IFAK

What IFAK does

IFAK e.V. – Verein für multikulturelle Kinder- und Jugendhilfe – Migrationsarbeit is a registered charitable non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Bochum, Germany, founded in 1974 as a volunteer initiative and recognized as a state-licensed free youth welfare provider since 1975. The organization delivers intercultural child and youth welfare, migration social work, and educational services across the Ruhr region through a network of more than 50 facilities spanning Bochum, Dortmund, Herne, Gelsenkirchen, and surrounding municipalities. Its service portfolio is organized into five departments: early childhood education (three kindergartens plus the federal Sprach-Kitas program), school education (open all-day schools, OGS, and learning support), children/youth and multi-generational work (community centers including e57, KITT'5IVE, Mehrgenerationenhaus Dahlhausen), educational assistance (four migrant-specific Familienhilfezentren plus independence programs for unaccompanied minor refugees), and migration and education (Bildungswerk Pro Integration offering A1-B1 integration courses, A2-C1 vocational language courses, and MBE migration counseling). IFAK employs approximately 400–500 staff fluent in more than 20 languages and maintains a multi-ethnic composition across membership, board, and management.

The business model is non-commercial and grant-funded rather than revenue-driven: core services are commissioned by municipal Jugendämter under Germany's Social Code Book VIII (SGB VIII), with additional funding from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs (BMFSFJ), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus), the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), and German welfare foundations including Wüstenrot Stiftung and VBW-Stiftung. Service delivery is direct-to-client through owned or leased facilities (kindergartens, schools, youth centers, family assistance centers, community meeting points), supplemented by joint Trägerschaft arrangements with the Evangelische Kirche and Evangelische Jugendhilfe Bochum. The organization is a member of Paritätischer NRW and operates without parent-company ownership, external investment, or equity instruments. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations are human-delivered via on-site staff and multilingual cultural competence, with digital presence limited to a content website (ifak-bochum.de), social media channels, and standard municipal referral networks.

Strategic positioning is anchored on authentic intercultural methodology — a 50-year-old self-organization of immigrants and locals providing what mainstream social-service providers structurally cannot replicate. Recent strategic activity has emphasized geographic expansion across the Ruhr, extension into adjacent verticals (senior services, deradicalization, urban development coordination via the Soziale Stadt Wanne-Süd program), and institutional ecosystem buildout through religious and welfare-association partnerships. The 2024 50th anniversary and 2026 corporate-design tender indicate active organizational consolidation rather than contraction.

Name

IFAK

Legal name

IFAK e.V. – Verein für multikulturelle Kinder- und Jugendhilfe – Migrationsarbeit

Website

https://ifak-bochum.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IFAK e.V. is a Bochum-based charitable non-profit founded in 1974, delivering intercultural child and youth welfare, migration counseling, and educational services across 50+ facilities in the Ruhr region, serving migrant families, children, adolescents, and seniors via publicly commissioned programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Intercultural Youth and Family Welfare

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (62441), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG), Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Intercultural youth welfare
• Migration social services
• Early childhood education
• Child welfare SGB VIII
• Community integration programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bochum

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Youth Welfare Services (SGB VIII): Core services commissioned by local youth welfare offices (Jugendamt) under Social Code Book VIII (Kinder- und Jugendhilfe), including family assistance centers, educational support, and child protection services. Services are provided in Bochum, Essen, Duisburg, Dortmund, Breckerfeld, Ennepetal, Gevelsberg, Hattingen, Herdecke, Schwelm, Sprockhövel, Wetter, Witten, Herne, Kreis Recklinghausen, and Gelsenkirchen.
2. Government-Funded Educational Programs: Integration courses (A1-B1), vocational language courses (A2-C1), early childhood education, school-based programs (OGS), and labor market integration programs funded through BMFSFJ, ESF Plus, and state ministries.
3. Migrant Social Counseling: Migration counseling, integration agency services, and community support funded through municipal and federal integration programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IFAK e.V. delivers intercultural child and youth welfare, migration social work, and educational services across the Ruhr region through a network of 50+ facilities. Its offerings span five departments: early childhood education (kindergartens and the federal Sprach-Kitas program), school education (OGS and student clubs), multi-generational community work (youth centers, neighborhood meeting points, senior services), SGB VIII child welfare services (family assistance centers and independence programs for unaccompanied minor refugees), and migration and education (integration courses, MBE counseling, radicalization prevention).

