Berlin Nature Conservation Foundation

What Berlin Nature Conservation Foundation does

Stiftung Naturschutz Berlin is the statutory nature conservation foundation (Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts) of the State of Berlin, established in 1981 by the Berlin state parliament. Its mandate is urban nature conservation (Stadtnatur) across the city, and it operates as the legally designated instrument of Berlin Senate policy in this domain. The foundation is funded primarily by the Senate Department for the Environment (SenUVK) and operates with 51–100 employees from Berlin.

The foundation's work is organized into four core areas. First, active conservation, anchored by the Stadtnatur-Ranger program — 22 rangers deployed across 11 of Berlin's 12 districts conducting habitat management, species monitoring, and public engagement. Second, environmental education, delivered via the Nemo Bildungsplattform, the BANU-certified Naturschutzakademie Berlin, and the Umweltkalender Berlin, reaching schools and the general public. Third, voluntary services, where the foundation is the largest FÖJ (Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr) and ÖBFD carrier in Berlin with roughly 190 voluntary service positions per year. Fourth, grant-making, through four Förderfonds that disburse funds to partner organizations across Berlin's conservation ecosystem, which includes over 200 partner institutions.

Business model is public-sector grant-funded: core institutional funding from SenUVK, project-based grants from Berlin Senate departments and the Bezirke, federal reimbursements for FÖJ/ÖBFD positions, and pass-through grant administration via the four Förderfonds. There is no commercial product revenue. Looking forward, the foundation's strategic trajectory is anchored by the Haus der Stadtnatur, a new headquarters and public venue acquired in early 2026 and opening summer 2026, where it will co-locate with the BLN (Berliner Landesverband der Naturschutzverbände) to consolidate Berlin's nature NGO infrastructure.

Name

Berlin Nature Conservation Foundation

Legal name

Stiftung Naturschutz Berlin

Website

https://stiftung-naturschutz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stiftung Naturschutz Berlin is the statutory urban nature conservation foundation of the State of Berlin, established in 1981. It delivers ranger-based conservation, environmental education, voluntary services, and grant-making across Berlin's districts, serving residents, schools, and 200+ partner institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Nature Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL), Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Urban nature conservation
• Environmental education services
• Citizen science platform
• Voluntary ecological service
• Biodiversity consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Project Funding: Primary revenue stream from Senatsverwaltung für Umwelt, Verkehr und Klimaschutz (SenUVK) for the Stadtnatur-Ranger project, voluntary services programs (FÖJ/ÖBFD), and general foundation operations. Additional funding from SIWA (Sondervermögen Infrastruktur der Wachsenden Stadt) for acquisition and renovation of the Haus der Stadtnatur. These are public funds administered under government mandates.
2. Four Förderfonds (Grant Disbursement Programs): As a granting foundation, SNB operates four distinct funding streams — Stiftungsmittel (general foundation funds), Förderfonds Trenntstadt Berlin, Förderfonds Abfallberatung Zero Waste, and Jagdabgabe — which are distributed to third-party projects. Revenue here represents the fund volumes administered rather than income.
3. Donations and Sponsorship: Donation-based revenue from public supporters through online donation portals (Twingle platform) and the 'Förderfreundschaft' (patron membership) program. Designated projects include Moorrenaturierung (moor renaturalization), Junior Ranger, Naturbegleiter programs, and Wildtierkamera (wildlife camera).
4. Educational Services (Naturschutzakademie Berlin): Revenue from seminars, workshops, and professional development courses offered through the Naturschutzakademie Berlin, including the BANU-certified StadtNaturführer*in (Urban Nature Guide) certification program. Also includes revenues from outdoor education services (Nemo – Naturerleben mobil) for school groups.
5. Nature Festival Revenue (Langer Tag der StadtNatur): Ticket sales and event revenue from the annual nature festival, with paid expeditions and guided tours (e.g., boat tours with Derk Ehlert). The event generates revenue while serving as the foundation's flagship public engagement program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Berlin Nature Conservation Foundation (Stiftung Naturschutz Berlin) is a statutory foundation of the State of Berlin established in 1981. It delivers urban nature conservation through field ranger teams across all 12 Berlin districts, runs environmental education programs (school outdoor learning, nature academy seminars, BANU-certified nature guide training), coordinates voluntary ecological service programs (FÖJ and ÖBFD) with ~200 partner institutions, operates citizen science and volunteer-matching platforms (ArtenFinder Berlin, Freiwillick Grün, Umweltkalender Berlin), and disburses project grants through four dedicated funding programs.

