Maecenata Stiftung
Maecenata Stiftung is a Berlin-based independent non-profit foundation (registered in Munich) that combines civil society research, policy dialogue, and cross-border philanthropic donation facilitation through its Transnational Giving programme and Giving Europe Network membership, serving donors, beneficiary NGOs, and academic researchers in Germany, Europe, and globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Maecenata Stiftung does
Maecenata Stiftung is an independent, non-profit think tank foundation under German civil law, registered in Munich and operationally headquartered in Berlin, that integrates civil society research, policy dialogue, and philanthropic practice under a single organisational roof. Founded as a consultancy in 1989, restructured as a charitable Stiftung in 2011, and led since May 2024 by Executive Director Ansgar Gessner, the foundation operates through interconnected programmes: the Maecenata Institute for academic research on philanthropy and civil society; the Transnational Giving programme that enables tax-deductible cross-border donations via the Giving Europe Network (and the Myriad USA partnership for US flows); the Tocqueville Forum with its specialised Maecenata Library; the MENA Study Centre for regional research; the Forschungscollegium for doctoral students; and the Die NGO-Debatte podcast and Maecenata Publishing House for knowledge dissemination.
The foundation's technology footprint is non-proprietary and operational rather than platform-led, relying on standard payment processors (PayPal, Stripe, Klarna, Braintree, micropayment), the Fundraisingbox fundraising platform, and MailerLite for newsletters. Core revenues derive from a tiered administrative fee ("Free Donation Share") of 5% to 0.5% on transnational donations routed through the Transnational Giving programme, supplemented by research project grants from major foundations including Atlantic Philanthropies, Bertelsmann, Bosch, Volkswagen, Open Society Foundations, and Porticus. Approximately 20 staff, multiple named partnerships with CIVICUS, Philea, European Civic Forum, ISTR, and CAF, and a publication catalogue exceeding 300 titles position Maecenata as a specialised node in the European civil society infrastructure rather than a scaled commercial enterprise.
Maecenata Stiftung firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Maecenata Stiftung
- Legal name
- Maecenata Stiftung
- Website
- https://maecenata.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Maecenata Stiftung is a Berlin-based independent non-profit foundation (registered in Munich) that combines civil society research, policy dialogue, and cross-border philanthropic donation facilitation through its Transnational Giving programme and Giving Europe Network membership, serving donors, beneficiary NGOs, and academic researchers in Germany, Europe, and globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Maecenata Stiftung industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Society and Philanthropy Research Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)
Keywords
Where Maecenata Stiftung is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Maecenata Stiftung business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Transnational Giving Administration Fees: The foundation retains a tiered percentage of donated funds to cover administrative costs and further develop the Giving Europe network. Fees range from 5% for donations under €100,000 down to 0.5% for donations over €2,000,000. Donation receipts are issued for the full donation amount.
- Research Project Funding: The foundation conducts research on civil society, philanthropy, and foundations, funded by various foundations and organisations. Major research projects have been funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, Bertelsmann Foundation, Bosch Foundation, Volkswagen Foundation, Gulbenkian Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Porticus.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Donations under €100,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Donations €100,000 – €250,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Donations €250,000 – €500,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Donations €500,000 – €2,000,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Donations over €2,000,000 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Maecenata Stiftung product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Maecenata Stiftung is an independent non-profit foundation under German civil law that operates as a think tank on civil society, philanthropy, and civic engagement. It facilitates cross-border charitable giving through its Transnational Giving Programme and conducts research, publishes reports, and hosts events on topics related to civil society and the nonprofit sector.
Product overview
The Maecenata Stiftung is an independent think tank that operates as a unified organization bringing together civil society research, political dialogue, and philanthropic practice. The foundation offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes: the Maecenata Institute conducts academic research on philanthropy and civil society; the Transnational Giving Programme enables cross-border tax-deductible donations; the Tocqueville Forum provides library services, databases, and seminars; the MENA Study Centre focuses on regional civil society research; the Forschungscollegium supports academic research students; and Online-Intensivseminare provide professional training. These programmes are complemented by the 'Die NGO-Debatte' podcast and the Maecenata Publishing House, which produces publications in multiple series.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately €190 million in earmarked donations forwarded to beneficiaries worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Maecenata Stiftung
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Maecenata Stiftung technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Maecenata Stiftung partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.
- Giving Europe NetworkcoreMaecenata is the German partner in the Giving Europe Network, which enables forwarding of donations to recipients worldwide with tax advantages for donors in Europe. The network includes national partner organisations that each retain one-third of the discretionary donation portion.
