Fundraising Verband Austria

What Fundraising Verband Austria does

Fundraising Verband Austria (FVA) is the Austrian umbrella association for donor-recruiting non-profit organizations, founded on 22 April 1996 and headquartered in Vienna (Mommsengasse 35, 1040 Wien). It serves more than 360 member organizations spanning animal welfare, healthcare, social services, education, science, culture, and environmental causes, alongside the individual fundraising professionals who work within them. The organization operates as a registered association (eingetragener Verein) and runs a wholly-owned subsidiary, Fundraising Verband Austria Service GmbH, which delivers IT and operational training services.

The FVA's core product surface is structured around four pillars: (1) the Akademie education platform, which delivers the multi-year Diplomlehrgang Fundraising Operations & Management (€3,060–€3,800), specialized Lehrgänge on major-gift, testamentary, and institutional fundraising (€720–€950), IT courses, and masterclasses; (2) the annual Österreichischer Fundraising Kongress (33rd edition, 12–14 October 2026 in Vienna), a 3-day conference with tiered tickets from €420 (1-day member) to €1,120 (3-day non-member); (3) a portfolio of flagship sub-brand initiatives including Vergissmeinnicht (bequest giving, 100+ NGO members, €122M+ in testamentary bequests facilitated in 2025), QiF (Initiative Qualität im Face-to-Face Fundraising, founding member of the International Public Fundraising Council), and Wirtschaft hilft (corporate-NPO partnership platform); and (4) research and policy products including the annual Spendenbericht and sector-specific studies on culture, science, and educational fundraising. The technology stack is conventional SaaS: Salesforce Marketing Account Engagement (Pardot) for automation, Matomo for cookieless on-premise analytics, Zoom/Teams/GoToWebinar for events, and Real Cookie Banner for GDPR consent. No proprietary software or AI capabilities are developed.

Revenue is generated through five streams: tiered organizational membership fees (primary recurring base, exact rates not publicly disclosed), congress and event ticket sales, academy program fees, Vergissmeinnicht tiered membership (€2,300–€6,900/yr based on annual donation revenue bands), and a one-time €100 logo licensing fee for the tax-deductible donation seal. Marketing is community-led and event-driven: members are recruited through the annual congress, educational offerings, content marketing, the 'Stimmen aus Österreich' podcast, and a multi-channel digital presence. The FVA does not raise external funding and operates as a member-supported, ideologically independent non-profit association governed by a 7-person Vorstand (board) under Managing Director Ruth Williams.

Name

Fundraising Verband Austria

Legal name

Fundraising Verband Austria

Website

https://fundraising.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundraising Verband Austria is the Vienna-based umbrella association founded in 1996 for Austrian donor-recruiting non-profits, serving 360+ member organizations through professional education, the annual Fundraising Congress, quality initiatives, and advocacy that helped grow Austrian charitable giving from €240M to €1.07B annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Fundraising & Donor Acquisition Calling (Nonprofit) (BPAAADAJ), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit association services
• Fundraising professional education
• Donor management training
• Nonprofit sector advocacy
• Charity networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Organizational Membership Fees: Non-profit organizations pay annual membership fees to join the FVA. The fee structure is tiered based on organizational size and type. This is the primary recurring revenue stream, providing members access to the full suite of FVA services including education, networking, publications, and the congress at preferential rates.
2. Event Tickets and Congress Revenue: Revenue from selling tickets to the Austrian Fundraising Congress (3-day tickets from €900 for members, €1,120 for non-members), masterclasses, and specialized seminars. Congress tickets include catering; masterclasses are sold separately.
3. Academy Training Programs: Revenue from paid educational programs including the Diplomlehrgang Fundraising Operations & Management (€3,060 for members, €3,800 for non-members), specialized Lehrgänge (e.g., Großspenden-Fundraising: €720 members, €950 non-members), seminars, workshops, and IT courses. Pricing varies by program and membership status.
4. Vergissmeinnicht Membership Fees: The Vergissmeinnicht initiative (bequest/legacy giving) charges annual membership fees to participating NGOs based on their annual donations revenue: up to €1.1M → €2,300/yr; €1.1M–€3.3M → €4,600/yr; over €3.3M → €6,900/yr.
5. Logo Licensing Fee: Non-member organizations pay a €100 fee to obtain the 'Ihre Spende ist steuerlich absetzbar' (Your donation is tax-deductible) logo for use on their materials. FVA members receive this logo free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fundraising Verband Austria is the national umbrella association for Austrian donor-seeking non-profit organizations, providing professional education (Akademie with diploma programs, masterclasses, IT courses, seminars), the annual Austrian Fundraising Congress, member services (job board, service provider directory, advocacy), and specialized initiatives covering bequest giving (Vergissmeinnicht), face-to-face fundraising quality (QiF), and corporate-NPO partnerships (Wirtschaft hilft). It operates as an industry membership body funded by tiered organizational membership fees, paid training programs, and event ticket sales.