Product overview

The Stiftung Naturschutz Berlin (SNB) operates a broad, multi-program portfolio centered on active urban nature conservation in Berlin. Rather than a single unified product, it functions as a platform organization combining service delivery, citizen science, volunteer coordination, environmental education, grant-making, and advocacy. The core offerings include the Stadtnatur-Ranger field teams, the ArtenFinder Berlin citizen science platform, environmental education programs (Nemo, Naturschutzakademie Berlin, Die Naturbegleiter*), volunteer services (FÖJ, ÖBFD), the Freiwillick Grün digital volunteer portal, the Umweltkalender Berlin event calendar, the annual Langer Tag der StadtNatur festival, the Berliner Naturschutzpreis award, biodiversity consulting, coordination offices for flora and fauna protection, the Haus der Stadtnatur (opening 2026), and four Förderfonds grant programs. These offerings collectively cover the SNB's four mission areas: active nature conservation, environmental education, volunteer services/advocacy, and financial support for external projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stadtnatur-Ranger Field-based urban nature conservation teams deployed across Berlin districts to protect ecologically significant areas, act as mediators between people and nature, conduct species and area monitoring, and deliver on-the-ground environmental education and guided tours.
• ArtenFinder Berlin Online citizen science platform enabling citizens and experts to report, map, and track wildlife sightings across Berlin, providing species observation data for the foundation's fauna coordination office and partner research institutions.
• Nemo – Naturerleben mobil Outdoor nature education program bringing hands-on environmental learning directly to Berlin primary school classes and hort groups through guided outdoor activities and nature discovery sessions.
• Naturschutzakademie Berlin Berlin-based nature conservation academy offering seminars, workshops, and professional development courses including the BANU-certified StadtNaturführer*in (Urban Nature Guide) qualification track for adults and educators.
• Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr (FÖJ)

