneering solutions to global problems and shares WFC's mission of amplifying effective, future-oriented solutions through an international award mechanism.
- Club of Rome: The Club of Rome is a global think tank focused on the future of humanity and the planet, and is the direct institutional host of the World Future Council's Hamburg headquarters (c/o Club of Rome Deutschland). It shares WFC's intergenerational, systems-level framing of sustainability challenges.
- Heinrich Böll Foundation: Affiliated with the German Greens and headquartered in Berlin, the Heinrich Böll Foundation is a political foundation that funds policy research, international dialogue, and advocacy on sustainability, democracy and human rights — closely mirroring WFC's donation-funded, policy-research-plus-award model in the same country.
- Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI): SEI is an independent policy research institute working on environment and development issues at the global, regional and national level, producing science-based policy analysis and convening decision-makers. It is highly comparable to WFC's FuturePolicy.org/100% RE roadmap work and its 100+ parliamentary workshops.
Broad incumbents
- World Resources Institute (WRI): WRI is a large, established global research organization producing data-driven policy analysis on climate, energy, food, water, and cities. It overlaps directly with WFC's Climate/Energy and Ecosystems work but at significantly greater scale, making it a broad incumbent rather than a like-sized peer.
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): UNEP is the UN's designated authority on environmental policy and a key partner in WFC's Future Policy Award and 100% RE programs. It is far larger and more institutionalized, but operates in the same climate/ecosystems/peace policy space and co-convenes with WFC.
Emerging players
- 350.org: 350.org is a global grassroots climate movement advocating for an end to fossil fuels, with comparable grassroots-driven, donation-funded operating model. It shares WFC's Climate & Just Development area but with a much more mass-membership activist base rather than an expert Council.
- IFOAM – Organics International: IFOAM is the worldwide umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movement and co-organized the Future Policy Award 2018 on agroecology with the WFC. It is a focused, like-missioned peer in WFC's Scaling Up Agroecology program (Himalayan Initiative, Nepal roadmap).
- International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN): ICAN is the leading civil-society coalition behind the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. It is a focused peer in WFC's Peace & Disarmament work area and a likely supporter of WFC's "redirect military spending" campaign backed by 22 Nobel Laureates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
World Future Council social profiles
Digital presenceWorld Future Council compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
World Future Council financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
World Future Council leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
World Future Council funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
World Future Council M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about World Future Council
What does World Future Council do?
World Future Council is an independent charitable foundation that identifies, examines and disseminates effective, future-just policy solutions across climate, child rights, ecosystems, and peace & disarmament themes. Its core offerings include the biennial World Future Policy Award honouring pioneering laws, the FuturePolicy.org online database of proven policies, the Good Council podcast and Forward Thinkers webinar series for dissemination, the Youth:Present youth forum, and thematic programmes such as the 100% Renewable Energy Programme and the Scaling Up Agroecology Initiative. All work is anchored by a 50-member Council of global change-makers and delivered in partnership with UN agencies, parliaments and civil-society organisations.
Is World Future Council a public or private company?
World Future Council is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was World Future Council founded?
World Future Council was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is World Future Council based?
World Future Council is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does World Future Council make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation grants, legacies and testamentary gifts and corporate and institutional giving.
Who are World Future Council's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Germanwatch, Right Livelihood Award Foundation, Club of Rome, Heinrich Böll Foundation and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Broad incumbents are World Resources Institute (WRI) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Emerging players are 350.org, IFOAM – Organics International and International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
Does World Future Council have an API?
No public API is recorded for World Future Council.
What industry is World Future Council in?
World Future Council's product category is Policy Advocacy and Sustainability Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAF, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation, with a secondary code of BPADALAA, Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support.