Product overview

IFAK e.V. is a non-profit organization providing a comprehensive portfolio of social services across the Ruhr region, operating as a multi-facility platform rather than a single product. The organization is divided into five main service areas: (1) Early Childhood Education (Frühkindliche Bildung) with three kindergartens and the federal Sprach-Kitas language program; (2) School Education (Schulische Bildung) with Open All-Day Schools (OGS) and learning support; (3) Children, Youth, and Multi-Generational Work with neighborhood centers including e57, KITT facilities, and Mehrgenerationenhaus; (4) Child Welfare Services (Hilfen zur Erziehung) with family help centers across multiple cities; and (5) Migration and Education (Migration und Bildung) with integration courses, language training, and migration counseling. Additional specialized projects include radicalization prevention (Beratungsnetzwerk Grenzgänger), senior support (#WEGEweisend), and urban development (Soziale Stadt). The organization employs approximately 400-500 staff across more than 50 facilities and projects, serving migrants, families, children, and seniors with intercultural and multilingual approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• e57: Kinder-, Jugend- und Stadtteilzentrum (Children, Youth and Community Center) with KIKArena sports facilities
• KITT'5IVE
• Mehrgenerationenhaus Dahlhausen
• Bildungswerk Pro Integration
• Herbert-Siebold-Haus
• Familienzentrum Engelsburg
• Familienhilfezentrum
• Integrationsagentur
• Q1 – Eins im Quartier
• Akademie für interkulturelle Handlungskompetenz