Quantifiable outcome

• ~500,000 hours of voluntary conservation work facilitated annually through Koordinierungsstelle Ehrenamt and Freiwillick Grün
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Berliner Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Naturschutz e.V. (BLN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026BLN is co-locating its headquarters in the Haus der Stadtnatur at Lehrter Straße 17 alongside SNB. This is a core strategic partnership for the new Urban Nature House, symbolizing SNB's role as a coordination hub for Berlin's environmental NGO community. BLN is one of Berlin's oldest and most established nature conservation associations.
• Alstria (Immobilienfirma)minorOthers · 29 January 2026Alstria is the real estate company selling and renovating the Haus der Stadtnatur property (Lehrter Straße 17) to SNB. The company is completing a full interior renovation and customization to SNB's needs before handover. Hanns-Martin Scherer of Alstria stated they wanted to 'not just sell a building but jointly develop a coordinated scope of construction that meets the foundation's requirements.'
• Angermann Investment AdvisoryminorOthers · 29 January 2026Angermann Investment Advisory acted as the intermediary/m broker in the Haus der Stadtnatur property transaction between Alstria and SNB, facilitating the landmark purchase approved by the Berlin House of Representatives.
• Naturschutzzentrum ÖkowerkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2021Partner in the Berlin-wide Wald school action day 'So ein Mist - wer putzt den Wald?' (May 2022), which engaged ~250 Berlin students in forest cleanup activities. Represents SNB's network of nature conservation centers across Berlin.
• Landesverband Berlin der Gartenfreunde e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2018A formal cooperation agreement between SNB and the Berlin Garden Association for joint biodiversity projects. Examples include planting blossom nectar meadows and dry grass strips (Marzahn), establishing an orchard tree cadastre, and developing nature-friendly gardening practices for Berlin's 80,000+ allotment gardens. Directly advances Berlin's biodiversity strategy through the Kleingarten sector.
• Vivantes Klinikum NeuköllnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project enabling peregrine falcon nesting in a hospital water tower, with live webcams installed for public wildlife observation. This unique urban wildlife partnership demonstrates how healthcare facilities can support urban biodiversity and provide educational opportunities for the public.
• Gewobag (Berliner Wohnungsbaugesellschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot project 'Städtisch Grün' — SNB analyzes and ecologically upgrades green spaces at Gewobag residential properties to improve living quality for tenants, contribute to urban biodiversity, and enhance climate resilience. Represents SNB's expansion into housing company partnerships for urban greening.
• Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for the Street Art Contest 'MORE ART, less litter' — BSR provides its waste collection vehicles as mobile exhibition space for the 2nd and 3rd prize murals (displayed for 6 months), while SNB coordinates the contest. The partnership leverages BSR's citywide operational presence to communicate anti-littering messages through art.
• Stiftung Berliner LebenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the Street Art Contest 'MORE ART, less litter' coordinated by SNB. Contributes to the contest's multi-stakeholder approach combining art, environmental education, and waste reduction messaging in Berlin.
• URBAN NATION MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the Street Art Contest 'MORE ART, less litter'. URBAN NATION contributes its expertise in urban art and street culture to the contest, which uses murals on Berlin building facades to communicate environmental messages.
• YES, AND...productionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative production partner for the Street Art Contest 'MORE ART, less litter'. Contributed to the artistic execution and production of the mural competition, which was financed through the Förderfonds Trenntstadt Berlin.
• Better World CupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for reusable cup campaigns and cleanup actions. Better World Cup collaborated with SNB on an FÖJ action day (June 2019, ~75 participants) to raise awareness about single-use cups (460,000 consumed daily in Berlin), and on the HTW Berlin becoming 'one-way-cup-free' campus (November 2020). Also partnered on a Landwehrkanal cleanup action.
• PABB e.V. (Pilzberatung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPABB (mushroom advisory service) will use meeting rooms in the Haus der Stadtnatur building (Lehrter Straße 17), specifically in the ground-floor event spaces designed for external users. Represents SNB's commitment to hosting diverse environmental actors in its new venue.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Schutzstation Wattenmeer: German nature conservation NGO focused on the Wadden Sea, combining active habitat protection, volunteer engagement (FÖJ-style programs), and environmental education. Comparable in operational model (volunteers + education + active conservation) but with a single-ecoregion focus rather than urban scope.
• Stiftung Naturlandschaften Brandenburg: Regional nature conservation foundation serving Brandenburg — Berlin's neighboring state. Highly comparable as a state-affiliated nature foundation combining land acquisition, conservation management, and public engagement, but with a different geography than SNB.

Emerging players

• Botanischer Garten Berlin: Adjacent Berlin-based institution combining plant conservation, citizen science (through botanical research), and public education. Not a peer foundation but a comparable Berlin-based player in species conservation and environmental education delivery.

Broad incumbents

• BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland): Major German environmental NGO with strong Berlin presence. Operates similar functions including volunteer coordination, environmental education, and project funding. Comparable in mission scope to SNB but with national reach and a federal organizational structure.
• Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH): Federally active environmental NGO with strong policy advocacy and consumer-facing programs. Comparable as an environmental organization running public campaigns, but operating at a federal advocacy scale rather than regional service delivery like SNB.
• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest environmental association with ~900,000 members. While operating nationally rather than exclusively in urban nature, NABU is a structural peer as a nature conservation membership/advocacy organization running volunteer programs, citizen science, and policy advocacy. SNB's Ranger and FÖJ models are scoped variants of NABU's broader approach.

Direct peers

• Heinz Sielmann Stiftung: German nature conservation foundation funded by the Sielmann estate. Operates similar combination of habitat protection, environmental education, and species monitoring programs. Most directly comparable as a private nature conservation foundation running active conservation projects rather than purely grantmaking.
• Michael Succow Stiftung: Nature conservation foundation in the new German states with a comparable focus on practical conservation, environmental education, and protected area management. Operates similar grantmaking and capacity-building functions for regional conservation.
• Loki Schmidt Stiftung: Hamburg-based nature conservation foundation that purchases and manages land for conservation purposes. Comparable as a state-affiliated foundation running both active land conservation and environmental education programs in a major German city-state.
• Berliner Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Naturschutz (BLN): Berlin's oldest and most established nature conservation association — and now a co-locating partner of SNB at the new Haus der Stadtnatur. Directly comparable as a Berlin-based nature conservation NGO with overlapping volunteer, advocacy, and conservation activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/snb_de
• Facebookfacebook.com/stiftungnaturschutzberlin

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Berlin Nature Conservation Foundation