Product overview

Fundraising Verband Austria operates as a professional association and umbrella organization for fundraising organizations in Austria. The core offering consists of the Akademie education platform (providing seminars, IT courses, webinars, and the annual Österreichischer Fundraising Kongress), combined with specialized initiatives including Vergissmeinnicht for testamentary giving, the QiF quality initiative for face-to-face fundraising, and Wirtschaft hilft for corporate partnerships. The organization also publishes annual Spendenberichte (donation reports) and provides member services including job board access and a service provider directory. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem supporting professionalization, education, quality standards, and networking for Austria's nonprofit fundraising sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Akademie (Education & Training Platform) Comprehensive professional education and continuing education platform for Austrian non-profit fundraising professionals, offering seminars, workshops, webinars, masterclasses, IT courses, and specialized diploma programs (e.g., Diplomlehrgang Fundraising Operations & Management).
• Österreichischer Fundraising Kongress Annual flagship conference bringing together fundraising professionals, non-profit organizations, and industry experts for knowledge sharing, networking, and professional development. Three-day event with ticketed access (€420-€1,120 depending on duration and membership status).
• Organizational Membership Program Annual membership program for Austrian non-profit organizations that actively solicit donations. Tiered by organizational size; grants access to know-how, training, networking events, publications, congress at preferential rates, job board, service provider directory, and advocacy representation. Over 360 member organizations.
• Vergissmeinnicht (Bequest/Legacy Giving Initiative) Network of 100+ Austrian NGOs jointly promoting charitable bequests and legacy giving. Provides professional materials, notary partnership distribution channels, and public awareness campaigns (TV, cinema, print) executed via Merlicek & Partner and Media1. Membership fees tiered by annual donation revenue (€2,300 to €6,900/year).
• Wirtschaft hilft (Corporate-NPO Partnership Initiative) Initiative showcasing pathways for corporate-NPO partnerships and providing tools, practice examples, and guidance for sustainable corporate engagement with the non-profit sector in Austria. Connects companies with non-profit organizations for strategic CSR partnerships.
• Initiative Qualität im Face-to-Face Fundraising (QiF) Quality initiative establishing binding standards for face-to-face fundraising and donor membership recruitment, including an ombudsman service for donor complaints, ethical guidelines, and certification for fundraisers.
• Spendenberichte (Annual Donation Reports) Annual comprehensive reports on Austrian donation behavior, providing key data, trend analysis, and benchmarking for the non-profit sector. Forms the basis for sector advocacy and policy engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual Austrian charitable giving reached €1.075 billion in 2023 and €1.07 billion in 2024, up from ~€240M in 1996 (FVA founding).
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• BMWKMS (Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport)coreOthers · 1 January 2025The Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport supports the Kulturfundraising Awards and co-sponsors the awards gala. This government partnership legitimizes the awards and extends their reach into the broader cultural policy community.
• Initiative Wirtschaft hilftflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Wirtschaft hilft is a flagship FVA initiative that connects Austrian companies with non-profit organizations for strategic CSR partnerships. The initiative provides tools, best practices, and orientation for sustainable corporate-nonprofit engagement, serving as a central platform for company-NPO collaboration in Austria.
• NGOjobs.eucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNGOjobs.eu is promoted on the FVA website as 'the most popular NPO job platform in the German-speaking region'. The FVA directs members to the platform for posting fundraising and non-profit job vacancies, generating referral visibility for NGOjobs.eu among Austrian NPOs.
• QuestionPro (via Stifter helfen)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerQuestionPro survey software is offered to FVA members at preferential NPO pricing via the Stifter helfen donor program. The FVA promotes this offer as a member benefit, while QuestionPro gains visibility within the Austrian NPO community.
• Salesforce (Marketing Account Engagement / Pardot)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe FVA uses Salesforce's Marketing Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) platform for marketing automation, email marketing optimization, and website user behavior tracking. Data is processed on behalf of the FVA by Salesforce, which is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.
• Initiative Qualität im Face-to-Face Fundraising (QiF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerQiF was founded by the FVA in 2010 to establish binding quality standards for face-to-face donor recruitment in Austria. All member NPOs and agencies commit to ethical guidelines covering respectful conduct, transparent contracts, visible ID badges, and ongoing quality assurance. QiF also operates an ombudsman service for donor complaints.
• Österreichisches Spendengütesiegel (OSGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll NPOs participating in the QiF initiative must hold the Austrian Donation Quality Seal (Österreichisches Spendengütesiegel) or an equivalent certification, linking the QiF standards to the broader national quality framework for charitable organizations.
• International Public Fundraising Council (IPFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe QiF initiative is a founding member of the IPFC, a worldwide network dedicated to regulating and professionalizing face-to-face fundraising. This provides the FVA/QiF with international benchmarking, best practice exchange, and cross-border quality standards.
• DIRECT MINDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe 'Stimmen aus Österreich' (New Voices from Austria) podcast is co-produced by the FVA and neues stiften, powered by DIRECT MIND. The series features expert conversations on philanthropy, fundraising, and social change.
• Österreichische Notariatskammer (Austrian Chamber of Notaries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vergissmeinnicht initiative collaborates with the Austrian Chamber of Notaries to provide legal expertise and distribution channels (notary offices nationwide) for the bequest information guide (Erbrechtsratgeber). This partnership gives Vergissmeinnicht access to 5,000+ potential testators annually through notary offices.
• Merlicek & Partner / Media1 (Advertising Agencies)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Vergissmeinnicht initiative uses the creative agency Merlicek & Partner and Media1 for campaign creative work and media planning (TV, cinema spots, print advertising). These agencies execute the broadcast and print components of the annual Vergissmeinnicht public awareness campaign.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Deutscher Fundraising Verband: The German national association for donor-seeking NPOs, founded 1993. Direct parallel to the FVA: it offers a fundraising academy, an annual German Fundraising Kongress, member services, advocacy, and the DQS quality seal. The closest comparable peer in terms of mission, revenue model (membership + events + education), and constituency.
• Swissfundraising: The Swiss national association for professional fundraising. Operates the Swiss Fundraising Forum, a Fachausweis certification program, and provides advocacy and training to Swiss NPOs. Closely comparable in scope to FVA's Akademie + Congress + advocacy stack, though at smaller scale given Switzerland's smaller NPO population.