Products and services

• Fr\u00fchkindliche Bildung (Early Childhood Education) Childcare and early childhood education services including three kindergartens (Familienzentrum Engelsburg, Diemelm\u00e4use, Feldsieper Stra\u00dfe) under IFAK Kindergarten e.V., offering care for children aged 0-6 years with intercultural focus, complemented by the federal Sprach-Kitas language education program.
• Schulische Bildung (School Education) School-based education services including Open All-Day Schools (OGS) at multiple locations (Feldsieper Schule, Schule An der Maarbr\u00fccke), learning support programs (Jugend- & Lernf\u00f6rderung), and the inter-cultural student club at Erich-K\u00e4stner-Gesamtschule supporting children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Kinder-, Jugend- und Mehrgenerationenarbeit (Multi-Generational Community Work) Multi-generational community centers including e57, KITT facilities (Kinder- und Teenietreffs), Mehrgenerationenhaus Dahlhausen, and various neighborhood meeting points (Stadtteiltreff Hustadt, Stahlhausen, Alte Post, Q1) offering leisure, education, and integration services across the Ruhr region.
• Hilfen zur Erziehung (Child Welfare Services) Family assistance and child welfare services including four migrant-specific family help centers in Bochum, Dortmund, Herne, and Gelsenkirchen, offering educational support, family mediation, and crisis intervention under SGB VIII, plus the Ambulantes Jugendhilfezentrum S\u00fcdwest operated jointly with Evangelische Jugendhilfe Bochum.
• Migration und Bildung (Migration and Education Services) Migration and education services delivered through Bildungswerk Pro Integration, including integration courses (A1-B1), professional language courses (A2-C1), migration counseling for adult immigrants (MBE), integration agencies, and various prevention and integration projects.
• Verselbstst\u00e4ndigung (Independence Programs) Semi-stationary youth welfare services in Gelsenkirchen and Herne supporting unaccompanied minor refugees and young people aged 15-18 in developing independence through shared apartments and structured daily guidance.
• Soziale Stadt Wanne-S\u00fcd Urban development project coordinating social integration measures in the Wanne-S\u00fcd district of Herne, funded through the federal 'Soziale Stadt' urban renewal program by BMI and the city.
• #WEGEweisend Project supporting seniors (60+) in securing and participating in old age, providing guidance on financial security, social engagement, and community involvement, funded by ESF Plus and operated through Seniorenb\u00fcro Bochum-S\u00fcd.
• Beratungsnetzwerk Grenzg\u00e4nger Counseling network focused on radicalization prevention and deradicalization support, part of the national network helping prevent religiously motivated extremism.
• EVOLUO kompakt Short training program for professionals in deradicalization and exit counseling, providing knowledge and practical skills for working with clients showing psychological issues, developed with Violence Prevention Network gGmbH.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 facilities serving the Ruhr region
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Evangelische Jugendhilfe BochumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Since 2005, IFAK and Evangelische Jugendhilfe Bochum operate as the Erziehungshilfeverbund Bochum (EHV), jointly managing the Ambulantes Jugendhilfezentrum Südwest (AJHZ Südwest). IFAK provides the management leadership while both organizations remain independent carriers in the child and youth welfare sector.
• Paritätischer NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFAK is a member of Paritätischer NRW, the largest welfare association in North Rhine-Westphalia. This membership provides institutional support, advocacy, and access to the Paritätische Akademie NRW for educational programs.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Offenen Türen in Bochum (AGOT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFAK is a member of AGOT, the working group of open youth facilities in Bochum, facilitating cooperation among youth welfare providers.
• Kinder- und Jugendring BochumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFAK is a member of the Children and Youth Ring Bochum, representing youth welfare organizations at the municipal level.
• Evangelische Kindergartengemeinschaft BochumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with Evangelische Kindergartengemeinschaft resulted in the integrated Kindervilla Pfiffikus facility, combining Protestant values with IFAK's inter-cultural methodology.
• Evangelische Kirchengemeinde BochumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint trägerschaft (management) of Q1 - Eins im Quartier, an innovative urban development project converting Friedenskirche Stahlhausen into an inter-cultural, interfaith community center. The project won the 2016 Wüstenrot Stiftung first prize.
• Stadt BochumcoreOthersMunicipal partner for multiple programs including Q1 urban development, senior offices, integration agencies, and Soziale Stadt Wanne-Süd district coordination.
• Stadt HernecoreOthersStadt Herne commissioned IFAK for city district coordination of the 'Soziale Stadt' program in Wanne-Süd since July 2020.
• Wüstenrot StiftungminorOthersAwarded first prize in 2016 national competition for innovative reuse of church buildings for Q1 project.
• Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft religiös begründeter ExtremismusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFAK CEO Friederike Müller serves as chair of this federal working group on religion-based extremism, representing IFAK's expertise in deradicalization work.
• VBW-StiftungminorOthersVBW-Stiftung provides funding support for KITT Hustadt youth programming.
• Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ)coreOthersBMFSFJ funds multiple programs including Sprach-Kitas (language kindergartens), Mehrgenerationenhäuser, and the ESF Plus program. IFAK displays BMFSFJ/BMI/ESF funding logos on its website.
• Europäischer Sozialfonds Plus (ESF Plus)minorOthersESF Plus co-funds the #WEGEweisend project for elderly participation and the Integrationskurs mit Kind Plus program.
• Violence Prevention Network gGmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEVOLUO project partner for distance and exit counseling training; IFAK collaborated on developing training materials for practitioners working with clients showing psychological issues.
• AWO HerzenskücheminorOthersCatering service provider for meals at Diemelmäuse kindergarten.
• Schweißguth CateringminorOthersCatering service provider for Feldsieper Straße kindergarten meals.
• Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat (BMI)minorOthersBMI co-funds the Soziale Stadt Wanne-Süd urban development program.
• Stiftung für Wohlfahrtspflege NRWminorOthersProvided financial support for the construction of the Mehrgenerationenhaus Stadtteilzentrum Dahlhausen in 1998.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Caritasverband für Bochum und Wattenscheid e.V. Catholic welfare provider delivering family assistance, childcare, youth work, and migration services in the same Bochum market. Closely comparable in service mix and SGB VIII commissioning structure.
• Diakonisches Werk Bochum e.V. Regional Diakonie provider in the same Bochum/Ruhr geography, operating comparable early childhood, youth welfare, and migration services under Protestant auspices. Mirrors IFAK's child and youth welfare scope with similar municipal commissioning.
• AWO Bezirksverband Westliches Westfalen e.V. Largest NRW welfare association with overlapping child, youth, and family services in the Ruhr region. Directly comparable to IFAK in operating model (SGB VIII commissioning), service portfolio (kindergartens, family assistance, youth centers), and geography.
• Internationaler Bund (IB) Südwestfalen/Ruhr: Federal welfare provider operating youth migration services (JMD), vocational integration, and family support with intercultural teams. Direct competitor for SGB VIII, ESF Plus, and BMFSFJ integration contracts in the same region.
• PariSozial gGmbH: NRW-based Paritätischer member organization delivering comparable child, youth, and family welfare services under similar commissioning structures. Peer through shared Paritätischer NRW membership alongside IFAK.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK): Major national welfare organization operating youth welfare, family services, refugee support, and migration counseling. Competes for similar municipal and federal contracts with substantially larger infrastructure.
• AWO Bundesverband e.V. National umbrella of AWO welfare providers, offering overlapping youth welfare, integration, and family services across Germany at much larger scale. Competes with IFAK in national tenders and BMFSFJ-funded programs.
• Diakonie Deutschland: National Protestant welfare federation providing overlapping family assistance, youth welfare, and migration services. Larger-scale incumbent competing in many of the same federal and EU funding pools IFAK draws on.

Emerging players

• Plan International Deutschland e.V. INGO focused on children's rights, education, and inclusion with growing programming for migrant and refugee children in Germany. Overlaps IFAK's child welfare and integration scope, particularly for school-age and youth programming.
• Türkische Gemeinde in Deutschland (TGD): Federal umbrella of Turkish-origin associations providing intercultural integration, parent education, and youth services. Comparable to IFAK's intercultural methodology and migrant-focused delivery, with national advocacy reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ifakbochum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWK6W3DTypLCG5gWlPQ7Sww
• Facebookfacebook.com/IFAK.Bochum
• Instagraminstagram.com/ifakbochum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifak-e-v-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries19 records

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 IFAK