Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl

What Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl does

Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl (GfG), legally GfG Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl eG, is an Austrian member-owned cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft under GenG) registered at the Vienna Commercial Court and headquartered at Schönbrunner Straße 219/7 in Vienna's 12th district, with a co-working presence at Climate Lab. Founded in 2010 as a civil-society response to the last financial crisis, GfG operates an integrated ecosystem comprising five interconnected product lines: the Gemeinwohlprojekte.at crowdfunding platform (Austria's first crowdfunding venue for common-good projects, facilitating donations, Gegenleistung-based models, and subordinated loans under §3 AltFG, with over €20 million directed to projects in recent years), a membership program where members purchase cooperative shares (Genossenschaftsanteile) and pay annual fees to gain voting rights and access to discounts, the Akademie für Gemeinwohl (educational webinars, seminars, and workshops on money and common-good economics, directed by Johannes Waldmüller since 2025), the Gemeinwohlkonto (Austria's first common-good bank account, delivered through a regulated-bank partnership with Umweltcenter der Raiffeisenbank Gunskirchen under an environmental guarantee), and the KAPum political-engagement arm focused on transforming the monetary and financial system.

The cooperative serves a member base of over 4,000 individuals across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, a working user base for the crowdfunding platform (project initiators in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, mobility and social enterprise), and learners for the Academy. Revenue is generated through membership fees and cooperative shares (recurring subscription), transaction fees and project facilitation on the crowdfunding platform, and contributed value on the Gemeinwohlkonto via the partner-bank arrangement. Distribution is digital-first through gemeinwohl.coop, gemeinwohlprojekte.at, and gemeinwohlakademie.at, complemented by regional representatives in Graz, Linz, Innsbruck, and St. Pölten who facilitate local engagement, and content marketing through blog, newsletter, social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), and community events such as Summer School on Social Banking and Moneyfest.

The operating model is structurally non-profit: ownership is distributed among members with democratic governance through the Generalversammlung (general assembly) under Austrian cooperative law, with no parent company, no venture capital, and no disclosed external funding rounds. Leadership comprises a Vorstand (board) including Fritz Fessler, Supervisory Board Chairman Christian Felber (co-founder of the Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie movement and former chairman of Sparda-Bank München eG), and an advisory Gemeinwohlbeirat supplemented by working groups on Gemeinschaft, Geldwirtschaft, and Gesellschaft. Strategic direction is being recalibrated through the September 2024 Klausur Yspertal retreat, the 2025 launch of Bureau Zukunft, and a forward product roadmap including the 2026 launch of MONEY MOVES.

Name

Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl

Legal name

GfG Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl eG

Website

https://gemeinwohl.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl is an Austrian member-owned cooperative operating a crowdfunding platform for common-good projects, a common-good bank account via partner Raiffeisenbank Gunskirchen, an education academy, and political advocacy, serving over 4,000 members across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Crowdfunding & Cooperative Finance

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets (BPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

Keywords

• Common-good crowdfunding
• Cooperative banking services
• Community financing platform
• Membership cooperative
• Civic engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees and cooperative shares: Members purchase cooperative shares (Genossenschaftsanteile) and pay annual membership fees. Members gain access to all GfG offerings at exclusive or discounted rates.
2. Crowdfunding platform fees: Operates the first crowdfunding platform for common good projects in Austria, facilitating donations, project rewards, and subordinated loans (Nachrangdarlehen) under § 3 AltFG. Revenue derives from platform participation and project facilitation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl is a registered cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft/eG) that operates the gemeinwohlprojekte.at crowdfunding platform, a membership program, an Academy for common-good education, the Gemeinwohlkonto banking product, and political engagement initiatives. The organization enables community-funded projects aligned with the common-good economy and democratic values across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Product overview

Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl is a cooperative organization offering an integrated ecosystem of products and services focused on transforming the money and financial system toward common welfare. The core portfolio comprises five interconnected offerings: (1) the crowdfunding platform Gemeinwohlprojekte.at — Austria's first platform for common-good projects having facilitated over €20 million in funding; (2) cooperative membership giving members co-ownership, voting rights, and access to exclusive offerings; (3) the Akademie für Gemeinwohl providing educational seminars, webinars, and workshops on money, economics, and sustainability; (4) the Gemeinwohlkonto — a bank account where deposits support sustainable projects; and (5) political engagement initiatives including KAPum. Supplementary offerings include Bureau Zukunft for strategic dialogue and MONEY MOVES, a financial literacy program launching in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gemeinwohlprojekte.at: Crowdfunding platform for common good projects
• Akademie für Gemeinwohl
• Gemeinwohlkonto

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 million euros directed to common good projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Umweltcenter der Raiffeisenbank GunskirchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Gemeinwohlkonto (Common Good Account) - Austria's first common good bank account. The partner bank matches every euro deposited with funding for common good and environmental projects, through an environmental guarantee mechanism.
• Momentum InstitutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Momentum Institut for educational and advocacy initiatives related to common good and financial system transformation.
• Kontext-Institut für KlimafragenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for climate-related educational content and advocacy work.
• Scientists4FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Scientists4Future for climate education and advocacy initiatives.
• Psychologists4FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for psychological perspectives on sustainability and financial system transformation.
• KlimaallianzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership in Klimaallianz climate alliance for civil society advocacy.
• Ecosystem of ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration within the Ecosystem of Change network for sustainability initiatives.
• BOKU Wien (Universität für Bodenkultur)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanned cooperation for integrating common good content into university study programs, as part of the Academy's internationalization strategy.
• Universität WienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanned cooperation for integrating common good content into university programs.
• Donau-Universität KremsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanned cooperation for integrating common good content into continuing education programs.
• Wirtschaftsuniversität WienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanned cooperation for integrating common good content into business and economics programs.
• AG Globale VerantwortungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in AG Globale Verantwortung for civil society advocacy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Umweltcenter der Raiffeisenbank Gunskirchen: Strategic banking partner for GfG's Gemeinwohlkonto. Directly comparable as an Austria-based sustainability-focused banking unit operating within the cooperative banking ecosystem.
• GLS Bank: Germany's leading sustainable/ethical bank, organized as a cooperative. Directly comparable as a member-owned financial institution offering ethical banking products and channeling deposits into sustainability projects — analogous to GfG's Gemeinwohlkonto model.
• Oiko Credit: International cooperative focused on ethical investment and financial inclusion. Comparable as a cooperative channeling capital toward social and ecological projects with member participation in governance.
• betterplace.org: Germany's largest online donation and crowdfunding platform for charitable projects. Comparable as a regulated donation platform channeling capital to social projects, but operates at significantly larger scale and without a cooperative ownership structure.
• EthikBank (Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken): German ethical bank (now part of the cooperative Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken group). Comparable as a regulated cooperative banking alternative focused on sustainable finance and transparency, similar to GfG's Gemeinwohlkonto.

Emerging players

• Pioneers of Change: Austrian movement organization focused on systemic change, with overlapping personnel to GfG's advisory board. Comparable as a thematically adjacent civil-society organization working on transformation in finance, ecology, and society.

Broad incumbents

• Sparda-Bank München eG: Large German cooperative bank, historically the first audited Gemeinwohl bank in Germany and former chairmanship of Christian Felber. Directly comparable as a member-owned banking institution oriented toward common-good principles and cooperative governance.
• Triodos Bank: European sustainable bank operating across multiple countries. Comparable as a values-driven banking alternative that finances environmental and social projects; broader scale but similar mission alignment.

Regional players

• WIR Bank: Swiss cooperative bank serving SMEs with member-driven currency (WIR). Comparable as a member-owned cooperative bank, but primarily Swiss and focused on SME trade rather than common-good projects.

Others

• Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie (Movement): The broader movement founded by Christian Felber that underpins GfG. Comparable as the ideological and ecosystem parent of GfG's activities — the source of brand, methodology, and policy agenda (Common Good Balance Sheet, etc.).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gemeinwohl_geno
• Facebookfacebook.com/Gemeinwohlgenossenschaft
• Instagraminstagram.com/gemeinwohl_genossenschaft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Genossenschaft für Gemeinwohl