Others

• Stifter helfen: A donor software program (operated as a Bitkom initiative) that provides discounted SaaS products to NPOs in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Adjacent to FVA: FVA promotes QuestionPro offers via Stifter helfen to its members. Comparable as a member-benefit/operational-services provider rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• European Fundraising Association (EFA): EFA is the pan-European umbrella for national fundraising associations, including FVA. It provides cross-border policy advocacy, the European Fundraising Certificate, and the European Fundraising Week. Comparable as a higher-tier umbrella whose members include FVA, but EFA itself does not deliver local NPO membership or congress services like the FVA does.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): AFP is the largest global professional association for individual fundraisers, with chapters in many countries and the CFRE credential. It is broader and more individual-membership-oriented than FVA (which is organizational), and is a credible comparable for the certification/training and congress functions, but FVA's organizational/NPO-umbrella model is distinct.
• Resource Alliance: International fundraising membership organization that runs the International Fundraising Congress (IFC). Overlaps with FVA on international training and congress content, and the FVA participates in the international F2F congress ecosystem. Comparable on the training/congress surface but operates at a different (global) geographic scope.

Regional players

• Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen: The German national association of grantmaking foundations (~28,000 members). Comparable to FVA as a national umbrella within the broader DACH philanthropic ecosystem, but focused on foundations/grantmakers rather than donor-seeking NPOs. Useful peer for benchmarking the advocacy, research, and congress functions.
• Verband für gemeinnütziges Stiften: The Austrian association for grantmaking foundations and endowment funds, founded 2014 with 100+ member foundations. Adjacent to the FVA within the Austrian nonprofit ecosystem: it serves grantmakers while FVA serves fundraisers, but they overlap on policy advocacy, sector research, and corporate/foundation partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fundraisingverband
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundraising-verband-austria
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundraisingverband
• Xx.com/FundraisingVerb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Fundraising Verband Austria