- Myriad USAcorePartnership for processing US donations, enabling German charitable organisations to receive tax-deductible donations from American donors through the Maecenata US Fund.
- Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)majorInternational network partner for charitable giving and philanthropy research and advocacy.
- CIVICUSmajorInternational civil society alliance and network partner working on civic space monitoring.
- European Civic ForummajorPan-European network of nearly 100 associations and NGOs across 29 European countries. Maecenata contributed the German chapter to the Civic Space Report.
- Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association)majorEuropean philanthropy association with over 10,000 public-benefit foundations. Maecenata participates in Philea's Legal Affairs Committee.
- International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR)majorWorldwide academic society for civil society research. Maecenata's Rupert Graf Strachwitz has been an active member since the society's formation.
- European Centre for Not-for-Profit LawnotableNetwork partner specialising in legal frameworks for civil society and philanthropy.
- Federal Association of German FoundationsnotableGerman national network of foundations.
- University of St Andrews - Centre for the Study of Philanthropy and the Public GoodnotableAcademic partner; Rupert Graf Strachwitz is an associate of this centre.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Maecenata Stiftung competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bertelsmann Stiftung: One of Germany's largest operating foundations with extensive research, policy advisory, and grantmaking activities. Historical funder of Maecenata's research and a comparable institution in the German foundation ecosystem, though substantially larger in scale and budget.
- Robert Bosch Stiftung: Major German foundation operating international programs in civil society, education, and health. Comparable as a research-active German foundation with international scope, though with significantly larger resources and broader program portfolio than Maecenata.
- Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP): German Institute for International and Security Affairs, a leading policy think tank providing research-based policy advice. Comparable to Maecenata Institute as a Berlin-based research institution producing publications and policy analysis, though SWP's scope is broader and it receives state funding.
- CIVICUS: Global civil society alliance monitoring civic space and advocating for citizen participation worldwide. Direct network partner of Maecenata and operates at a larger international scale on overlapping civil society research and advocacy themes.
Direct peers
- Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association): European philanthropy association with 10,000+ member foundations, where Maecenata participates in the Legal Affairs Committee. Comparable as an institutional voice on European philanthropy policy and convening platform for civil society research.
- Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): UK-based charity facilitating cross-border giving and providing donor-advised funds, philanthropy research, and giving services. Directly comparable to Maecenata on Transnational Giving operations and as a research-driven civil society organization.
- King Baudouin Foundation: Belgian public-benefit foundation combining grantmaking, research, and philanthropic advisory services across Europe. Closely mirrors Maecenata's hybrid model of operational foundation, research institute, and cross-border giving services.
- Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen: German national association of foundations representing over 28,000 foundations in Germany. Comparable to Maecenata's role as convener and policy voice for German foundations, though structured as membership association rather than operating foundation.
Emerging players
- European Civic Forum: Pan-European network of nearly 100 associations and NGOs across 29 European countries focused on civic space monitoring. Maecenata contributed the German chapter to the Civic Space Report, indicating close programmatic overlap on civic space research and policy advocacy.
- European Centre for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL): International not-for-profit organization specializing in legal frameworks for civil society and philanthropy. Direct network partner of Maecenata with overlapping focus on the regulatory environment for foundations and cross-border giving.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Maecenata Stiftung social profiles
Digital presenceMaecenata Stiftung compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Maecenata Stiftung financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Maecenata Stiftung leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Maecenata Stiftung funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Maecenata Stiftung 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 Maecenata Stiftung
What does Maecenata Stiftung do?
Maecenata Stiftung is an independent non-profit foundation under German civil law that operates as a think tank on civil society, philanthropy, and civic engagement. It facilitates cross-border charitable giving through its Transnational Giving Programme and conducts research, publishes reports, and hosts events on topics related to civil society and the nonprofit sector.
Is Maecenata Stiftung a public or private company?
Maecenata Stiftung is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Maecenata Stiftung founded?
Maecenata Stiftung was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Maecenata Stiftung based?
Maecenata Stiftung is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Maecenata Stiftung make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Transnational Giving Administration Fees are the primary driver. The others are research Project Funding.
Who are Maecenata Stiftung's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bertelsmann Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) and CIVICUS. Direct peers are Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association), Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), King Baudouin Foundation and Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen. Emerging players are European Civic Forum and European Centre for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL).
Does Maecenata Stiftung have an API?
No public API is recorded for Maecenata Stiftung.
What industry is Maecenata Stiftung in?
Maecenata Stiftung's product category is Civil Society and Philanthropy Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPADAGAD, Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8600.